Conflict Management Strategies Used by Male-Headed and Female-Headed Households in Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the kinds of conflict found in male-headed and female-headed households in Imo State, Nigeria, the strategies that heads of these households use to manage conflict, and the challenges they face. A structured questionnaire, validated by experts and tested for reliability by the test-retest method (r = .77), was administered in 2023 to 252 household heads (126 men and 126 women) in rural and urban communities across the three senatorial zones of the state. Data were analysed with frequencies and percentages. Most male heads were married (53.97%), while most female heads were widowed (42.86%) or married (34.13%), and 11.90% of female heads were single. The most common monthly income of male heads was ₦30,001 to ₦40,000 (31.75%), close to the national minimum wage of ₦30,000 then in force, while that of female heads was ₦10,001 to ₦20,000 (27.78%). Respondents reported conflicts over land and inheritance, family business, in-law and extended-family relations, religion and the sex of children, among others. Male heads relied mainly on dominating and confrontation, whereas female heads relied more on compromise, collaboration and avoidance; both groups used mediation by kinsmen (umunna and umuada), traditional rulers and religious leaders. Poor communication, pride, low literacy and third-party interference were the main challenges. Conflict theory and the dual-concerns model were used to interpret the findings. The study recommends that government, traditional leaders and other stakeholders review cultural practices that oppress women, and that customary mediation be linked with formal alternative dispute resolution.