PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH TO WOMEN’S ADVANCEMENT

An example of our consultancy and research is A PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH TO WOMEN’S ADVANCEMENT, a project sponsored by by Friederich Ebert Foundation, P.M.B.1019, Unilag Akoka, Lagos Nigeria in May1997.
The project involved the invitation of women representatives from all the thirty local government areas of Osun State to the Press Center, Osogbo for an impactful enablement seminar/workshop, which adopted a psychological approach to women’s advancement. It was a one-day project.Basic Issues;When one trains a woman he or she trains a nation

  1. The issue of fear of success (Nikephobia) was dealt with
  2. Illusory bonds in the minds of Nigerian women were broken subtly.
  3. We attempted enhancing the emotional security of Nigerian women.
  4. Women were encouraged to realize and develop their underdeveloped, abilities to the full.
  5. These were done in the light of the fourth world conference on women (Beijing, 1995).

Psychological Foundations; These were based on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy; The Rational – Emotive therapy (Ellis, 1972), Group therapy and our ERPSA model of psychotherapy. Apart from verbal reports of the impactfullness of the project we also obtained statistical significance on the improvement of mean scores for baseline scores 1and 2 on the Ideal Woman Self- Concept Scale (IWSCS) The Session entailed a pre-test and post-test to measure the impact of the intervention.We believe the participants would become ‘apostles’ as they carry the experience of the encounter to their local governments.A consortium between the core facilitators of the project above and our centre gave birth to our new journal that started in 2003. I mean, GENDER& BEHAVIOUR (ISSN; 1596-9231) .The “pillars” are; Professor Helen Osinowo, Department of Psychology, University of Ibadan.Dr. Bola Udegbe Department of Psychology, University of Ibadan.
They are the coordinators of the Network of Psychological Studies of Women Issues.
See, a copy of the project & report prepared and produced by Ife Psychologia.
Other collaborative works were; a)    With women survivors of the Choba/ Odi. Disaster in collaboration with (WACOL) Women Aid Collectives on a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 1.    Through the film seminar we trained the traumatized women not to be         victims but survivors 2.    The film was SURVIVING RAPE: Journey through grief.b)    With the Community Partners for Development (CPD) in collaboration with the Center for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA) we showed the film – The Orphan Generation;A community based care and support for those orphaned by AIDS. The workshop was on the Role of the Church in HIV/AIDS control.c)    We showed the film; Understanding the bereavement of sudden loss and counter transference for workers with young widows and widowers at the Centre for Health Policy and Sttragetic Studies (CHPSS) 34, Towwn Planning Way, Ilupeju Lagos
d)   We also showed the film Surviving Rape; Journey through grief to staff and key principal officers of (WRAPA)- Women's Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative- at Plot 792 House No 6, Off Ademola Adetokunboh Cresent, Behind Rockciew Hotel, Wuse 2, F.C.T Abuja