RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL ANALYSIS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN IMO STATE, NIGERIA
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- NGN 3000
Background to the Study
One of the remarkable features of the present day Imo State is that women and children constitute the most vulnerable group that undergo violence in different spheres of life. Also, excluding them from the socio-economic development of their immediate milieu is a worry. Although this exclusion is currently strong and widely upheld, there has been a relative silence on how to liberate women from these cultural practices. The people of Imo are culturally endowed, and a good grasp of their religious, cultural anthropology and cosmology show the pride with which they uphold their distinctive ways of life. Some of these cultural practices have been observed, according to Chukwu (2006), to be very archaic, dangerous, harmful and damaging to the psyche of women and children. Corroborating this trend earlier, Ebirim (2005) argued that the situation was even worse, for women who have low literacy level. In a similar strand, Ritzer (1996) averred that women’s situation was centrally that of being used, controlled, subjugated, and oppressed by men. Elucidating further, Ritzer (1996) concluded that women’s oppression was basically by a system of particularly cultivated for the deliberate purpose of commandeering women to achieve the intents of the so-called power structure. Nmah (2003) affirms the above statement by saying: though patriarchy takes different forms in different cultures, its fundamental belief is the same. The man is Superior by nature, born to rule in all works of life; the woman, inferior, born to be ruled and to serve the man” (P. 21). 2 Violence against women and children in Igboland, especially in Imo State has been a very problematic issue over the decades and has continued to linger irrespective of concerted efforts to bring it to the barest minimum. It is one of the most widespread violations of human rights and includes physical abuse, sexual, psychological, social, political, religious, and economic abuse. It cuts across geographical boundaries and culture. Violence against women and children takes place in the home, on the streets, in schools, in places of worship, work, markets, refugee camps, farm fields and many more. Igbo culture has religious and social norms that have placed women and children in an unfavorable position which demeans and dehumanizes them. A position, that hinders their effective contributions to the sustainable development of Imo State. It is no longer fashionable to accept a situation or culture that relegates women and children to the background. In corroboration to this, Salami (2000) asserts that, in spite of the Beijing declaration on affirmative action, women in Africa, (Imo State inclusively) are not yet in the mainstream of the political, social, economic as well as peace and conflict related issues when compared with women of Western background. Thus, women and children in Igboland are sometimes regarded as inferior beings who deserve inferior positions, hence the saying that a woman’s place is in the kitchen. This goes on to explain what Leith-Ross (1965) posited, that a Nigerian man; Will probably, and often unconsciously make out that the woman is of little account, that her whole life is in his hands, that she has no will, no means, no property, no power. He upholds the view that the husband is Lord and Master and that the woman is his property. (p.21). 3 This mentality is still strong and despite the changes in religious, social, political, economical and spiritual spheres of life, women and children have remained the most vulnerable group that undergoes violence in physical, psychological, spheres of life in Imo State in particular and Igboland in general. Ijere (1982) believes that Igbo women have been exploited in the traditional pre-colonial era. Colonial and post colonial situations have even worsened this exploitation in Igboland, because a wife is seen as the husband’s property. The man paid a certain amount as bride-price and the woman becomes his. She bears his name, and her children belong to him. If for any reason she divorces him, she or her people will have to pay back the bride-price in full, in spite of the fact that she may have spent the best part of her life in the man’s service and may have raised children for him. Igbo women are victims of inequality in the political, educational, social, religious, economic and cultural spheres. The researcher is very much worried about these canker worms that go to destroy the dignity and equality of women and children in Imo State in particular and Igboland in general. Iwe (1985) stated that: Splendor of womanhood, which is based on human personality, the prerogative and quality of every human being, man or woman, is fundamentally, essentially and unquestionably equal to the dignity of man. Furthermore, he affirmed that the truth of this statement is unassailable in spite of sex differences, for human dignity rests not on sex but on personality; and personality as such has no sex (p.47). Accepting this position therefore, there is an urgent need to change such violent, cultural practices against women. These ugly trends also prompted a research on this topic so as to proffer possible solutions on these maladies. 4
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