Ethno-Religious Conflicts in Nigeria: Implications on Women

Abstract

Ethno-Religious conflicts have continued to besiege Nigeria for decades. This paper aims to highlight some of the ethno-religious conflicts that have taken place in Nigeria and its impact on women. Considerable work has been done on the issue of Ethno-Religious conflicts in Nigeria but the implications of these on Nigerian women remains scanty. It is in recognition of this that this paper seeks to examine this. Using library findings as well as oral interviews, the paper notes that many women have lost their lives while many others have lost their children and/or their husbands. This situation has led to undue sufferings with the concomitant problems of poverty and penury among the women. Most significantly, it also leads to gender inequality. Gender inequality translates to political, economic and socio-religious marginalization of women in the society. In view of this, the researcher recommends among others that women should be allowed to be full actors in the process of peace building and conflict resolution in Nigeria. They should not be kept at the margin in political discourse. It further advocates that amidst these incessant ethno-religious conflicts that have plagued the nation, protection of women and children should be of paramount importance and all the violations of human rights of women and children addressed with the apt attention it deserves. The decriptive phenomenological method was adopted for the study.

Ethno-religious conflict and sustainable development in Nigeria

“…The experience of these ethnoreligious conflicts has affected Nigeria's sustainable development. Some authors have attributed the cause of these conflicts to various factors ranging from marginalisation and competition for economic and political spaces to sharing of land, economic and mineral resources (Alegbeleye 2014;Canci & Odukoya 2016;Omotosho 2003;Onah et al 2017;Salawu 2010).…”

“…Thus, research literature by various authors has explored numerous strategies and methods to stop these ethno-religious conflicts. Most authors agree that discouraging all forms of discrimination, neglect, favouritism, nepotism, marginalisation and tribalism in sharing of public positions, dealing with religious issues and other issues in all spheres in the nation would help curb the ethno-religious conflict tension in Nigeria (Alegbeleye 2014;Canci & Odukoya 2016;Omotosho 2003;Onah, Diara & Uroko 2017;Osunyikanmi & Sapele 2019;Salawu 2010). Furthermore, other authors claim that religious tolerance is a key factor that will defuse religious conflicts (Onah et al 2017;Osunyikanmi & Sapele 2019).…”

“…Most authors agree that discouraging all forms of discrimination, neglect, favouritism, nepotism, marginalisation and tribalism in sharing of public positions, dealing with religious issues and other issues in all spheres in the nation would help curb the ethno-religious conflict tension in Nigeria (Alegbeleye 2014;Canci & Odukoya 2016;Omotosho 2003;Onah, Diara & Uroko 2017;Osunyikanmi & Sapele 2019;Salawu 2010). Furthermore, other authors claim that religious tolerance is a key factor that will defuse religious conflicts (Onah et al 2017;Osunyikanmi & Sapele 2019). However, Salawu (2010:351) argues that providing 'adequate and effective security in each state that should be able to respond promptly to any insurgence of ethno-religious crisis anywhere at any time' will curb the ethno-religious conflicts.…”

An Exploratory Study on Women Entrepreneurial Motivationin in the Context of Boko Haram Insurgency in North Eastern Nigeria

“…Such consequences are more visible in areas of poverty, physical violence and lack of access to justice that characterized fragile states (Barakat & Larson, 2014;Nay, 2013). Both long-term sustenance of peace and short-term survival were affected mainly by the differences in experience by men and women -most studies on post-conflicts plans towards peace, reconstructions and revitalization neglect the gender stereotype of the phenomenon (Buchowska, 2016;Onah et al, 2017). Therefore, understanding how conflicts affect women and their experience in this context is necessary (Lindsey-Curtet, 2004).…”

Exploring Conflict, War and HIV/AIDS on Health of the Internally Displaced Persons living in North Central Nigeria

“…Olakunde, Adeyinka, Wakdok, Oladele, and Ozigbu (2018) revealed how war and armed con ict facilitated the widespread HIV epidemic in Nigeria. The con ict activites became multidimensional with communal, socio-economic, religious, and political undertones (Onah, Diara, & Uroko, 2018). The kidnapping and killings in the Niger Delta region reveal an economic struggle (Institute for Peace and Security Studies [IPSS], 2018).…”