The Women Against Women Theory of Harmful Cultural Practices (WAW-HCP): A Sociological Framework for Understanding Female Complicity in Gendered Harm

Abstract

The Women-Against-Women Theory of Harmful Cultural Practices (WAW-HCP Theory) presents an original conceptual framework that explains how women, shaped by patriarchal conditioning, gendered socialization, and structural inequality, become active agents in perpetuating harmful practices against other women and girls. Drawing on empirical insights from 169 participants in Ebonyi State, Nigeria—including women who have experienced female genital mutilation (FGM), forced and ghost marriages, and harmful widowhood rites—the theory provides a nuanced understanding that harmful cultural practices (HCPs) are not solely imposed by men but are often sustained and policed by women themselves. Key constructs such as internalized patriarchy, generational transmission, gendered socialization, and horizontal hostility among women illuminate the social mechanisms through which conformity is enforced. Findings reveal that older women, mothers-in-law, peers, and religious women’s networks act as cultural gatekeepers, motivated by the desire to preserve family honor, protect moral reputation, or maintain social belonging. By challenging the conventional victim–oppressor dichotomy, the WAW-HCP Theory reframes gender-based harm as a product of learned complicity within patriarchal systems. It offers both theoretical and practical relevance for feminist scholarship and policy interventions aimed at fostering intra-gender solidarity and transforming the cultural narratives that legitimize gender-based oppressionKeywords: Women, Gender Norms, Harmful Cultural Practices, Patriarchy, Internalized Oppression, Female Genital Mutilation