“Picking quarrels with my husband was a common practice. Money matters was a key trigger to our fights. Somehow, I believed that it was my husband’s sole responsibility to provide financially for the home. Even when I had money and my husband was in need, I will hoard it and watch him go out to borrow,” said Talatu, a mother of four children from Gidan Baki community in Ningi local government area of Bauchi state.
“Oxfam came to my local government to organize a training called Gender Action Learning System. I joined other families to participate. They invited many people from my community to join the training - literate and non-literate. I took up the challenge and went through the training. I am glad I did,” said Talatu.
“I am doing quite well in my business. One major thing I learned is that it’s fine for a woman to financially support her husband when necessary. I realized how not living in peace in the home affects everyone including our children.
I shared my knowledge with my co-wife. This improved our relationship a lot. She was able to expand her business by taking advantage of the support from home plus a village savings and loan association that she belongs to,” Talatu added.
“We don’t leave all the financial burdens on our husband alone and we he too is beginning to participate in domestic chores,” Talatu noted.
Just like Talatu, Oxfam in Nigeria's Livelihood and Empowerment (LINE) project through funding support from Global Affairs Canada has carried out Gender Action Learning Systems training in several communities in Bauchi state.
Families are learning to connect more and build impactful partnership with various groups of people to achieve a common vision of promoting a harmonious living which is free of gender-based violence (GBV) for women and girls within their families and the wider communities.