Intimate Partner Violence against Women and the Social Construction of Masculinity in Oron, South-Coastal Nigeria

Abstract

This study explores intimate partner violence against women and the social construction of masculinity using data from focus group discussions with 46 men in Oron, a semi-urban community in south- coastal Nigeria. Findings indicate that intimate partner violence is a socially-accepted male behaviour as well as a mechanism for curbing transgression of traditional gender roles by women. It is anchored on the religious tenet of male headship, and is aggravated by decline in men’s capacity to perform their traditional roles as bread winners for the household due to poverty and unemployment. Findings further show that men recognize that they are not passive victims of socio-cultural forces, but human agents who enact and challenge cultural traditions. Their awareness of the negative effects of intimate partner violence on women’s health and the family, and recognition of the roles of different sectors of the society in responding to the problem provides leverage for policy and interventions addressing intimate partner violence in Nigeria.