GENDER DYNAMICS AND WOMEN’S INVOLVEMENT IN HEALTH DECISION-MAKING IN SELECTED HOUSEHOLDS IN MAKURDI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BENUE STATE-NIGERIA

Abstract

Women have experienced various forms of discrimination and are exposed to varying treatments as regard power and the control of resources. Historically, women are known to have been subjected to divergent roles within the household such as domestic chores that go without remuneration, occupational seclusion and segregation into low income and low skill works and lack of representation in decision making within the family and community levels. Gender is a crucial consideration of human rights that impacts many priorities of maternal health outcomes. The dynamics of women's autonomy in decision making on health care in the household and the cultural factors determining the level of their involvement has not been studied in Makurdi Local Government Area. Thus, this paper examined the dynamics of women’s health decision making in households in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. The study utilized socialist feminism theory as the theoretical framework. Data for the study were elicited from 400 respondents across the selected council wards which include Fiidi, Wailomayo, Modern market, North-Bank 1 and Bar in Makurdi Local Government Area using semi structured questionnaire (SSQs) out of which 370 questionnaire copies were returned for analysis. Data was analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively using the SPSS Version 24. The study found that women have less autonomy in health decision-making in households in the study area. Cultural factors such as the patriarchal nature of the African family system as well as religion were identified as the major determinants of women’s involvement in health decision-making. The study findings indicated a positive association between women’s socio-economic status and decision-making with regards to women’s health. The study recommends the relegation of cultural norms that affect women’s involvement in decision-making, especially in health-related matters. There is also the need for target-driven sensitization programmes to enable women navigate the dynamics of household health decision-making as well as other gender–related issues affecting them within the households.