GEORGE Temilola (2015) Lethal Violence against Women in Nigeria (2006 – 2014)

Executive summary

Women have been at the receiving end of violence in Nigeria. The Nigeria Watch database provided the opportunity to validate the extent to which these women have been victims of homicide and manslaughter, taking note that the word ‘women’ is used generically for females. A number of factors are responsible for lethal violence against women: for example, domestic violence, rape, and sorcery, with domestic violence having the highest number of cases. However, the limitations to the study can permit only speculative deductions regarding geopolitical zones. The paper draws the conclusion that regions in the South seem to have a higher degree of lethal violence against women, perhaps because violence against women is less frequently reported in the North.