Domestic Violence against Women in Ebonyi State Rural Communities, Southeast, Nigeria

Abstract

Domestic violence against women in rural communities especially in Sub-Saharan Africa has
continued to thrive despite its global condemnation. The study tried to assess the multifarious nature of domestic violence metted against women in Ebonyi State rural communities, Southeast, Nigeria. The multistage sampling techniques were adopted and 360 respondents (females of 18 years and above) formed the sample representative using the questionnaire. Qualitative data were also generated using the Indepth Interview Guide (IDI) with 30 participants that were not part of the questionnaire. Psychoanalytic feminist theory and status expectation theory were adopted as the theoretical framework. Data collected were analyzed using the descriptive statistics; frequency tables and percentages. Study findings revealed that in addition to physical torture/battery, women in Ebonyi state rural communities were subjected to economic neglect, psychological/emotional distress, spiritual abuse, social degradation and others. 30.6% of respondents expressed the widespread socio-cultural belief in the area that women are holistically subordinate and property of the husband as it constitutes an abomination to take a husband to the police for his actions. Consequent to this, chronic injuries or untimely death of mothers and behavioural problems of children which all culminates in marring the pride of family in Africa become inevitable. Nevertheless, the study made some recommendations which if implemented will go a long way in reinventing Nigeria as the stability of a nations starts from the family.