Maternal Crises and the Role of African Men: The case of a Nigerian Community

ABSTRACT

Studies have consistently shown that maternal processes in Africa are

prone to crises as a result of multiple socio-economic and religious factors.

A combination of male-domination, low status of women, poverty, cultural

beliefs and practices and high fertility affects pregnancy outcomes in most

societies in the continent and especially in sub-Saharan Africa. With very

few exceptions, African communities are patriarchal and as such norms,

values and expectations are defined and sustained by men in virtually all

spheres of life. This paper, which focuses on the Ibani of Rivers State,

Nigeria, examines the role of African men during maternal periods to

establish that pregnancy outcomes will improve significantly when women

are supported by their spouses at different stages of maternity. The study

reveals that men do not play roles during pregnancy-postpartum processes

that are significantly different from their normal activities because

pregnancy is perceived as a normal condition, which does not require

special attention. The results also indicate that pregnancy outcomes among

the Ibani do not necessarily derive from spousal communication and

gender discourse because 87.7 percent of women whose husbands were

solely responsible for decisions on child spacing recorded more Type-1

outcome (mother and child survival) than those whose husbands did not.

By adapting the present investigation to the systemic approach, a holistic

analysis of a complex phenomenon like maternal outcomes was

undertaken.

Keywords: maternal processes, pregnancy outcomes, patriarchy, systemic

approach.

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