VIOLATION OF DIGNITY OF VULNERABLE WOMEN IN AFRICAN CUSTOMARY LAW AND SOCIO-RELIGIOUS MYTHOLOGY

Abstract

African customary law and socio-religious mythology are manifest in superstitious beliefs, myths, customs, rites, mindsets, local traditions and sometimes, religion. They are largely unwritten, ancient in origin and inherited across generations. They sync with patriarchy and define human dignity on the basis of gender and vulnerability. This paper is a socio-legal discourse. It uses random examples to explore the violation of dignity of vulnerable women and girls in African customary law and socio-religious mythology. It argues that by the practical application of myths and customs, little or no premium is placed on the human dignity of vulnerable women and girls, to wit, widows, women with albinism, unmarried spinsters, lesbians, barren and childless women, as well as women who have only daughters and no sons. It concludes that African myths and customs dehumanize, demean and devalue vulnerable women and girls contrary to standard guarantees of right to human dignity in domestic and international law. The paper significantly underlines the gap between the rhetoric and reality of gender equality in Africa.