Cultural and Religious Barriers to Women Accessing Healthcare in Jere, Borno State, Nigeria

Abstract

This research reports the results of a systematic sociological study of the cultural and religious barriers that hinder women's' accessibility to healthcare in Jere Local Government Area of Borno State, Nigeria, conducted in 2007. The women are mostly housewives, with minimal education and consequently low social status as such their inaccessibility to appropriate healthcare. Data gathering was via field survey, questionnaire administration and in-depth interviews. The quantitative and qualitative data were analysed by descriptive and inferential statistics of frequencies, tables, percentages, cross-tabulation and Chi-square using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) to establish the cultural and religious factors that influence women's access to healthcare in Jere and to test the relationship between variables. The findings indicate that, restriction of movement, male dominance and women's social status hinder access to healthcare. The Chi-square analysis shows that restriction of women has significant relationship with healthcare (P <0.05). The study recommends that women as a matter of necessity should be allowed to have a say in the affairs of the family especially as it relates to healthcare, have access to female doctors, and benefit from social health security in their own rights as individuals.