Paper Title :The Effects of Widowhood Rites on Women in SUB – Saharan Africa: an Empowerment Standpoint

Author :Margaret Adomako Anderson

Article Citation :Margaret Adomako Anderson , (2021 ) " The Effects of Widowhood Rites on Women in SUB – Saharan Africa: an Empowerment Standpoint " , International Journal of Management and Applied Science (IJMAS) , pp. 60-68, Volume-7,Issue-11

Abstract : Abstract - This study highlights various socially and culturally entrenched beliefs about the death of husbands allegedly caused by the witchcraft powers or transgressions of their wives among tribes in Sub-Saharan Africa. These wives exonerate themselves through participation in stringent and dehumanizing widowhood rites and practices that violate their human rights. It demonstrates how generations of women have grown up and been socialized into accepting and reproducing these widowhood rites and practices in the name of maintaining tradition whereas they are upholding the hidden male authority structure that oppressthem. The paper argues that these rites and practices intersect with property and are about taking control of the woman´s sexual and reproductive prowess by male relatives of the deceased husband. The adoption and implementation of laws that prevent the dispossession of widows alongside sensitization against stereotypes and stigma about women are required for ensuring women´s socioeconomic wellbeing. The purpose of this study is to understand the major cultural issues holding back women in Sub – Saharan Africa from achieving their full potential, and to identify practical actions to advance women’s economic, social and emotional empowerment. Additionally, this paper inspects the social judgment of superstitious beliefs supporting the degrading practice of widowhood ceremonies and its harmful consequences on women’s security in Sub – SaharanAfrica. It again, argues for the strengthening of women’s rights through gender-neutral marriage, succession and inheritance legislation based on notions of equality and social justice between the sexes, not to mention International, Regional and Domestic Legal Mechanisms in harmonizing gender based violence for development among women in Sub – Saharan Africa. The study concludes that women empowerment models have the capacity to enable widows to proactively take more control of their lives and situations. Keywords - Widowhood Rites, Women Empowerment, Human Rights, Sub-Saharan Africa, Gender-based Violence and Tradition

Type : Research paper

Published : Volume-7,Issue-11

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