Cultural Violence and the Nigerian Woman

Abstract

This paper highlights the cultural factors responsible for and negative effects of cultural violence against women in Nigeria and makes a case for raising public consciousness against it. Violence against Women or Gender-Based Violence is an age long psychological and social issue deep-rooted in Nigerian societies and African countries in general. In some societies, cultural practices, norms and beliefs fuel the behaviors and relegate woman to second class status. Some practices and gender role assignments ensure total submission of the woman to male dominance and control at home in ways that perpetuate gender inequality. The data for this paper were derived from the primary and secondary sources and both descriptive and analytical methods were used to assess the impact of cultural violence on women. The study demonstrates that there cultural violence against women manifested in all levels of socio-cultural, economic, and political status of women in Nigeria irrespective of class, education or profession. The paperreveal that in Nigeria, gender preference culturally favours the male child to continue the family name, entitles him to land and property ownership, to visit and talk with the elders where older women only cook and serve the men at family or community meetings.