Utilization of Radio Advertising in Advocating Against Toxic Widowhood Practice in Nigeria (A Case Study of Choba, Port Harcourt)
Chapter One
Objective of the Study
This study set out to investigate the role of radio programme in curbing toxic widowhood practices in Lagos State.
- To discover the extent in which people in Lagos State have access to radio programme.
- To discover the extent in which toxic widowhood practices enforced in Lagos State.
- To discover the extent in which radio programmes in Lagos State have programmes that focus on advocating against toxic widowhood practices.
- To discover the extent in which radio programmes influenced advocating against toxic widowhood practices in Lagos State.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Widowhood Practices
Nwoga (1989) defined widowhood practices as a set of expectations as to action and behaviour by the widow, actions by others towards the widow, and rituals performed by, or on behalf of the widow from the time of the death of her husband. Similarly, Nwaogugu (1989) considered widowhood practice as one manifestation of the ritual cleansing which tradition prescribed for all members of the community following any death or other influences regarded as corrupting. He adds that in Igbo land, soldiers returning from war were expected to undergo a ritual cleansing of the hands before resuming normal relations with other members of their communities. In the same manner, the widow, being considered as corrupted and defiled by her close contact with death through her husband, would be subjected to a period of regimented seclusion. In the words of Nwaogugu (1989)
“this period would enable her undergo the appropriate cleansing ritual”.
Ahonsi (2001) states that widowhood practices differ from one location to another even within the same domain. However, what remains a general fact is that in addition to her loss and its attendant consequences, the widow is subjected to the whims of a culture she has no control over and to which she must submit herself.
According to Oyekanmi (2007:3), some widowhood practices in Nigeria as identified by Otite and Ogionwu (1979), Ahonsi (1997), and Nwadinobi (1997), include the following:
Defacement – This is done through several means like the need to shave off the hair, which is
generally seen as the woman’s beauty, wearing of black dress, looking unkempt and unattractive to show the extent of her mourning resulting from the death of her husband.
Dethronement-The loss of a husband often means the loss of all the widow’s entitlements and position in the family. For widows that have scores to settle with their husband’s family, the mourning period is an opportunity to remind the widow of the loss of her position and other entitlements. This is physically demonstrated by her sitting on the floor throughout the mourning period.
Confinement- This is a situation in which the widow is isolated in a small unventilated and unfurnished hut to mourn the death of her husband. She is expected within this period to cry continually for her loss by living in an unclean surrounding, she is expected to use unwashed utensils for her meals and may have to release her waste within such confinement. Women are not expected to marry or have sex within the confinement period as violation is considered an abomination.
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CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
The research design for this study is the survey. Survey is chosen because it gives opportunity to the researchers to conduct a realistic inquiry into media-audience relationships in terms of their disposition or attitude to issues. The study combined descriptive and analytical survey.
Population of the Study
The population of this study comprises the entire Lagos State. The population of the individual is Choba in Lagos state from the 2006 National Population Census is 2,911,749.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS & DISCUSSION
Demographic Characteristics of Respondents
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
DISCUSSION
Based on the analysis of data gathered, it is evident that toxic widowhood practices still exist in Lagos State because all the respondents accepted that widows in their communities are subjected to one form of toxic widowhood practice or the other.
The responses to questions targeted at research question two as presented in Table 2 indicates that widows are still subjected to some form of harmful practices which are dehumanizing at the death of their husbands. This agrees with Ifemeje & Umejiaku (2014, p.20) where they have this to say: …this toxic widowhood practice is an infraction of the widow‟s right to dignity of human person. Furthermore, the restriction of the widow‟s right to movement is a breach of her right to movement and amounts to false imprisonment. Finally, it is equally a serious infraction of the widow‟s right to freedom from discrimination in the sense that these obnoxious traditional mourning rites target only women.
This study also revealed that respondents have access to radio programme and that they are highly exposed to it. Responses to questions under research question one as presented in Table 1 clearly reveals that the people have access to radio programme and they often listen to it. This implies that radio as a medium is still relevant in disseminating information to rural dwellers in Lagos State.
Findings from this research also showed that the radio programme air programmes that focus on advocating against toxic widowhood practices and this is done in the local language but not at all times. Also, these programmes are not aired often. This is evident from responses to questions presented in Table 4 above. The fact that these programmes are not aired often reduces the prominence given to such a delicate and serious matter. It reveals why these practices have persisted in Lagos State. The simple reason is that the prominence that should be given to the issue by frequency of broadcast and timing was not given to it. This is contrary to how the radio was used in Malawi and Uganda in their fight against child labour. In Malawi, apart from CRECOM, the story workshop, an educational and creative centre for community sensitization joined forces with the government of Malawi and donors to set up the fight against child labour through a new episode radio soap opera titled “Tilitonse Tisazunze Ana” (Don‟t exploit children). (Anonymous cited in Asogwa & Ogwo) In Uganda, to achieve the elimination of child labour in tobacco growing, the radio was used to create awareness through different radio spots aired over 1000 times on Masinidi Broadcasting Service (MBS) and Radio Kitara. Messages were aired mainly during the peak season of planting, harvesting and marketing. Five radio programmes were developed and broadcast. Four radio drama performances were conducted, three talk shows were aired, phone-in-programmes were conducted and 756 spot messages were broadcast in four languages. About 9000 communities were reached to an estimated listenership of 2 million people and as a result of the radio programmes, farmers with the knowledge of the law prohibiting child labour drastically increased from 36% in 2006 to almost 80% in 2009. (ECLT Foundation cited in Asogwa & Ogwo)
The records above give explicit information on how the radio is a powerful medium that can be used to inform, sensitize and create behavioural change among rural communities and by implication, the issue of toxic widowhood practices in Lagos State can be reduced to the barest minimum if not totally eradicated using the radio programme.
Responses to questions targeted at unveiling the influence of radio programme on advocating against toxic widowhood practices in Lagos State as presented in Table 5 shows that the radio programmes have not influenced advocating against toxic widowhood practices in any significant measure.
CONCLUSION
This study investigated the role of the radio programme in advocating against toxic widowhood practices in Lagos State. Its findings revealed that some humiliating practices are meted against women when they lose their husbands and that the radio which is a strong weapon for educating the people is not maximally utilized as they do not have enough programmes on the issue and the local languages are not used for all programmes, making it difficult for rural dwellers who are majorly illiterates to understand. Hence, no significant influence of the radio programmes on the people‟s action towards widows.
The study therefore concludes that the radio be put to full utilization in the fight to eradicate all harmful practices against the widows in Lagos State as its persistence will hinder development.
RECOMMENDATIONS
To achieve advocating against all forms of toxic widowhood practices in Lagos State through the radio, the following are recommended.
- Government should sponsor public enlightenment programmes through radio programme announcements, drama, soap-operas and phone-in programmes that will give room for the people‟s participation in issues that touch them.
- Radio programme programme producers should set agenda for the issue of eradicating toxic widowhood practices in South East by the selection of programmes, use of local language, frequency of airing and the time of airing.
- NGOs should also collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs to sponsor publicities, public enlightenments and advocacy on radio.
- Persuasive public interest advertisements should be aired on radio for advocating against toxic widowhood practices by governmental and non governmental agencies.
- Community radio listening centres should be organized by the government focusing on eradicating toxic widowhood practices.
- Radio stations should package spot messages in local languages as this will create understanding and compliance.
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