Interview Analysis:

CHAPTER FIVE

SOLUTIONS TO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN IMO STATE

Solutions to Violence against women and children are considered under the following headings:

nicely forgotten aspect, social action, the questioning of unjust social structures that the 1971 synod of Bishop' document, Justice in the world is calling Christian to, and not charity which has always been present from earliest time.

Action on behalf of social justice... is central to being Catholic. It is neither new nor is it optional. It is an essential"... dimension of the preaching of Gospel, or, in other words, the Church's mission for the redemption of the human race and its liberation from every oppressive situation Justice in the such as poverty, for example by asking question as to why people are hungry in the first place, and have to go to soup kitchen. Social action deals with the root cause of issues, which dig up the root causes of women's subordinate. Thus, social action calls for both structural and cultural analysis of women' subordination as has been done in chapter five. In the case of women, the unjust social structure has been identified in the dissertation as the male headship model gender relations, which keeps women subordinate to men.

It is important to note that the concept of social justice as different from works of charity is a fairly new phenomenon in the church as evidence in the long years of supporting slavery and women's subordination. Many Christians are still unaware of the catholic social teaching. Some of those who already know it have not tried to implement it. Perhaps, if they do, God's reign mighty come too soon, and they might lose their personal privilege and advantage which the present unjust situation guarantees them for Gods reign, as portrayed in Jesus^’ parables, is characterized by justice, inclusion and equity; and upset those who have special privileges. For if everybody, both lowly and the mighty, lived by those same principles of the social teaching of the church, there would be a real difference in the world.

Perhaps, the most probable reason why people who know about the Catholic social Teaching do not act on them is that it is dangerous business. People have been

known to lose their jobs when the sinful social structures requiring to be analyzed involve the same .organization, which promote advocacy and social justice; and denial run rife.

As things are, it is quite possible that many people who would uphold the principles of justice embedded in this inspiring document do not see women's subordination as unjust. Long years of accustomed presumed understanding of women's place in the order of creation and the next to man's need for "a helper" may block the possibility of seeing these text as providing a vision for a way out of the cultural and theological morass which at present characterizes theology and anthropology with respect to women both in the Igbo culture and in the church. The difference in view may include a number of concepts in the paragraph under consideration, such as, social justice, gospel, liberation, as well as oppressive situation. Yet, no one is in a better situation to define what is oppressive than those who know what oppression tastes like but a fact of life which women continue to lament and protest is that they are excluded from the decision-making platforms where these definitions are formulated both in the Igbo culture and the church.

The church also serves as a solution to these practices by doing the following:

1. The welfare of women in general.

2. Promoting the welfare of the child and initiating actions for the development of the child within the meaning of the International Convention of the rights of the child.

3. Promoting the full utilization of women in development resources and bringing about their acceptance as full participants in every phase of national development with equal rights and obligations promoting responsible motherhood and maternal and child health.

4. Promoting intervention therapy in family instability

5. Promoting the course of the disabled and stimulating public awareness and responsibilities on this segment of the society.

6. Working towards the total elimination of all social and cultural practices that discriminate against women sorting and collaborating with Non-governmental organizations and playing a coordinating role between government and the Nigerian women organization

7. Encouraging the essence of cooperative societies and activities among women and children in the rural and urban areas and stimulating their creative entrepreneurship in the field of cottage and small-scale industries.

It is obvious from the foregoing that the church dedicates to the implementation of strategies and policies that impact directly on the most vulnerable in the society. Besides, the church steeped directly and deeply in the management of human angle cases. It is to be expected that failure to deliver effectively will lead to the immediate suffering and personal injury to some of their target beneficiaries.

Other Specific ways the church helps in solving the problems associated with these harmful traditional practices include: