Nigerian widow, in the course of fulfilling funeral rites, is subjected to a greater agony than the grief of the loss of her husband. We are a nonprofit organisation focused on helping alleviate the plight of widows and orphans in the northern region of ghana. The study found that some of the practices of widowhood rituals in the area were. Yet, there has been little critical analysis of such inequalities, especially on widow abuse and violations of their property rights. Pdf effects of widowhood rites on the psychosocial well. Widowhood practices of the gbi northern ewe of ghana. This article sought to explore the nature and extent of widowhood rituals and the community perspective of widowhood rites in balungu. Cornish helps readers trust in god, manage emotions, learn from both biblical and contemporary widows, rethink the past, present, and future, and prepare for whats next. At midnight, some days after her husbands funeral, the widow is expected to go out escorted by an aja anipriestor nwa nridwarfto a place where he. Oluwatusin 3 page on the fortieth day, the widow does not sleep, she sings along with other people who are women. The issue of widowhood rites, which has been described as one of the most dehumanizing, uncivilized and negative cultural practices in the world, due to its. Going through the rites taught me many things which i learned from the women who took care of me through the widowhood rites.
The harmful nature of these widowhood practices on the woman as an individual with rights is the focus of this. However, in all cases, it is the widow who bears the brunt and brutalities associated with the practices. One of the last stages of the igbo cultures widowhood rites is called ajaani. Pdf ghanaian akan womens experiences of widowhood and. It was originally called the gold coast and was renamed ghana when it achieved self. Hausa, a nigerian language introduced into ghana nearly 200 years ago, has become a lingua franca common language throughout the country. Published to promote the goals of the beijing declaration and the platform for action asdf. Paul kyalo school of humanities and social sciences mount kenya university p.
Widowhood and nigerian womanhood another context of. This paper, therefore, investigated widowhood practices among the gbiewes of northern volta region in ghana, so as to ascertain whether these rites and practices are only targeted at dehumanising and oppressing african womanhood, or in spite of its criminalisation in recent times, it still has certain embedded cultural values that ensure the. The ewes use a system of giving the first name of a child as the day of the week that the child was born. Wicked widowhood practices that must be abolished in nigeria. Jun, 20 issuu is a digital publishing platform that makes it simple to publish magazines, catalogs, newspapers, books, and more online. By so doing, she must carve out a space for herself by not allowing anyone tell her story but have it told herself. It will deal with a comprehensive interpretation of ritual and their meaning or meanings. Widowhood rites the ga believe that in everything there is a spiritual and a physical element. In the case of widows, this fact is often ignored or forgotten.
As a result the spouse has to perform the final rite to ensure two things. She has to dismantle images constructed around her and reveal her true self. It is a flexible workshop that can be tailored to a church or organizations schedule and purposes for hosting it. Nigeria is a patriarchal society, thus women are regarded as less human beings. Separation from the husbandwife in the spiritual realm. I was told i needed a crate for the cocks with individual compartments so the cock birds wont fight in the crate, so i assume the crate was called widow hood crate. Hausa is a second language for more ghanaians, but can be used to communicate with people from other groups. There are more than 1 million books that have been enjoyed by people from all over the world. Transformative practices by vanessa emery introduction as the hiv pandemic continues its stranglehold on the african continent, new challenges are raised for african nations to recognize the rights of their citizens and. Ghana, the succession amended act, uganda, the administrator generals act, cap 140, uganda, to. Welcome to the official website of the widows and orphans movement. The naming ceremony among the ewes a tribe in ghana from the volta region is known as vinehedego. The department of international environment and development studies, noragric, is the international gateway for the norwegian university of life sciences umb. Rather, the rites are generally intended for the overall good of the widow.
Easily share your publications and get them in front of issuus. On the same day, she perform the semipurification rites by taking her bath around 4. This paper, therefore, investigated widowhood practices among the gbiewes of northern volta region in ghana, so as to ascertain whether these rites and practices are only targeted at dehumanising and oppressing african womanhood, or in spite of its criminalisation in. The paper examines the situational analysis of the awori widow, conceptualsocial construction of widowhood, economic and psychological challenges associated. Daily news from ghana and local accra news stories including crime, health, education and general news by daily graphic. Ghanaian akan womens experiences of widowhood and property. Widowhood rites still rife in northern regions modern ghana. Mary imelda obianuju nwogu phd law lecturer, nnamdi azikiwe university, pmb 5025, awka, anambra state nigeria. Widowhood rites are not only practiced in ghana but everywhere in africa. The description is based on research conducted by pauw, published in 1990, and confirmed by other researchers in some other african contexts. Ensuring that the rights of women are protected needs to first recognise this fact.
This research examines the widowhood practices and rights of women in southwestern nigeria and discusses how the widows can be protected through the localization of human rights terms. Assistant professor lucky eboh and thomas boye from the university of makerere in ghana in an article titled widowhood in african society and its effects on womens health tackled at length the oppressive and humiliating practices women face as a result of the death of their husbands. A widow from a rural area described a positive experience. Most ghanaians speak two or more african languages. It was birthed in the grief journey of dean miller, a minister in the lords church who lost his wife in 20. Ghanaian widows are routinely accused by the community of having caused the death of their husband, or even of literally. The widow must talk, if possible write herself into being.
The department of international environment and development studies, noragric, is the. This assertion that the practice of widowhood rites is on the increase in ghana is neither a fabrication nor an exaggeration. About 40 selected youth from three districts in the upper east region have been given community journalism training by media practitioners to identify and report on dehumanising widowhood rites. Gone are those days when a widow cannot contest for an equal right in the inheritance of her. Widows population and the challenges of widowhood rites. Widowhood definition is the fact or state of being a widow. Recent examples on the web alzheimers strikes many more women than men, and the study authors suggest widowhood may explain some of that discrepancy between the sexes. Widowhood rites and womens fundamental human rights in ekiti state, nigeria corresponding author. The widow who was absolutely dependent, whose value was found in being and not doing and achieving, who had known both the joy of love and the anguish of loss perhaps reflected more than others the image of god. Ghanaian youth challenged to stand against widowhood rites. The effects of widowhood on physical and mental health.
Witchcraft, widowhood rites and female genital mutilation fgm have been identified as top three. Widowhood rituals and widow inheritance in the balikumbat. Puberty rites known as professor and the madman pdf nugbeto is the communal forum in which the. The department of international environment and development. The second stage of mourning begins at the end of the seventh day. Some african widowhood rites in the phokwane area this section describes some of the widowhood rites in the phokwane area of limpopo. Agonies of widows hit by harsh nigerian traditions vanguard. Those of us who are struggling to look after our aging parents and our children at the same time. The widow must discard the policy of silence and voice out her feelings in whatever way she can. Tasie department of religious and cultural studies university of port harcourt nigeria abstract studies on widowhood rites in africa generally bemoan what scholars consider as unpleasant treatment of. African traditional widowhood rites and their benefits andor.
In many countries, a womans social status is inextricably linked to her husbands, so that. Pdf this study, part of a larger ethnography, explores the interaction of national inheritance laws and local culture in the everyday lives of. African traditional widowhood rites and their benefits and. Im new to the sport and plan to fly widow hood cocks. After all, proud babylon symbolized the satanic image in her quest for power.
The plight of widowhood in africa the times group malawi. They were left dependent partly on the affection of relations, more especially of the eldest son, whose birthright, or extra share of the property, imposed such a duty upon him, and partly on the privileges accorded to other distressed classes, such as a participation in the triennial third tithe. Initiation rites and rituals in african cosmology prof. The widow was given a pair of split calabash in which she was to eat and drink from and was not to wash hands before or after meals. The widowhood effect is the increase in the probability of a person dying a relatively short time after their longtime spouse has died. Studies have also shown that the tenets of the rites differ from one area to another. May 25, 2018 ms patricia ayichuru, programme officer at wom indicated that her ngo was not against all widowhood rites but those such as bathing the widow in public, forcing the widow to take concoction. Always update books hourly, if not looking, search in. The widowhood rites practices described can be applied to both men and women, however research shows that its rare for men to be subjected to them. The widow smears herself and her clothing with black charcoal and remains so for three months. Ghanaian akan womens experiences of widowhood and property rights. Widows are often evicted from their homes and physically abused some even killed even by members of their own family.
Widow inheritance also known as bride inheritance is a cultural and social practice whereby a widow is required to marry a male relative of her late husband, often his brother. The word akyum is used to describe a group of three states. This paper examines policy response to widowhood rites among the awori of ogun state, south west, nigeria. Traditionally, after the death of the man who is usually the bread winner, widows may be forced to submit to a traditional custom called wife inheritance. A widow suffers much from psychological and physical. It also sought to find out why widowhood rites persist in spite of ghana being a signatory to many human rights instruments. Ghanaians introduction, location, language, folklore. Most of these rites are meant to cleanse the widow of perceived defilement related to the death of her husband and to neutralise andor counter the effects of ritual danger embedded in widowhood. How inlaw rites nsew neamakyere are performed at funerals in ghana duration.
The hood and the widow chapter 1 bl4ckhunter arrow. Ghana is located on the south coast of west african encompassing. The paper argues that widows form a significant proportion of the awori population, yet, much is not known about their plight nor policy response to the practice of widowhood rites and its associated challenges among the study group. Agonies of widows hit by harsh nigerian traditions. Within the ghanaian context, widowhood represents a range of implications. First, to show that african widowhood rites are the products of the instinct of self preservation which society has created to protect and safeguard the widow against the vengeful ghost spirit of her deceased husband. These are nations located in the eastern region of modern day ghana. The pattern indicates a sharp increase in risk of death for the widower, particularly but not exclusively, in the three months closest thereafter the death of the spouse. Wicked widowhood practices that must be abolished in. Most of these rites are meant to cleanse the widow.
The present study was conducted to find out the effect of widowhood rites on the psychosocial wellbeing of widows in nadowli district of the upper west region ghana. Pdf effects of widowhood rites on the psychosocial wellbeing. But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood. Witchcraft, widowhood rites and female genital mutilation fgm have been identified as top. Rather, those practices have been regarded as part of the customs and traditions of the people. Effects of widowhood rites on the psychosocial wellbeing of women in nadowli district upperwest regionghana. Until the early 19th century it was considered honourable in some parts of india for a hindu widow to immolate herself on her late husbands funeral pyre. The impact of widowhood rite on the ghanaian woman in the. The effects of widowhood on physical and mental health, health behaviors, and health outcomes. No further information regarding widowhood rites of widows of chiefs or subchiefs could be found among the sources consulted by the research directorate. Ghanas constitution of 1992 with amendments through 1996. The impact of widowhood rite on the ghanaian woman in the new millennium. Evenson university of north carolina aaron aragaki fred hutchinson cancer research center sylvia wassertheilsmoller albert einstein college of medicine charles p. Issues of discrimination in widowhood in ghana that require addressing in the context of the cedaw introduction women are not homogeneous.
Policy response to widowhood rites among the awori of ogun. O box 3420, thika kenya abstract this essay is an analysis of the rituals in african cosmology. The undistracted widow includes sections to help widows find renewed identity and purpose. Mar 05, 20 welcome to the official website of the widows and orphans movement. Widowhood definition of widowhood by merriamwebster. Some of these rites include cruel and degrading treatment. Sandee lamotte, cnn, widowhood increases risk of alzheimers, study says, 26 feb. The womens health initiative sara wilcox university of south carolina kelly r. Types of widowhood rites practiced in ilorin south local government types of widowhood rites frequency % preventing the widow from going to the market during mourning 367 93. Although sources did not specify whether the following widowhood rites apply to the akan people, this additional information regarding widowhood rites in ghana is of interest. Under the mosaic dispensation no legal provision was made for the maintenance of widows.
Widowhood the psychological traps how to deal with them loss of a spouse is considered one of lifes most stressful experiences. And this is especially true for women, who are not always encouraged to develop financial and emotional independence when their spouses are alive. Copy and paste the following code to link back to this work ctrl acmd a will select all, or use the tweet or tumblr links to share the work on your twitter or tumblr account. Pdf outmoded cultural practices and its effects on. Hundreds of both electronic and printed media reports attest to it. Eight departments, associated research institutions and the norwegian college of veterinary medicine in oslo. Ms patricia ayichuru, programme officer at wom indicated that her ngo was not against all widowhood rites but those such as bathing the widow in public, forcing the widow to take concoction. In this paper, we demonstrate through a vivid description of how the widowhood rites are performed among the dagbamba of northern ghana that contrary to. Widowhood workshop is a ministry attempting to raise awareness about this life experience. Get ebooks the good widow on pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi and audiobook for free. There are other examples of widowhood rites against which the mama zimbi foundation fights, including being locked in a room overnight with the husbands corpse, and in some cases, being made to drink a soup made from the nails, teeth and hair of their late husbands body. Policy response to widowhood rites among the awori of ogun state, nigeria. Logba tota is a village in the volta region in eastern ghana. It also sought to find out why widowhood rites persist in spite of ghana.
The impact of widowhood rite on the ghanaian woman in the new. Sustaining the values and virtues of political participation in the electioneering process in nigeria. During widowhood rites, women are vulnerable to abuse especially by. The phenomenon of barbaric widowhood rites practices within traditional communities has severely retarded gender equality development perspectives between men and women within such societies. This paper is an ethnographic study of the plight of widowed women in nigeria especially in the. Widowhood definition, the state or a period of being a widow or, sometimes, a widower.
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