Cultural Barriers To Widows’ Wellbeing And Social Work Interventions In Central Senatorial District Of Cross River State, Nigeria
Main Article Content
Abstract
Widowhood is often accompanied by profound emotional distress arising from the loss of a spouse. Beyond bereavement, many widows experience multifaceted psychosocial challenges, including poverty, fear, depression, anxiety, social exclusion, neglect, and abandonment. In many rural communities, these challenges are further compounded by patriarchal social structures and harmful widowhood practices that perpetuate gender inequality and reinforce women's vulnerability. This study examines the lived experiences of widows within patriarchal cultural settings where widowhood rites remain prevalent. It explores how these cultural practices undermine widows' dignity, restrict their agency, and diminish their contributions to community development by subjecting them to discriminatory and dehumanising treatment. The findings reveal that widows residing in rural areas and those with lower levels of education and socioeconomic status are significantly more vulnerable to oppressive cultural norms and traditional practices than their counterparts in urban settings. The study further demonstrates that social work interventions play a critical role in mitigating these challenges, regardless of the widows' backgrounds. Intervention strategies, including advocacy, public awareness campaigns, psychosocial counselling, community sensitisation, referral services, rehabilitation, and brokerage, were effectively implemented across the study area. These interventions contributed to improved psychosocial well-being, enhanced social functioning, and greater resilience among widows in confronting harmful traditional practices. The study highlights the complex realities of widowhood in the Central Senatorial District of Cross River State, Nigeria, and underscores the indispensable role of professional social work practice in challenging harmful cultural practices, promoting social justice, and advancing the dignity, rights, and well-being of widows
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
References
Adekunle, M. & Tayebri, D. (2015). Social work practice with vulnerable groups. Ibadan: Divine Printing Press Ltd., Oyo State, Nigeria.
Adetunji, J. (2021). Rising rights and autonomy of women in sub-Saharan Africa. African Population Studies. 25 (2), 587-604.
Adetunsi, H. & Karim Q. A. (2021). Incidence rates of discrimination among rural and urban women in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Int J Epidemiol. 40 (4), 922-930. 10.1093/ije/dyq176
Agba, I.S. (2018). Medical social work practice: An introductory analysis. Calabar: Baye Communications, Nigeria.
Agumagu, J. (2007). The Nigeria woman and widowhood challenges and constraints. Sophia: African Journal of Philosophy and Public Affairs, 10 (1). pp
Alamu, O. I. (2022). Challenges of social work in Nigeria. A policy agenda. African Journal of Social Work (AJSW), 12(3)116-122
Azuogu, V. C., Azuogu, B & Nwory E. U. (2021). Factors affecting utilization of skilled social workers in Nigeria. West African Journal of Social Work, 22 (1): 25-83.
Banda, J. & Priscilla, A. (2016). An agenda for harmful cultural practices and girls’ empowerment. Washington, DC: Center for Global Development. https://www.cgdev.org/publication/agenda-harmful-cultural-practices-and-girls-empowerment
Beddoe, I. (2023). Patients-centred medical home resource.http://pcmh.ahrq.gov/
Buckingham, C. D. E (2020). A case study exploring the implications of patriarchal cultures. Capella University Press.
Byrnes, A. (2012). The Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, in human rights of women: International instruments and African experiences by Wolfangbenedek, Esther, M. Kisaakye and GerdOberleitner (eds.), pp.119-172.
Carter, M. (2016). The psycho-social plight of widows in Binga District in Zimbabwe: The efficacy of Social Work intervention. Ph.D. thesis, North-West University, Mafikeng, South Africa.
Cislaghi, B., Leah, K.., Hamse, K. & Munshi, S. (2019). Adolescent-led marriage in Somaliland and Puntland: A surprising interaction of agency and social norms. Journal of Adolescence, 72: 101-111.
Cohen, S. & Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological bulletin, 98(2),310-357. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.98.2.310
Dessler, G. (2017). The perceptions of unfair interpersonal treatment scale among women in Africa. Journal of Applied Psychology, 83(5), 683.
Djuikom, M. A. & Dominique, W. (2018). Marital shocks and women’s welfare in Africa. policy research working paper 8306. Washington, DC: World Bank Group, https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/154211516215200599/pdf/WPS8306.pdf
Dube, M. (2021). Exploring interventions for widows in Binga District, Zimbabwe: A Social Work Integrative Model. Social Work/MaatskaplikeWerk 57: 336–58. [CrossRef]
Durojaye, E. (2013). Woman but not human: Widowhood practices and human rights’ violation in Nigeria. International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family, 27(2),176-196.
Edet, B., Adie, O.& Ekemini, P. (2017). Socio-cultural practices of the people of Cross River and Akwa State. Uyo: Damil Press Limited, Nigeria.
Ewelukwa, U. U. (2012). Post-colonialism, gender, customary injustice: widows: widows in African societies. Human Rights Quarterly 24, 424-486. The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Gadi, N. A., Randhir, K. & Anmol, G. (2018). Factors influencing gender preference among women of Ambala, Haryana: A cross-sectional study. International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health, 5. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327856156_
Ibekwe, P.C. (2020). Social work challenges in developing countries, Med Pract Rev. 1 (1), 9-11.
Idyorough, A.E. (2015). The techniques and principles of social casework practice. Jos: Savannah Press Ltd., Nigeria.
Iloka, P. C. (2022). Review of the obnoxious widowhood practices in Nigeria. Anambra State in perspectives. Nnamdi Azikiwe University Journal of International Law and Jurisprudence, 13(1),
James, M., Francis, A & Johnson, M (2017). Determinant of women subordination: perquisite for women development. International Journal of Innovative Research and Development 9 (4), 311-325
Kalichman, H. & Rompa, L. (2017). Effect of patriarchy in Pakistan economy. Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Management Science and Engineering Management, 2,1019-1029.
Keister, L. A., & Destro, L. M. (2018). How widowed people differ from other marital status groups. Journal of African Affairs, 40(2), 438–444.
Laima, S. L. & Jurate, G. S. (2020). The role of social worker in team of rehabilitation methodological approach. International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology. 4(3), 103-118
Li, Y. & Huey-Shyan, L. (2019). Widowhood and health in late life: Does health change before or after widowhood in older Taiwanese men and women? Journal of Women and Aging 32, 684–99.
Loomba Foundation (2015). The effect of patriarchal practices on women’s development. Arab Journal for scientific Publishing4 (6), 63-98
Lynn, M., Shore, J. N., Clevel, D. & Diana S. (2018). Inclusive roles for women: A review and model. Human Resource Management Review, 28 (4), 176–189
McGregor, J., & Cale, J. (2019). Advocacy and activism in social work: Bridging the divide. Journal of Social Work,19(3), 340-358.
McIlwaine, C. (2013). Urbanization and gender-based violence: exploring the paradoxes in the global South. Environment and Urbanization, 25(1): 65-79.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0956247813477359 20|
OHCHR (2013). Fact Sheet No.23, Harmful traditional practices affecting the health of women and children. http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/FactSheet23en.pdf,
Okolo, U. G. (2022). Social work practice:An introductory analysis. Calabar: University of Calabar Press, Nigeria.
Okoye, U. O (2023). Trends and challenges of social work practice in Nigeria in becoming a social worker Rutledge
Olaniyi, C. M. (2010). Problems of widowhood practice among Nigerian widows (Unpublished PhD Thesis). Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti.
Olumukoro, C. A. (2011). Influence of literacy education programmes on socio-economic and psychological empowerment of women in Edo and Delta states, Nigeria (Unpublished PhD). University of Ibadan.
Palpart, J. L. (2000). The widows refuses: Embodied practices and negotiations over inheritance in Zimbabwe. In Youngs, G. (eds). Political economy, power and the body. International Political Economy Series. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Parast, S.M. & Allaii, B. (2014). The role of social work in healthcare system. Journal of Social Science for Policy Implementations, 3(1), 59-68.
Pierik, B. (2022). Patriarchal power as a conceptual tool for gender history. Rethinking History. 26(1), 71-92. https://doi.org/10.1080/13642529.2022.2037864.
Preker, A.S. (2018). The introduction of universal access to healthcare in the OECD: Lessons for developing countries. In G. Nitayarumphong and A. Mills (eds) Delivering universal coverage of healthcare. Bangkok: Ministry of Public Health.
Rawat, P. S. (2014). Patriarchal beliefs, women’s empowerment, and general well-being, Vikalpa, 39 (2) 43–55.
Samuel, G.C.E. (2011) Emergent issues on widowhood practices in Igbo culture: between the video screen and reality. Unizik Journal of Arts and Hu-manities (UJAH. ),184-193
Shreeves, R. & Martina, P. (2016). Harmful practices' as a form of violence against women and girls. Brussels, Belgium: European Parliamentary Research Service. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2016/593556/EPRS_BRI(2016)593556_EN.pdf 21|
Smith, M. D. (1990). Patriarchal ideology and wife beating: A test of a feminist hypothesis, Violence and Victims, 5 (4), 257-274.
Sultana, A. (2011). Patriarchy and women’s subordination: A theoretical analysis, Arts Faculty Journal, 4 (1), 1-18.
Sulumba-Kapuma, D. (2018). The effect of patriarchal structure on the health of women in Palestinian institutions. British Journal of Economics, Finance and Management Sciences, 3(2). PP
Tembo, A. (2012). Revisiting women’s health strategies: Lessons learnt from Khulumani support group widows’ project. agenda: Empowering women for gender equity 26: 142–44.
Thompson, S., Shaheen, I. & Kiyyani, S.M. (2015). Socio-economic empowerment of women through micro enterprises: A case study of AJK. European Scientific Journal, 11(22), 197 211.
Triana, M. D. & Li, M. (2021). The congruence between tradition and women development. Academy of Management Journal, 64(5), 5- 1382
Triandis, H. C. (2022). Culture and social behaviour. New York. McGraw- Hill.
Tse, D. K. & Wilton, P. C. (2018). Women are their own barriers: An extension of women aggressions. Journal of Feminism Research8 (3) 242-364
Tudose, M. B. (2018). Structure of a traditional society and role of womenin community development. Economy and Tran disciplinary Journal, 15(2); 76-82.
Ugiagbe, E.O. (2018). A textbook of social work. Benin: Justice Jeco Printing and Publishing Global, Nigeria.
Van, G. (2015). The risk women face: a tool for securing favor from men. Economics and Management Journal. 16, 987- 991.
Vijayakumar, A.N. & Nagaraja, N. (2018). Patriarchal systems: Property rights and privileges. BVIMR Management Edge, 5(1), 1 – 8.
Wentling, W. M. R. & Rivas, P. N. (2018).Current status and future trends of women emancipation in third world countries. Journal of Human Resources Development,9 (3), 235- 253.
Wheatley, D. (2012), Work-life balance, travel-to-work, and the dual career household, Personnel Review, 41(6), 813-831.
Wiele T, Boselie P. & Hesselink, M. (2022). Empirical evidence for the relationship between women satisfaction and community compromise. Managing Service Quality12(3),184–193..