Community Approaches for Preventing Gender-Based Violence in Agriculture in Nigeria
Gender Based violence in Agriculture is a common practice in most communities in Nigeria with unabated widening gap. To this effect, several women at community level suffered from wide range of economic deprivation which affects their income and financial self-sufficiency. To narrow this inequality, community approaches to prevent gender-based violence in agriculture has been examined. This study therefore, addressed the following questions: What is the nexus between gender-based violence and agriculture? What are the community approaches that can be deployed to prevent gender-based violence in agriculture? Why is it necessary to address gender-based violence in agriculture?. The study adopts an exploratory research design where literature is critically analyzed. Liberal feminist perspective will be used to underpin the study. Preliminary findings show that the partrachial nature of the communities is responsible for men economic dominance Further investigation reveals that communities members need to adopt strategy of inclusive decision making process that will enable women participate in both family and community decisions that affects them. Strategy of inclusion of women when allocating family and community resources could narrow income disparity, educational and awareness campaigns against obnoxious cultural practices should be adopted. Establishment of legal framework and enforcement is also identified as one of the ways to fight gender-based violence. Inequality is an issue surrounded by the culture of silence inherent in most societies in Africa generally and Nigeria specifically. It has been concluded that the findings from this study will help to provide gender equality towards equitable distribution of economic opportunities.