SOCIO-CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC DRIVERS OF FORCED MOTHERHOOD AND THE COPING MECHANISMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS IN ONDO STATE
Sr No:
Page No:
86-95
Language:
English
Authors:
LUYI Edline Olawumi*, SAM-OGUNMUSI Temitope Grace, Oluwanifemi Olutimehin
Received:
2025-06-23
Accepted:
2025-07-08
Published Date:
2025-07-12
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to determine the socio-cultural and economic factors
contributing to forced motherhood among women experiencing domestic violence in Ondo State,
Nigeria, and to identify coping strategies adopted by affected women and children. The study
employed a descriptive survey research design within the quantitative paradigm. The population
comprised women aged 18–49 who had experienced domestic violence, alongside key
informants such as social workers, healthcare providers, and child psychologists. A purposive
multistage sampling technique was used to select 200 respondents from three urban and semiurban Local Government Areas with gender-based violence response centers. Data were
collected using a researcher-developed Domestic Violence and Forced Motherhood
Questionnaire (DVFMQ), structured on a 4-point Likert scale. Validity was ensured through
expert reviews in gender studies, psychology, and public health, while reliability was confirmed
via a pilot test yielding a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.80. The instrument was administered both orally
and in writing, using English or Yoruba to accommodate respondents’ literacy levels.
Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis were applied at a 0.05 significance
level to analyze the data. Findings revealed that socio-cultural factors like stigma of divorce,
community silence on domestic violence, and reproductive expectations strongly influence
forced motherhood. Economic factors, especially financial dependence, poverty, and
unemployment, significantly predict forced motherhood in both urban and rural areas. Coping
strategies mainly involved emotional and spiritual support, with formal reporting to authorities
being low. Based on these findings, the study recommends economic empowerment programs,
culturally sensitive community education, strengthened formal and informal support systems,
and legal reforms to improve women’s reproductive autonomy and safety.
Keywords:
Forced motherhood, Domestic violence, Socio-cultural factors, Economic vulnerability, Coping strategies, Reproductive autonomy.