Is wife beating becoming an acceptable practice in Nigeria?
It was one of those weekends where couples usually hang-out and relax after a long stressful week at work. Aminat felt it will be the best time to inform her husband of her plan to go back to school, which was part of the agreement they had before she got married to Hassan, her husband.
The discussion ended up to be a typical husband-wife argument. She wanted to go back to school. He wanted her to stay home as a full-time housewife. The argument led to a serious beating of Aminat by her Husband which even her parents believe it is justifiable because according to them ‘she disobeys her husband.’
Most friends and Family members also believe that Aminat, who was 26 years when this took place and in her sixth year in the marriage has broken some golden rule in this part of the world; she dares challenge her husband’s decision.
Unfortunately, in the 2018 Surveys carried out by the National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), which is a worldwide Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) program designed to collect, analyze, and disseminate demographic data on fertility, family planning, and maternal and child health throughout Nigeria, shows that many men and women also consider such disobedience ample justification for beating.
In a recent stat on WIFE BEATING by State: Percentage that agrees the husband is justified for beating/hitting his wife for one or other reasons as released by the NDHS and published by StatiSense, it shows that a lot of men and Women justify the beating of the wife in the house.
Generally, more Nigerian women (14–59 years) believe husbands are justified for beating/hitting their wives. 28.0% of women justified this act while 20.5% of men also believe they can beat or hit their wives for one or other reasons. The reasons are: burning of food, arguing with husband, going out without telling the husband, neglecting the children, and refusing to have sexual intercourse with the husband.
This societal problem is more acceptable in some states such as Bauchi, Kebbi, Katsina, etc. In BAUCHI state, 73.9% of women justified their being beaten by their husband and 32.3% of the men felt justified to have beaten their wife. In KATSINA state and Kebbi state, 80.6% and 87.4% of women respectively agreed with their husband that they deserved to be beaten.
On the other hand, women from States like Anambra 0.6%, Lagos 2.9%, Ogun 1.2% and Jigawa 2.9%, do not think there is any justifiable reason to hit/beat women.
It is expected that findings such as this will help create awareness among families and society at large to provide the necessary counselling and education to both men and women that there is no justifiable reason to hit one another.
This article was written by Victor Ejechi and first published on https://statisense.com.ng/is-wife-beating-becoming-an-acceptable-practice-in-nigeria/
