– Tales of Rural Women Struggles for Survival
(Zainab, the Author – A Budding Social and Gender Writer cum Advocate)
By Zainab Musa
Kiyi (FCT-Abuja) FLOWERBUDNEWS: In the quaint villages nestled in the rolling hills of rural Abuja, Nigeria, life was once simple and peaceful. Women spent their days tending to their families, farms, and communities.
However, as hunger and economic downturn tightened its grip, the fabric of rural life began to fray.
For women like 28-year-old Asmau of Kiyi village of Kuje Area Council of Abuja, the economic struggles have seeped into the most intimate aspects of their lives. Her husband, once a proud farmer, now spend most days searching for work in nearby towns. The stress and uncertainty have taken a toll on their relationship.
“We used to share laughter and stories, but now our conversations revolve around debt and survival,” Asma’u said, her voice laced with sadness. “Intimacy, a tonic of love has become a luxury we can’t afford, lest I conceive.”
The economic burden has forced many women to take on additional responsibilities, leaving little or no time or energy for personal relationships. 35-year-old Maman Ibrahim, a mother of two, now work multiple jobs to supplement her husband’s meagre income.
“I’m exhausted by the end of the day,” Asma’u confessed. “My husband and I barely have time for each other, let alone romance or for ”the real thing”.
Flowerbudnews gender matters correspondent reports that the impact of the near-starving situation in the rural areas extended beyond individual relationships. In rural villages, economic dislocation and instability has led to increased domestic violence as financial stress exacerbated existing tensions in homes.
Inquiry also revealed that decreased access to healthcare is affecting Women’s reproductive health and well-being. Health workers said that
rising anxiety, depression coupled with the weight of responsibility and uncertainty was taking its toll on the rural women.
The economic hardship-induced shift in traditional roles had saddled women with economic responsibilities and causing tension in homes.
Local health worker, Gloria, has witnessed the devastating effects firsthand. “Women’s mental and physical health is deteriorating. They’re shouldering the burden of economic hardship, often at the expense of their personal lives.”
FLOWERBUDNEWS correspondent reports that in FCT, women have begun to organize, seeking collective solutions to their shared struggles. Self-help groups and cooperatives have sprouted trying to provide economic empowerment and emotional support.
Hadiza, who attended one of such meetings, said she felt a glimmer of hope. “For the first time in years, I saw my friends and neighbors smiling, sharing stories of resilience. Maybe, just maybe, we can rebuild our lives and our love.”
(Author – Zainab)
The struggle is far from over, but in the face of adversity, rural women like Asma’u and Gloria are finding strength in solidarity and community. (FLOWERBUDNEWS)
