Feminization, food security, and hunger eradication: A Case of Omu-Aran community in Kwara State, Nigeria

A profound change of the global food and agriculture system is needed if we are to nourish today’s 795 million hungry and the expected 2 billion people by 2050. Aside from hunger and malnutrition, food insecurity results in a wide range of problems such as health, environmental degradation, and a high rate of crime. When food security improves, most facets of life improve as well. While most Nigerians engaged in activities outside the agricultural sector, the country is in danger of being engulfed in a food crisis. Improving agriculture and food security (being able to produce enough food to sustain families and communities year after year), is a herculean task for the Omu-Aran community. There are no incentives for women to engage in commercial agriculture. Based on the above, this study tends to examine the role of women in proving food security and how this could help in the eradication of hunger in the OmuAran community in Kwara State. It argues that women have more restricted access than men to productive resources and opportunities including land, livestock, inputs, education, extension and research services, and financial services. Closing this gender gap would give an important boost to agricultural productivity and output, and in bringing agricultural yields similar to those of men, government at all levels, as well as corporate and financial establishments, must commit a large chunk of resources towards motivating women farmers. Role theory provides the theoretical framework for the study. The design for the study was both descriptive and exploratory. A two-stage sampling consisting of purposive and simple random techniques were used to select the respondents. The sample population comprises 35 food crop farming households in the Omu-Aran community. A structured interview was used to elicit information on the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents. Twenty- five in-depth interviews were conducted. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively while qualitative data was content analyses

Labourism and Good Governance In A Democratic Society: The Role Of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC)

Today, around three-quarters people affected by poverty live in countries whose economies are dominated by the natural resources sector; this leads to the weakening of state structures and the destruction of the environment, and it can give rise to or exacerbate social conflict. Political democracy is a key ingredient in Africa's regeneration or renaissance. Without political democracy, our societies are condemned to be ruled by self-appointed dictators. The broader progressive movement, including the labour movement, has a crucial role in fighting for political democracy in Africa. It is important that we root out corruption, nepotism and create conditions for popular participation to flourish. Good governance is not a luxury but a necessary condition for open, participatory, accountable and democratic governance. Studies of good governance in Nigeria have not adequately addressed how the role of the labour movement in a democratic society can bring about good governance. This study, therefore, examined the role of the labour movement in promoting good governance in a democratic society like Nigeria. The functionalist theory provided the conceptual framework while the Secondary data collection method was used to elicit information for the study

“By slapping their laps, the patient will know that you truly care for her”: A qualitative study on social norms and acceptability of the mistreatment of women during childbirth in Abuja, Nigeria

Background: Many women experience mistreatment during childbirth in health facilities across the world. However, limited evidence exists on how social norms and attitudes of both women and providers influence mistreatment during childbirth. Contextually-specific evidence is needed to understand how normative factors affect how women are treated. This paper explores the acceptability of four scenarios of mistreatment during childbirth. Methods: Two facilities were identified in Abuja, Nigeria. Qualitative methods (in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs)) were used with a purposive sample of women, midwives, doctors and administrators. Participants were presented with four scenarios of mistreatment during childbirth: slapping, verbal abuse, refusing to help the woman and physical restraint. Thematic analysis was used to synthesize findings, which were interpreted within the study context and an existing typology of mistreatment during childbirth. Results: Eighty-four IDIs and 4 FGDs are included in this analysis. Participants reported witnessing and experiencing mistreatment during childbirth, including slapping, physical restraint to a delivery bed, shouting, intimidation, and threats of physical abuse or poor health outcomes. Some women and providers considered each of the four scenarios as mistreatment. Others viewed these scenarios as appropriate and acceptable measures to gain compliance from the woman and ensure a good outcome for the baby. Women and providers blamed a woman's “disobedience” and “uncooperativeness” during labor for her experience of mistreatment. Conclusions: Blaming women for mistreatment parallels the intimate partner violence literature, demonstrating how traditional practices and low status of women potentiate gender inequality. These findings can be used to facilitate dialogue in Nigeria by engaging stakeholders to discuss how to challenge these norms and hold providers accountable for their actions. Until women and their families are able to freely condemn poor quality care in facilities and providers are held accountable for their actions, there will be little incentive to foster change. Keywords: Maternal health, Childbirth, Mistreatment, Quality of care, Qualitative research, Nigeri

Methodological development of tools to measure how women are treated during facility-based childbirth in four countries: labor observation and community survey

Abstract Background Efforts to improve maternal health are increasingly focused on improving the quality of care provided to women at health facilities, including the promotion of respectful care and eliminating mistreatment of women during childbirth. A WHO-led multi-country research project aims to develop and validate two tools (labor observation and community survey) to measure how women are treated during facility-based childbirth. This paper describes the development process for these measurement tools, and how they were implemented in a multi-country study (Ghana, Guinea, Myanmar and Nigeria). Methods An iterative mixed-methods approach was used to develop two measurement tools. Methodological development was conducted in four steps: (1) initial tool development; (2) validity testing, item adjustment and piloting of paper-based tools; (3) conversion to digital, tablet-based tools; and (4) data collection and analysis. These steps included systematic reviews, primary qualitative research, mapping of existing tools, item consolidation, peer review by key stakeholders and piloting. Results The development, structure, administration format, and implementation of the labor observation and community survey tools are described. For the labor observations, a total of 2016 women participated: 408 in Nigeria, 682 in Guinea, and 926 in Ghana. For the community survey, a total of 2672 women participated: 561 in Nigeria, 644 in Guinea, 836 in Ghana, and 631 in Myanmar. Of the 2016 women who participated in the labor observations, 1536 women (76.2%) also participated in the community survey and have linked data: 779 in Ghana, 425 in Guinea, and 332 in Nigeria. Conclusions An important step to improve the quality of maternity care is to understand the magnitude and burden of mistreatment across contexts. Researchers and healthcare providers in maternal health are encouraged to use and implement these tools, to inform the development of more women-centered, respectful maternity healthcare services. By measuring the prevalence of mistreatment of women during childbirth, we will be able to design and implement programs and policies to transform maternity services