African Journal of Gender and Women Studies

ISSN 2736-1578

Table of Contents 2018

Review

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies ISSN 2516-9831 Vol. 3 (4), pp. 157-163, April, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Review

Witchcraft as an intriguing phenomenon in Africa: The case of Tanzania

 *Benjamin Edwards, Ridhiwani Pinda and Jakaya Garang

Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Dodoma, Dodoma, Tanzania.

E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 30 March, 2013

Abstract

Witchcraft is a topical subject and an intriguing phenomenon in Africa. Thriving on belief systems it baffles and confronts ruling elites with dilemmas on how to deal with it. Tanzania experiences grim consequences by the entrenchment of witchcraft in the country including social exclusion, expulsion and even murder of alleged witches. The legal system copes inadequately with the challenges of witchcraft because it does not accept the reality of witchcraft and the colonial inherited law is a blunt instrument in dealing with the problem. This article charts the history of the law on witchcraft in Tanzania and concludes that witchcraft beliefs are too strong to be driven out by legal methods and instead advocates for the removal of ignorance by introducing a scientific view of the world through [mass] education.

Key words: Witchcraft, bewitching, Tanzania, ordinance, law, commission.

*Benjamin Edwards, Ridhiwani Pinda and Jakaya Garang

Page: 157 - 163

Research Article

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies ISSN 2516-9831 Vol. 3 (4), pp. 151-156, April, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper                        

Sex and irregular warfare: Understanding the place of girls in Boko Haram insurgency

Onafowora Oluwasolape

Department of History and International Relations, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria, P.O.Box 1774, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria.

[email protected]; [email protected]. Tel: +2348033655364

Accepted April 08, 2018

Abstract

Irregular warfare between the Nigerian Army and Boko Haram insurgents occurred in less secured environment which left the most vulnerable (children, women, elderly and harmless young men) to become victims during counterinsurgency operations. Girls were deliberately targeted by terrorists so as to sustain the war against the Nigerian government. Some joined voluntarily while others were captured. Many girls served as domestic servants while others were trained to become suicide bombers. Since irregular warfare is usually a prolonged war, Boko Haram has adopted it as a guerrilla strategy to use girls not only as servants or bombers but as ‘baby producing agents’. Furthermore, leaders of the sect have come to realize that girls, particularly the Chibok girls are war assets who can be used in buying time, swapped for top Boko Haram prisoners, exchanged for ammunitions, sold into black market, motivate terrorists as war bounty, spy communities and carry out complex terrorist attacks. Unfortunately, the Nigerian government is yet to fully situate the place of girls in its counterinsurgency operations. Historical research method and a population-centric counterinsurgency approach were adopted in the study. Understanding how girls experience the conflict, not only as victims but also as perpetrators, needs to directly inform policies and programs to tackle the roots of the insurgency and strategies for curbing it, as well as facilitate girls’ contribution to lasting peace.

Keywords: Boko Haram, Chibok Girls, irregular warfare, Nigerian Army.

Onafowora Oluwasolape

Page: 151 - 156

Research Article

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies ISSN 2516-9831 Vol. 3 (1), pp. 124-133, January, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Effect of gender on household heads and housing condition in Osun State, Nigeria

1Olubi Akande*, 2James Oniru and 2Ade Ajayi

1Department of Agronomy, School of Agricultural and Agricultural Technology, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria.

2Department of Crop Science, School of Agricultural and Agricultural Technology, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 22 September, 2017

Abstract

Housing is one of the basic needs of man, unarguably the third after food and clothing. It accounts for the social, cultural and economic value of a society; hence, quality housing is desired by all individuals. However, the rural areas have long been battling with challenges associated with condition and quality of housing. It is of note that many researchers have accounted for several factors affecting housing conditions in the rural areas but only few have documented the role that the gender of the household head plays on housing condition. In this study, household head refers to the eldest person in a house who most at times is also the bread winner of the family. This study hence, examines the role of household head gender on housing condition in Egbeda village, Iragbiji, Osun state. There are 94 inhabited houses in the village. Primary data were obtained through direct observation and questionnaire administered to all household heads in the village; the research is a census as 100% sample was done. Secondary data were obtained from the local planning authority. Descriptive and inferential methods were used in analyzing the data. Findings reveal that 58 households are headed by men while 36 are headed by women. Average income of women heads is low compared to their male counterparts. Although housing condition in the village is generally below standard, it was noted that houses headed by men are in better conditions than those headed by women. Data was subjected to chi square analysis and the research concluded that there is a significant relationship between housing condition and the gender of household head in the study area. Appropriate recommendations were made to improve the condition of housing in the study area.

key words: Gender, household head, housing condition, dwellings, rural areas.

Olubi Akande*, James Oniru and Ade Ajayi

Page: 124 - 133

Research Article

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies ISSN 2516-9831 Vol. 3 (3), pp. 141-150, March, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Evaluation of the effect of gender and study programme on absentee rates

1Foss Erik*, 1Brit Tove and 2Faldet Borgen

1Department of Gender Studies, Faculty of Education, Nesna University College, Nesna, Nordland, Norway.

2Department of Gender Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Harstad University College, Harstad, Norway.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 12 January, 2018

Abstract

Little is known about absenteeism in high school physical education (PE) in relation to study programme and gender. This study investigated the impact of gender and study programme on absentee rates in PE by analyzing data, using non-parametric statistical analyses, from the absentee registers for all 6928 students in Nordland Country. The results showed that the absentee rates in PE differed among four categorized studies; vocational subjects in general, and vocational subjects dominated by the girls had the highest absentee rates. Girls had a higher absentee rate in PE than boys. Girls attending vocational subjects dominated by boys had higher absentee rate in PE than boys, while there was no gender difference within the other three categories. The findings may help teachers in high school identify the study programmes in which absence is a major problem, especially among students in girls dominated vocational subjects, and girls in vocational subjects dominated by boys.

Key words: Absenteeism, high school, study programme, gender.

Foss Erik*, Brit Tove and Faldet Borgen

Page: 141 - 150

Research Article

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies ISSN 2516-9831 Vol. 3 (2), pp. 134-140, February, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

A study of gender analysis of micro-loan accessed by small-scale agro-entrepreneurs in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria

1I.K Okafor*, 2Udoka Ekene and 2Victor Obinna

1Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Abia State University, Uturu, Nigeria.

2Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Taraba State University, Jalingo, Taraba State, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 22 November, 2017

Abstract 

Available statistics confirmed that men have access to credit more than women in Nigeria because men have assets which serve as collateral for accessing credit. Credit is essential to farmers, especially the small-scale farmers who have limited capital for their production but constitute the greatest force in food production in many developing countries. The study was carried out to investigate micro-loan sizes accessed by male and female small-scale agro-entrepreneurs in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria on a comparative basis. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to collect data from 373 respondents who were either client of formal, semiformal or informal microcredit institutions. Z-test results revealed that loan sizes accessed from formal source showed that there was no significant difference between the mean amount accessed by men and women borrowers. Also for the informal micro-credit, there was no significant difference (p>0.50) between the mean amount of loan accessed by male and female agro-entrepreneur borrowers. The result of the semiformal loans showed that there was a significant difference (p<0.05) between the mean amount of loan, accessed by male and female borrowers. The study recommends that micro-credit schemes which are the major strategy for formal financial inclusion in Nigeria have really impacted positively on women’s loan sizes, and should be sustained to close the gap existing between men and women in accessing microcredit.

Key words: Gender, micro-credit, male agro-entrepreneurs, female agro-entrepreneurs, loan size, formal and informal sources, borrowers.

I.K Okafor*, Udoka Ekene and Victor Obinna

Page: 134 - 140

Table of Contents 2017

Research Article

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies ISSN 2516-9831 Vol. 2 (5), pp. 111-123, December, 2017. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Fostering collective action amongst smallholder farmers in East Africa: Are women members adequately participating?

Joan Cherono Kimaiyo*, Mieke Sophia Bourne1, Joseph Kibet Tanui1, Vincent Onguso Oeba and Jeremias Jasper Mowo1

1World Agroforestry Centre, United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, PO Box 30677, Nairobi 00100, Kenya.

2Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), P.O Box 62000-00100 Nairobi, Kenya.

3Africa Forest Forum (AFF), United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, PO Box 30677, Nairobi 00100, Kenya.

*Corresponding author E-mail: [email protected]; Tel: +254 727 841 221  

Accepted 29 November, 2017

Abstract

Farmer groups in Sub-Saharan Africa are considered important vehicles for rural development, promotion of agricultural productivity and improved economic growth of communities especially women. However, weak institutional mechanisms put in place during formation and subsequent evolution processes has potential of exposing women members to the danger of alienation. This study addressed constraining factors and opportunities for women in groups, as well as their contribution to effectiveness and proper functioning of groups. The survey engaged a total of 40 groups and 305 members from two East African countries (Kenya and Uganda). The study revealed there were twice as many women, in Kenya and Uganda, as there were men in farmer groups. However, women were inadvertently excluded in decision making roles. Despite their small numbers men, were found to hold key leadership positions in farmer groups than women members in Uganda. In spite of limited representation in decision making, group members perceived women to be more trustworthy, more cohesive, better leaders in the group than men in Uganda (p<0.05) as compared to Kenya where both gender was perceived equally on attributes. The limited role played by women suggests that beyond numerical equity, there is still a long road to functional equity in farmer groups. The gender inequalities experienced in the management of farmer groups negates their fundamental function as an avenue for women empowerment. 

Keywords: Kenya, Uganda, gender, farmer groups, gender roles, women empowerment, rural development, agriculture.

Joseph Kibet Tanui, Joan Cherono Kimaiyo*, Vincent Onguso Oeba and Jeremias Jasper Mowo, Mieke Sophia Bourne

Page: 111 - 123