Challenges of Cultural Widowhood Practices Against Women in Igboland: The Biblical View, and The Way Out

Abstract

Immediately after the death of the husband of a woman, the close relations of the late husband, will take almost all the property of the man like: cars, television sets, lands, houses, and etc, including frozen account of the dead husband. Sometimes, the widow is accused of poisoning the husband, and she is expected to prove her innocence by swearing; by crossing over the coffin, or drinking the red sand of the grave of the deceased husband, or forced to drink water used for bathing the husband's corpse. Based on the above situations, widows suffer a lot for lack of human needs. Most of them die early as a result of the stress they pass through. The researcher wonders why the loss of a beloved spouse should result in oppression and deprivation instead of sympathy and support. These problems the widows encounter are mostly as a result of greed from the husband’s relations. The researcher observed that; widows find it difficult to adjust to the new situation in which they find themselves. Based on this, the researcher is interested in investigating the nature of cultural widowhood practices in Nigeria and to proffer possible solutions to these problems. The main purpose of this paper is to study the challenges of widowhood practices in Igboland and the way forward. Oral interview was used as a method of data collection. Secondary and Primary sources were used. Research works were also used. The following recommendations were made; that government, churches, organizations, traditional rulers and women associations should join hands to ameliorate the conditions of widows in Igboland. A strong law must be promulgated to ensure that widows get their rights after the death of their husbands.