TORTURED WIDOWS




WIDOWS TORTURED IN NIGERIA
IN THE NAME OF TRADITION
(Marie-Hélène -BP 3370-Dakar)
In the Eastern Region of Nigeria a widow is forced to drink the water with which the corps of her deceased husband is washed before burial to proove that she was not involved in his death; a widow’s hair is shaved off and she must sleep on the ground without a blanket for a month and a week. Among the Yoruba who live in the South-East of Nigeria a widow must wear widows garments for a year and must sit on the ground motionless for specified periods of time.
(...) The tradition includes not being allowed to wash or brush their teeth for a month, or sitting rigid next to the dead body of their deceased husband the whole night. (...)
Besides the terrible treatment cited above they are not allowed to eat from plates but must use leaves for 1-2 weeks and must take an oath that they are not responsible for the death of the husband.
They are told that they are nothing but machines to produce children and must submit to the brothers of the deceased husband.(...)
The husband’s family also claims and confiscates all the possessions of the family including the house, furniture, sometimes also the children and tries to expel the widow from her home demanding that she returns to her family of origin.
A militant Nigerian woman politician, Kathryn Hoomkwap said : " the way widows are treated in Nigeria and Africa is positively uncivilized ".
Jadesola Akande who is a Law Professor and a member of the Women’s Centre on Rights and Development stated that the problem is that most widows don’t know their rights (...). "(...) we have started an information campaign in all 36 states of Nigeria to explain the rights of widows and we have told women when such things happen open your eyes and look around where you can find help ". (...) Unfortunately, so Ms Akande admits, the legal system does not favor women and judges often are male chauvinists.
Education is necessary to enable women to defend themselves and their rights......


 

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