Patriarchal inheritance norms continue to limit women's access to property and economic security in many Nigerian communities, reinforcing inequality despite recent empowerment initiatives. In the case of the Nigeria for Women Project, relational leadership among men became a way of shifting these norms to advance community support for women's rights. The project soon recognized that empowerment via WAGs alone was insufficient and incorporated Community Reflective Sessions to enhance the engagement process and address ongoing cultural barriers.
Anchored in participatory communication and social norms theory, the study drew on quantitative data from 3,249 survey respondents, and 36 qualitative interviews-in the form of focus group discussions and key informant interviews among male groups, WAG members, WAG Supervising Officers, and LGA Field Supervisors-across the six implementing states, namely Abia, Akwa Ibom, Kebbi, Niger, Ogun, and Taraba.
Findings have demonstrated how the community reflective sessions added by NFWP, layered on existing WAG structures, became relational spaces wherein empathy-driven dialogue and peer accountability enabled men to make an agential shift from passive bystanders to active defenders of women's rights. More than 68% of the male respondents reported defending women's property rights during discussions in the community, while 41% reported joint decision-making on issues related to inheritance. Qualitative stories highlighted the transformation of men's behaviors-writing wills to include daughters, advocating for daughters' inheritance, and challenging exclusionary customs earlier regarded as sacrosanct.
Patriarchal inheritance norms continue to limit women's access to property and economic security in many Nigerian communities, reinforcing inequality despite recent empowerment initiatives. In the case of the Nigeria for Women Project, relational leadership among men became a way of shifting these norms to advance community support for women's rights. The project soon recognized that empowerment via WAGs alone was insufficient and incorporated Community Reflective Sessions to enhance the engagement process and address ongoing cultural barriers. Anchored in participatory communication and social norms theory, the study drew on quantitative data from 3,249 survey respondents, and 36 qualitative interviews-in the form of focus group discussions and key informant interviews among male groups, WAG members, WAG Supervising Officers, and LGA Field Supervisors-across the six implementing states, namely Abia, Akwa Ibom, Kebbi, Niger, Ogun, and Taraba.
Findings have demonstrated how the community reflective sessions added by NFWP, layered on existing WAG structures, became relational spaces wherein empathy-driven dialogue and peer accountability enabled men to make an agential shift from passive bystanders to active defenders of women's rights. More than 68% of the male respondents reported defending women's property rights during discussions in the community, while 41% reported joint decision-making on issues related to inheritance. Qualitative stories highlighted the transformation of men's behaviors-writing wills to include daughters, advocating for daughters' inheritance, and challenging exclusionary customs earlier regarded as sacrosanct.
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