THE CULTURAL FACTORS AFFECTING WOMEN’S RIGHTS TO PROPERTY INHERITANCE: A STUDY OF THE NJIKOKA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

Women’s experiences in acquiring or inheriting properties such as land are filled withnarratives of denials and marginalization orchestrated by numerous cultural practices designedin line with patriarchal society amidst existing legislation and policies that prohibit inequalityon the grounds of sex and gender in Africa, most especially Nigeria. This has regrettably poseda strong threat to the development of women, thus giving rise to the feminization of poverty.Therefore, this study examined the cultural factors affecting women’s rights to propertyinheritance in the Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State. The study adoptedcultural feminist theory as its theoretical base. It also employed a cross-sectional survey designand multi-stage sampling technique, where a total of 204 respondents aged 18 and older wererandomly sampled using a structured questionnaire and in-depth interviews. The collected datawere presented and analyzed using descriptive statistics such as percentages and frequencydistribution tables. Interviews were transcripted and analyzed with the thematic method of dataanalysis. The study hypothesis was tested using the chi-square (x2) test of statistics. The studyfindings revealed that women having access to properties such as land are only considered ifthey have a male child in the course of marriage with their deceased partner. It was also foundout that despite the high level of awareness among educated women about their legal rights toproperty inheritance, factors like traditional beliefs still hinder women from inheritingproperties. It was recommended that there is a need for government intervention for widows incourts seeking to regain properties of their late husbands', amongst others.