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Dr. Caroline Okumdi Muoghalu

Obafemi Awolowo University (Ile-Ife, Nigeria)

Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Caroline Okumdi Muoghalu is a sociologist. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Sociology at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1994 as well as a master’s degree in Industrial Sociology at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (Nigeria) in 2000. In 2008, Caroline Okumdi Muoghalu received a Ph.D. in Medical Sociology at the University of Ibadan (Nigeria) with a dissertation on the topic “Factors Affecting the Management of HIV/AIDS Stigma Among the Igbo of Anambra State”. In addition, she was Junior Research Fellow at the Center for Gender and Social Policy Studies at Obafemi Awolowo University from 2003 to 2009. Since 2010 she has teached Medical Sociology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. She had also supervised several post graduate degree theses. Furthermore, Caroline Okumdi Muoghalu held a post-doctoral fellowship of the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) from 2012 to 2013. In the course of the fellowship, she submitted a Thesis entitled “Leadership and Crises in Nigerian Universities; Can Women Make a Difference? Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and University of Ibadan as Case Studies”. In 2012, she participated in several training courses on methods of social science research, for example at Stellenbosch University, South Africa as well as in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Morevoer, she took part at various national and international conferences, such as “Population and Development: New approaches to Enduring Social Problems”, Brown University, USA, the “2nd International Conference on Cupping Therapy” in Istanbul, Turkey and the “International Conference on new research in philosophy of Education” in Sheffield, UK. Also, Dr Caroline Okumdi Muoghalu was a resource person at the Workshop on “Gender Analysis of Health Policy, Plans, Tools and Strategies on Maternal Mortality”, organized by UNICEF in Lagos, Nigeria, as well as in the “Gender in HIV Training” organized by the AIDS Prevention Initiative, Nigeria.

From November to December 2018 Dr. Caroline Okumdi Muoghalu was Fellow at the Käte Hamburger Center “Law as Culture”.

Research Project

"Women as Inheritable Property: Issues in Gender and Economic Development
among the Anambra Igbo of South Eastern Nigeria"

Anambra state is one of the five states  that make up the Igbo land which is geographically referred to as Eastern Nigeria. The Igbo society is generally organized along patriarchal principles with minor variations. In this arrangement, there is son preference and women are regarded as inferior to men and Anambra State is not an exception.Among the Anambra Igbo, males are regarded as successors to economic and social powers and females are regarded as inheritable property. Women as inheritable property(which spans throughout a woman’s life whether widowed or not) comes with a woman’s inability to inherit neither from the father nor from the husband and connotes loss of freedom to develop ones potentials. This author considered this a case of economic injustice and which motivated this study. The study therefore set out to investigate the practice of inheriting women in Anambra, ascertain how this practice has affected women’s economic development in Anambra, investigate women economic activities/status, explore how successful Anambra women negotiated their way out of this legal-cultural conditions and suggest what can be done to improve women’s economic status in Anambra. Feminism was used as a theoretical tool to explain women’s inferior social status and how this has resulted in women’s low level of economic attainment. The study was carried out in three purposively selected communities in Anambra State and  in-depth interviews were conducted purposive selected widows, young girls and Anambra successful women and Anambra old women. The data collection was conducted between March and July, 2018. The data analysis which is on-going will be in the form of content analysis in which each objective forms a theme.

Publications (selected)

  • Eboiyehi, F. A. and Muoghalu, C. O. (2017). Abused men in intimate relationships: unrecognized victims in Nigeria in Albert, Omotosho and Akeredolu(eds). Gender based violence in contemporary Nigeria; Essays in honour of Professor Alake Bolanle Awe; 278-293. Published by Institute for Peace and strategic studies, University of Ibadan
  • Muoghalu, C.O. (2016). The burden of sickle cell disease to parents of sufferers in Nigeria. SOJ International Journal of Genetic science, Ilunous, United State of America, 3(1), 1-5.
  • Muoghalu, C. O. and Olaoye, R. I. (2016).Perception of Sexual harassment among students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. the Nigerian journal of Sociology and Anthropology, Ibadan, Nigeria 14 (2) pp 140-152.
  • Muoghalu, C. O. (2016). The challenges of Academic publishing and the rewards of perseverance/ author’s perspectives.Cogent OA pp 1-3, Taylor and Francis, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom.
  • Eboiyehi, F. A., Muoghalu, C.O and Bankole, A. O. (2016). In their husbands’ shoes: Feminism and political economy of women bread winners in Ile-Ife, Southwestern Nigeria. International journal of women studies, 17(4): 102-121, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
  • Muoghalu, C. O. and Afolabi, T. O. (2016). Undergraduate students’ perception of HIV/AIDS: A Case of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Journal of Clinical Research in HIV/AIDS and Prevention, vol. 2(3): 17-23. New Orleans, USA.
  • Muoghalu, C. O. and Omosule, M.(2015). Female university workers and management of health: the case of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.International Journal of Arts and Sciences; 8 (1) 435-443. Connecticut, USA.
  • Muoghalu, C. O. (2014) Youth Poverty and Higher Education in Nigeria; the case of female indigent students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Social and Management Services. Vol. 3(1): 269-287. Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria.
  • Muoghalu, C.O. (2014). Healthcare system and the Quest for Industrial development in Nigeria: Issues in Political Economy and Globalization. Chapter contribution to book titled Trajectory to Industrial Development in Nigeria, Department of Sociology, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
  • Muoghalu, C. O. (2013) Leadership And Crises In Nigerian Universities; Can Women Make A Difference? Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife And University Of Ibadan As Case Studies. A Post Doctoral Fellowship Thesis submitted to The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA).
  • Muoghalu C. O. and Ajayi, O. A. (2013). Coping with sickle cell anaemia in Nigerian universities.  Journal of Social Work in Health Care, Vol. 52(6): 578-598. Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, Philadelphia, U.S.A
  • Abrifor, C.A, Awogbade, O. M. and Muoghalu, C. O. (2012). Recidivism andSocio-economic Development in Nigeria in Akinlo, Orimogunje, Akinyemi and Aransiola (eds);Challenges of Socio-Economic Development in Nigeria at 50: Issues and Policy Options. Faculty of Social Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo  University, Nigeria. 79-93.
  • Muoghalu, C.O. (2012). Rape and Women’s Sexual Health in Nigeria.  African  Anthropologist, Vol. 19(1&2): 33-41, CODESRIA, Dakar, Senegal.
  • Muoghalu, C. O. (2008) Factors Affecting the Management of HIV/ AIDS stigma Among the Igbo of Anambra State, Nigeria. Ph. D Thesis, University of Ibadan, Ibadan.