IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

RESEARCH JOURNAL OF MASS COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (RJMCIT )

E-ISSN 2545-529X
P-ISSN 2695-2475
VOL. 11 NO. 4 2025
DOI: 10.56201/rjmcit.vol.11.no4.2025.pg18.41

---

Media Advocacy and the Perceptions of Widowhood Practices in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State.

Awele Deborah Mordi, Prof R N Amadi and Prof B G Nsereka

---

Abstract

This study was conceived to investigate how media campaign on harmful widowhood practices has either helped or not in the eradication of such practices especially in Aniocha Local Government Area of Delta State. Three broad objectives were set out which included identifying the media through which people are informed about widowhood practices in Aniocha South Local Government Area, determining the channels that transmit campaigns against repugnant widowhood practices in Aniocha South Local Government Area and finding out how the people perceive widowhood practices in Aniocha Local Government Area as exposed to them by the media campaigns. The population of the study was 780,650. The study utilized convenience and availability samples to reach 384 respondents using a structured questionnaire. Data was also analysed using the Weighted Mean Scores on a Four Point Likert Scale and a 2.5 decision rule. The study found that the people of Aniocha Local Government Area use the mainstream media and the social media for informing people about widowhood practices. These media especially social media also help to launch the campaign against such harmful widowhood practices. The study further revealed that the people perceived the campaign against harmful widowhood practices as educative and informative but it has not been able to engineer the right change in attitude in them that will warrant jettisoning them. The study therefore recommended that the government should wake up to its responsibility of protecting the rights of the citizens and ensure that culprits are punished accordingly, the media should do more in the push against harmful widowhood practices by exploring other techniques of presentation to draw global attention to harmful widowhood practices and that the people of Aniocha Local Government should as a matter of urgency begin to not only speak against these harmful widowhood practices but also fight against them traditio

keywords:

Harmful Domestic Violence, Media Advocacy, Violence Against Women, Widowhood

---

References:

Abeya, S.G., Afework, M. F. & Yalew, A.W. (2012). Intimate partner violence against women in
West Ethiopia: A qualitative study on attitudes, woman’s response, and suggested
measures as perceived by community members. Reproductive Health Journal, 9(14), 1-
Adebayo, A. A. & Kolawole. O. T. (2013). Domestic violence and Death: Women as
Endangered Gender. American Journal of Sociological Research, 3(3), 55-56
Ahiie, O. N (2009). Prevalence of Domestic Violence in Nigeria: Implications for Counseling.
Edo Journal of Counseling, 1(2), 345-367
Ahrens, C., Rich, M., & Ullman, J. (2011). Rehearsing for real life: The impact of the interact
sexual assault prevention program on self-reported likelihood of engaging in bystander
interventions. Violence against Women, 17(6), 760-776.
Ahrens, C., Rich, M., & Ullman, J. (2011). Rehearsing for real life: The impact of the interact
sexual assault prevention program on self-reported likelihood of engaging in bystander
interventions. Violence against Women, 17(6), 760-776.
Al-Eissa M, Almuneef M. (2010). Child abuse and neglect in Saudi Arabia. Journey of
recognition to implementation of national prevention strategies. Child abuse & neglect,
34(1), 28–33
Allendorf, K., (2007). Do women’s land rights promote empowerment and child health in Nepal.
World Development, 35(11), 1975-1988.
American Bar Association. (1998). Legal interventions in family violence: Research findings and
policy implications. Research Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice,
National Institute of Justice. NCJ 171666.
Ball, B., Kerig, P., & Rosenbluth, B. (2009). Like a family but better because you can actually
trust each other: The expect respect dating violence prevention program for at-risk youth.
Society for Public Health Education, 10(1), 45S-58S
Barnett, W. (2001). Why battered women do not leave: External inhibiting factors, social support
and internal inhibiting factors. Trauma, Violence and Abuse. 2 (1), 3-35.
Berk, R. A., Alec, C., Ruth, K., & Bruce, W. (1992). The deterrent effect of
arrest
in
incidents of domestic violence: A Bayesian analysis of four field experiments.
American Sociological Review 57,(2), 698–708.
Buzawa, Eve, Thomas L. Austin, and Carl G. Buzawa. 1995. Responding to crimes of violence
against women: Gender differences versus organizational imperatives. Crime and
Delinquency 41(4), 443–465.
Colleen, P. (2017). The Impact of Domestic Violence on Society. P B & J 22. Retrieved from
http://www.wtamu.edu, accessed 27 August 2017.
Colleen, P. (2017). The Impact of Domestic Violence on Society. P B & J 22
http://www.wtamu.edu accessed 27 August 2017
Cornelius, T., & Resseguie, N. (2007). Primary and secondary prevention programs for dating
violence: A review of the literature. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 12(2), 364-375.
Department of Health and Human Services [DHSS]. (2007). The effectiveness of universal
school-based programs for the prevention of violent and aggressive behavior. Morbidity
and Mortality Weekly Report, 56(7), 23-56
Dodd, L.W. (2009). Therapeutic group work with young children and mothers who have
experienced domestic abuse. Education Psychology in Practice. 25(21), 235-345
Ellsberg M, Heise L, Pena R, Agurto S, & Winkvist A. (2001). Researching domestic violence
against women: Methodological and ethical considerations. Studies in family planning,
32(1), 1–16.
Ellsberg M, Jansen H. A, Heise L, Watts C. H, & Garcia-Moreno C. (2008). Intimate partner
violence and women’s physical and mental health in the WHO multi-country study on
women’s health and domestic violence: An observational study: The Lancet, 371(11),
65–72.
Hamel, J., & Nicholls, T. (2007). Family interventions in domestic violence. New York, NY:
Springer Publishing Company, LLC.
Jura, F. & Bukaliya, R. (2015). Domestic violence: Causes and Implications for the Education
System. International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Studies, 2(4), 62-63.
Jura, F. & Bukaliya, R. (2015). Domestic violence: Causes and Implications for the Education
System. International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Studies, 2(4), 62-63.
Mock C, Acheampong F, Adjei S, & Koepsell T. (1999). The effect of recall on estimation of
incidence rates for injury in Ghana. International Journal of Epidemiology, 28(4), 750–5
Mohiuddin, K. C. & S. Morium (2015). Domestic Violence against Women: A Historic and
Socio-Cultural Reality in Bangladesh. European Scientific Journal, 11(26), 243-244.
Mohiuddin, K. C. & S. Morium (2015). Domestic Violence against Women: A Historic and
Socio-Cultural Reality in Bangladesh. European Scientific Journal, 11(26), 243-244
Murphy, Christopher M., Peter H. Musser, and Kenneth I. Maton (1998). Coordinated
community intervention for domestic abusers: Intervention system involvement and
criminal recidivism. Journal of Family Violence 13(3): 263–284.
Oladeji, M. O. (2009). Dimensions of Domestic Violence against Women in Nigeria, in A.
Kehinde, (ed.). Gender and Development. Essential Readings. Ibadan: Hope Publications
Ltd.
Onyemelukwe, C. (2016). Legislating on Violence against Women: A Critical Analysis of
Nigeria's Recent Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015. DePaul Journal of
Women, Gender and the Law, 25(5), 23-45.
Onyemelukwe, C. (2016). Legislating on Violence against Women: A Critical Analysis of
Nigeria's Recent Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015. DePaul Journal of
Women, Gender and the Law 25 5(2), 23-45
Uwameiye, B. E. & Iserameiya, F. E. (2013). Gender Based Violence against Women and its
Implication on the Girl Child Education in Nigeria. International Journal of Academic
Research in progressive Education and Development, 2(2), 167- 221
Vitanza, S., Vogal, L. C. & Marshall, L. L. (1995). Distress and symptoms of posttraumatic
stress disorder in abused women. Violence and Victim. 10 (1) 23-34.
Whitaker, D., Morrison, S., Lindquist, C., Hawkins, S., O’Neil, J., Nesius, A., Mathew, A., &
Reese, L. (2006). A critical review of interventions for the primary prevention of
perpetration of partner violence. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 11, (151-166).
World Health Organization (WHO). (2010). Preventing intimate partner and sexual violence
against women: Taking action and generating evidence. Retrieved from
http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/44350/1/9789241564007_eng.pdf.
World Health Organization (WHO). (2010). Preventing intimate partner and sexual violence
against
women:
Taking
action
and
generating
evidence.
Retrieved
from
http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/44350/1/9789241564007_eng.pdf
Zadding, C. S. (2012). Assessment of domestic violence and abuse against women and its effects
on family relationship in four selected local government in Taraba State, Nigeria. (Thesis
Ahmadu University Zaria, October

DOWNLOAD PDF

---

Back