Widowhood

While Bereavement is a social fact in any culture, the reactions and practices relating to these phenomena vary from culture to culture. Widows constitute a large proportion of the adult female population in African communities (Wafula, 2014) Ideally, widows were inherited by a close relative of the deceased and taken care of together with her children This has changed due to economic and other reasons.

The next articles work to shed the light on the sufferings of widows on the African continent. Please spare a thought for the helpless widows and their harrowing life experiences.

The ordeal of widowhood in Africa,

By Wanjala Wafula

Life Beyond the Loss of All 7 Children: A Widow’s Story

by Dr Peter Mutia

When her husband passed away, Edith of Kenya lost everything that should have come to her except her children. As if that was not bad enough, her children started dying one by one. In total, 6 of her 7 children passed away leaving Edith to take care of 7...

Double Standards: Women’s Property Rights Violations in Kenya

by Human Rights Watch

By Human rights watch, 2003 Women's rights to property are unequal to those of men in Kenya. Their rights to own, inherit, manage, and dispose of property are under constant attack from customs, laws, and individuals-including government officials-who believe that...

What It’s Like to Be a Widow in Africa

by TOLULOPE AJIBOYE

By TOLULOPE AJIBOYE Widows in many African cultures are subjected to dehumanizing cultural and ritual practices passed off as mourning rites—practices, it must be noted, that widowers are rarely ever put through. In Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi,...

The shock of widowhood: Marital status and poverty in Africa

by DOMINIQUE VAN DE WALLE

DOMINIQUE VAN DE WALLE|JANUARY 11, 2016 In Western economies, widows were historically among the poorest and most vulnerable individuals until the introduction of pension schemes and widow benefits in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One might expect a similar...

WIDOWHOOD IN AFRICAN SOCIETY AND ITS EFFECTS ON WOMEN’S HEALTH

by Asst. Prof. Lucky Ogbigbi Eboh and Dr. Thomas E Boye

By Asst. Prof. Lucky Ogbigbi Eboh and Dr. Thomas E Boye The article widowhood in African Society and its effects on woman's health is focused on the practices that are oppressive and humiliating to women as a result of the death of the husband. Woman in African...

One in 10 African Women are widows – Confined to a Vicious Cycle of Poverty

by Josiane Kouagheu and Kieran Guilbert

While much can be said about the plight of the African widow, it is hard to capture the ordeal in totality. The best we can do is highlights different experiences from different parts of the continent. For example, the following article gives an insight into the...