VOCATIONAL SKILL ACQUISITION AND MICRO-CREDIT LOANS AS DETERMINANTS OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENTS OF WIDOWS IN SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA

Abstract

Widowhood practices have great socio-economic hardship and psychological trauma on widows. The need for the socio-economic and psychological protection against all forms of widow abuse require access to family and legal support, empowerment programmes, vocational skills acquisition (VSA) and micro-credit loan facilities (MCL). Studies have focused more on widows' right to inheritance and violence against widows without consideration for the combined influence of VSA and MCL on their socio-economic and psychological adjustments (SEPAs). Therefore, this study examined the influence of vocational skills acquisition and micro-credit loans on widows' socio-economic and psychological adjustments in South-western Nigeria. The descriptive survey research design was adopted. The multi-stage sampling technique was used in selecting 771 widows who have spent at least one year in widowhood and undergoing vocational skills training in 15 selected vocational centres across Ondo, Oyo and Lagos States. The three instruments used were: Widows' VSA Scale (r=0.85), Widows' MCL(r=0.86) and Widows' Adjustment Questionnaire with three sub-scales, social (r=0.86), economic, (r=0.84) and psychological (r=0.86). These were complemented with 10 sessions of Focus Group Discussion and 15 sessions of Key Informants Interview with selected widows and the vocational centres' officials. Three research questions were answered and four hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data were subjected to Pearson moment correlation, multiple regression, t-test and content analysis. Vocational skill acquisition and micro-credit loans jointly correlated with social (F(2,768)=286.752), economic (F(2,768)=323.956) and psychological adjustments (F(2,768)=802.631), accounting for 65.0% of the variation of SEPAs. Their relative contributions were: VSA (?=.684) and MCL (?=.171). Social adjustment had significant positive relationship with VSA(r=0.65) and MCL(r=0.47). Economic adjustment also had significant positive relationship with MCL(r=0.68) and VSA(r=0.46); while psychological adjustment significantly related with the two as ranked: VSA(r=0.80) and MCL(r=0.66). There were significant differences (t= 46. 898, df=770) in widows' experiences about the influences of both MCL =30.53) and VSA ( =24.45) on their socio-economic and psychological adjustments. The differential influences of VSA were: provision of good accommodation ( =3.61), household maintenance ( =3.28), payment of electricity and water bills ( =3.23), provision of food ( =3.20), provision of good healthcare services ( =3.12), payment of children's school fees ( =3.10), buying of accessories ( =2.60) and discipline of children ( =2.32). Also the differential influences of MCL were: establishment of small scale business ( =3.23), provision of good accommodation ( =3.13), payment of children school fees ( =3.09), payment of electricity and water bills ( =3.05), provision of good healthcare services ( 3.03) and buying of accessories ( =2.36). Vocational skill acquisition centres afforded widows the opportunities to share their pains and experiences, thus assisting them to reduce loneliness, frustration, health-related problems and adjust to the reality of spouse's death. Vocational skill acquisition and micro-credit loans considerably assisted widows in overcoming their socio-economic hardship and psychological challenges. Therefore, the government, non-governmental organisations, religious bodies and individuals should come to the aid of widows by engaging them in various vocational skill acquisition programmes and support them with credit facilities to meet the needs of their families.