Incidence of Domestic Violence among Married Women in Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria (Published)
The aim of this study was to investigate the social determinants of domestic violence in rural areas as a yardstick for determining the pathways through which socio-cultural processes influence women’s susceptibility to marriage. A cross sectional research design was adopted for this study and quantitative data were collected using the Severity of Violence Against Women Scale (SAVAWS) that was developed by Marshall (1992). Domestic abuse was discovered to be prevalently experienced in rural areas. Also, the study discovered six factors that influence the experience of domestic abuse among rural women namely: drunkenness, financial demand, rebuffed sexual advances, annoyance nature of the male partner, cultural and stereotypical beliefs of the communities as well as a combination of any of these factors. It needs to be emphasized that among these six factors, financial request was mostly pointed out as the reason domestic violence occur in rural areas, which is an indication that rural men commonly experience financial stress. This may be due to the high rate of illiteracy and unemployment among rural women as well as the extended family relationship that exist in rural communities.
Keywords: Domestic Violence, Incidence, Married Women, Rural Area, Social Determinants
Socio-Cultural Factors Affecting the Autonomy of Reproductive Decisions of Married Women in Nsukka L.G.A. Of Enugu State, Nigeria (Published)
This article focuses on the socio-cultural factors affecting the autonomy of married women in reproductive decisions in Nsukka L.G.A. of Enugu State, Nigeria. Three vital areas of reproductive decision making were discussed namely: decision on the number of children to have in the family, decision on the place to seek care during pregnancy/childbirth, and decision on the use of contraceptives for family planning purposes. The data presented in this article were derived from a study carried out in Obukpa, in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State Nigeria in 2011. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of data gathering were utilized. The instruments for data collection were the questionnaire, in-depth interview and focus group discussions. The findings of the study showed that married women in Obukpa, Nsukka L.G.A. do not have autonomy of reproductive decisions. Socio-cultural factors like residence, age, educational qualification, religion, occupation, did not positively affect the autonomy of reproductive decisions of married women. Their autonomy was basically affected by ‘culture’, which portrays male dominance. This is typical of a patriarchal society; which includes Obukpa in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria.
Keywords: Autonomy, Contraceptives, Family Planning, Married Women, Reproduction Rights, Reproductive Decisions, Reproductive Health