Patriarchy and Singlehood Among Women in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

Singleness for women beyond the age considered conventional for marriage is regarded as a misnomer in Nigeria. Such women are pitied and blamed for their status. Often the blame is based on assumed personal character defect of the women. Nevertheless, empirical research by some sociologists and other women scholars has linked singlehood to demographic, economic, religious, and personal causative factors. Building on these past studies, this article employed aspects of Silvia Walby's "theorising patriarchy" to examine patriarchy, a structural determinant of singlehood that has not received much attention in the study of singlehood in Nigeria. Twenty-nine involuntary, childless, never-married women aged 30 to 48 years were interviewed in urban Lagos, Nigeria. The women's narratives revealed the limiting effects of the six patriarchal structures identified by Walby in their opportunities to marry. This study provides relevant information for attainment of Nigeria's gender policy and contributes to intercultural understanding of singlehood.

Masculinity, Money, and the Postponement of Parenthood in Nigeria

“…Scholarship on fertility decision‐making in Africa has frequently portrayed men as strongly pronatal, emphasizing that male pressure on women to have more children advances a combination of masculine interests, including the importance of “wealth in people” and the preservation of patriarchal privileges associated with controlling female sexuality and perpetuating lineages (DeRose, Dodoo and Patil ; Ntoimo and Isiugo‐Abanihe ). Although there is no doubt that patriarchy and reproduction have been—and, in some ways, remain—deeply intertwined in many settings (Folbre ; Kandiyoti ), I argue that in Nigeria men's interests vis‐à‐vis the timing of marriage, parenthood, and overall fertility are changing significantly.…”

What Influences Modern Contraceptive Utilisation Among Single Mothers in Nigeria? Evidence from Pooled Cross-Sectional Surveys

“…This challenge may be addressed by two measures. One, it is important to recognise that single motherhood not only represents an unconventional family structure in the community but is also increasing in the community [6]. The peculiar contraceptive need of this group of women may thus be different from the needs of other women.…”

“…Though, single motherhood is increasingly rising across the world [6][7][8][9][10] as an evolving family type but in many developing countries including Nigeria, single motherhood is rarely accepted in the community. Many single mothers experience discrimination, rejection and blackmail from members of their community [11][12][13] and children nurtured by single mothers are perceived to be poor trained in family values [14] in addition to having elevated risks of poor health outcomes [15][16][17].…”

“…This is important because single mothers like other groups of women are likely to experience unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and unsafe abortion if they do not use modern contraceptives or if they use it inconsistently. In addition, the rising pro le of single motherhood across the world [6][7][8][9][10] requires that more attention be paid to the determinants of modern contraceptive use among single mothers. Findings from the study may provide inputs for strengthening existing population policy and reproductive health strategies in the aspects of scaling up modern contraceptive demand and use among important segments of women in the society.…”

Patriarchy Culture and Injustice for Women in Politics

“…Patriarchy gives authority to other people including young man so it needs control and coordination to woman who crosses the limits of culture and religion [7]. Woman usually does the house works but the way of patriarchy production is not defined in the term of house works but in the relation with the works [8].…”