Women have historically played a significant role both in Nigerian society and in the home. Women mostly contribute to household incomes through farming and commerce. Even so, women have little individual status, resulting primarily from the patriarchal control introduced by Western colonists. The traditional and Islamic ideas of polygamy are prevalent in every social class. Today, it is estimated that 36 percent of married women are in a polygamous union.
Because social and economic status are closely tied to status as a wife and a mother, Nigerian women are often pressured to marry at a young age. Married women are viewed as possessions. The Nigerian Penal Code, for example, states that if custom permits, a man may assault his wife if no grievous hurt comes to her. Marital rape and polygamy are not regarded as crimes.
As elsewhere in Africa, the HIV/AIDS pandemic has deeply impacted Nigerian women. Today, Nigeria is ranked second in the number of people infected with the disease in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite educational and outreach efforts by local and international groups, the social consequences and stigma attached to HIV/AIDS have left many men, women and children at risk, in denial and disillusioned. It is estimated that infected women account for 54 percent of all HIV cases in Nigeria.
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