Caged, Cowered, or Covered? Marital Control and Freedom from Fear in Marriage in Nigeria

Lorretta Favour C. Ntoimo, Federal University Oye-Ekiti

This study examines the proportion of women in Nigeria who experience marital control and fear in a union, the associated factors, and the implications for family well-being and gender equality in Nigeria. Data were obtained from a weighted sample of 7,847 women in a union in the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. Close to sixty percent of the respondents experienced husband control, and approximately half reported fear of husband/partner. Seventy-five percent experienced both marital control and fear of their partners. The odds of husband control and fear were higher in the northeast and northwest regions, among women who worked but not for cash, among women whose husbands attained secondary and higher education and had regular work, and in polygynous unions. Enforcement of existing policy is imperative to see more women who are not caged and cowered in their unions due to fear and marital control.