An Appraisal of the Prevailing Widowhood Practices in South-East, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the prevailing widowhood practices in South-East Nigeria. Three research questions guided the study. The design employed for this study was mixed-method. The study sampled 354 widows in South-East Nigeria. Structured Questionnaire and an open-ended interview were the instrument of data collection for this study. Mean and standard deviation as well as thematic analysis was used to analyze data. The study found that the prevailing widowhood include: compelling widows to mourn for a period of one year after death of husband, separate plate for eating during the period of mourning, shaving of hairs, the widow is not allowed to go to the market or attend any ceremony, among others. The perceived causes of widowhood practices include cultural beliefs, inheritance disputes between the widow and relations of the late husband, lack of cordial relationship between the widow and her in-laws, quarreling between the spouses before the death of the husband, among others. The health implications of widowhood practices include: infectious diseases from drinking corpse bath water, infections due to not taking bath, depression from maltreatment and seclusion, high blood pressure and heart attack. Based on the findings, the authors recommended that the local government and women's rights organizations can initiate and advocate for the implementation and enforcement of laws that protect the rights of widows and prohibit harmful widowhood practices.