Psychosocial Consequences of Displacement on Women during Farmers–Herders Clashes in Loko, Nasarawa State, 1999–2015

This study examines the psychosocial consequences of conflict-induced displacement on women in Loko, Nasarawa State, resulting from farmers–herders conflicts between 1999 and 2015. Historically, agrarian relations in Loko were regulated through seasonal land-use arrangements mediated by indigenous institutions such as councils of elders and lineage heads, which protected women’s farming activities and household livelihoods. However, colonial land policies, post-independence statutory frameworks, demographic pressure, and the decline of customary dispute-resolution mechanisms disrupted these arrangements, leading to recurrent violence and forced migration. The study aims to analyze how displacement affected women’s psychosocial well-being, socio-economic stability, and cultural roles within a changing historical context. Employing a qualitative historical methodology, the research draws on oral interviews with displaced women, government reports, and documentation from local nongovernmental organizations. Findings reveal that displacement exposed women to multiple stressors, including loss of livelihoods, destruction of property, family separation, and increased gender-based vulnerabilities. Oral testimonies indicate enduring emotional distress, anxiety, grief, and challenges in sustaining familial and cultural responsibilities. Documentary evidence further shows that displacement weakened long-term socio-economic security and community cohesion. The study concludes that displacement in Loko represents a historically rooted process of social dislocation that erodes women’s material and psychosocial resilience, underscoring the need for gender-sensitive psychosocial support, livelihood restoration, and the revitalization of indigenous conflict-resolution mechanisms.