It also sought to find out why widowhood rites persist in spite of ghana being a signatory to many human rights instruments. The issue of widowhood rites, which has been described as one of the most dehumanizing, uncivilized and negative cultural practices in the world, due to its associated violation of the rights of women, is still rife in ghana. Police brutality against civilians and a growing culture of mob justice meted out to alleged criminals, were also decried by the report. Some of these rites include cruel and degrading treatment. Often, the widow is deprived of her entitlements as a wife andor. The description is based on research conducted by pauw, published in 1990, and.
In ghana, the issue of widowhood rites, which has been explained as one of the worlds most cruel and inhumane, uncivilized, and negative cultural norms due to its affiliated infringement of womens rights, is still rife. The ga and dangbe people are grouped respectively as part of the gadangme ethnolinguistic group. These include violations of their property rights, coercive subjection to the observance of customarily genderedthe observance of customarily genderedconstructed ritesritesofofpassage widowhood rites passage widowhood rites kunadiekunadie. Page 25 regional news the paramount chief of the bongo traditional area in the upper east region, naba baba salifu aleemeyaarum, has banned the performance of widowhood rites in the area, which human rights activists describe as dehumanising. There is always a high level violence against a woman who has just lost her husband. I see the widowhood rites as an infringement on the womani see the widowhood rites as an infringement on the woman ss rights, reducing rights, reducing. First, are scholars whose primary concern is to catalogue the perceived woes of widows.
The department of international environment and development. First, widowed status is often combined with divorced and separated status, making it difficult to determine the independent effects of widowhood. This should include reorienting the widows cognition about their state of being and its attendant stress. Several nigerian women are subjected to various harmful traditional practices in the name of widowhood rites. Studies on widowhood rites in africa follow three clearly defined stereotypes. He found out that in cameroon, widowhood is a very painful. Of course, this brief description is not exhaustive. Nigerian widow, in the course of fulfilling funeral rites, is subjected to a greater agony than the grief of the loss of her husband. African traditional widowhood rites and their benefits and. And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood. Use of and access to victims support services and institutions 231 6.
Unfortunately, most studies on widowhood rites in africa generally bemoan the socalled dehumanising treatment of widows, ranging from denial of basic human rights, to intense public display of sorrow. The widowhood effect is the increase in the probability of a person dying a relatively short time after their longtime spouse has died. The types of cultural rites and ordeals which akan women used to go through at the death of their spouses in yesteryears are presented. Pdf effects of widowhood rites on the psychosocial well. Ministry of chieftaincy and religious affairs ghana. The study also recommended that counsellors should provide rehabilitation and recovery counselling. Mar 19, 2009 this rite surprisingly still exists in many remote communities in ghana. In this paper, we demonstrate through a vivid description of how the widowhood rites are performed among the dagbamba of northern ghana that contrary to.
The gadangmes are one ethnic group that lives primarily in the greater accra of ghana. Widowhood practices of the gbi northern ewe of ghana a. Most of these rites are meant to cleanse the widow of perceived defilement related to the death of her husband and to neutralise andor counter the effects of ritual danger embedded in widowhood. The victims of this type of outmoded custom are always women widows.
The present study was conducted to find out the effect of widowhood rites on the psychosocial wellbeing of widows in nadowli district of the upper west region ghana. Jan 17, 2015 a widowhood rite is a period when one undergoes rites rituals or creameries upon the death of the spouse as part of the process of ritually separating him or her from the partner. Ghana, the succession amended act, uganda, the administrator generals act, cap 140, uganda, to. This is one of the most archaic and barbaric cultural practices still performed in certain places around the world. Ghanaian akan womens experiences of widowhood and property. Keywords ghanaian akan widows, property rights violations. There are 823,562 widowed persons in ghana out of a population of about 24,000,000. As a result the spouse has to perform the final rite to ensure two things. Thirteen women described property rights violations occurring when they were vulnerable due to bereavement andor widowhood rites, and resulting in longterm economic challenges for them and their children. Ghana is located on the south coast of west african encompassing approximately 92 101 square miles 238 540 km2approximately 92,101 square miles 238,540 km2.
Certain customary practices such as widowhood rites may reflect and further perpetuate womens. These often result in the violation of their human rights. He was also capped for ghana, and was a squad member in the 1992 african cup of nations and the 1997 korea cup. Widowhood rites in ghana amounts to emotional violence on the widow okoye, 1995.
The issue of widowhood rites, which has been described as one of the most dehumanising, uncivilised and negative cultural practices in the world, due to its associated violation of the rights of women, is still rife in some parts of the three northern regions of ghana. This article discusses the plight and suffering of widows in terms of their social, economic, psychological and human rights violations in three west african societies. Other african widowhood rites are interspersed throughout this article. The plight of widowhood in africa the times group malawi. Therefore, the main essence of the rites is to break the spiritual relationship between the deceased husband and the surviving wife or wives. The harmful nature of these widowhood practices on the woman as an individual with rights is the focus of this paper. These asymmetrical rights between husbands and wives in ghana, especially among the akans, are enshrined in the traditional saying, kbaa tk tuo a twere kbarima dan mu, literally translated, if a woman buys a gun, it is the man who keeps it. Wicked widowhood practices that must be abolished in. Eighty six percent 86% of these are women, which means there are over 700,000 widows statsghana. Widowhood rites practised in ghana should be abolished because a.
Widows, widowhood, and society in africa springerlink. Ayiagu widowhood rite that marks the end of mourning period ga ayil. The minithesis explores the sociocultural practice of widowhood in ezeagu, nigeria. Widowhood rites in all the societies mentioned end. Studies have also shown that the tenets of the rites differ from one area to another. Wicked widowhood practices that must be abolished in nigeria. The constitution makes human rights in ghana everybody.
Pdf effects of widowhood rites on the psychosocial wellbeing. Jul, 2020 the article discusses the laws, policies, and regulations that have been established to improve the lives of women in ghana. The pattern indicates a sharp increase in risk of death for the widower, particularly but not exclusively, in the three months closest thereafter the death of the spouse. Ethnic ga family names surnames such as oblitey, lartey, nortey, aryee, poku, lamptey, lomotey,tetteh,ankrah. Assistant professor lucky eboh and thomas boye from the university of makerere in ghana in an article titled widowhood in african society and its effects on womens health tackled at length the oppressive and humiliating practices women face as a result of the death of their husbands. Attitudes towards domestic violence in ghana 226 5. Widowhood rites are not only practiced in ghana but everywhere in africa.
There are several limitations in this body of literature to note. He played for hearts of oak in ghana, except for the 199495 season at sportul studen. Practice and correlates of widowhood rites in a city in north. Some african widowhood rites in the phokwane area this section describes some of the widowhood rites in the phokwane area of limpopo. For these scholars widowhood marks a new beginning in a woman. These widows find themselves in 75 different ethnic groups, most of which discriminate against widows.
Mentally, physically, and mentally abused women who endure these rituals are accused of murdering their husbands. Pdf ghanaian akan womens experiences of widowhood and. Thirteen women described property rights violations occurring when they were vulnerable due to bereavement andor widowhood rites, and. Like most countries, widows in ghana are subjected to these widowhood rites. Ghana, widows are forced to remain constantly with. As a result, this research aims at studying the widowhood rites among the krobos odumasi people. The social context of widowhood rites and womens human rights in.
The word akyum is used to describe a group of three states. These rituals are deeply rooted in hegemonic theory, a type of moral and. Here, when a woman loses her husband, she is made to undergo the cruel rite of sleeping next to her husbands dead body for a night. The evidence relating widowhood to poor health status and negative health behaviors is inconsistent. Sep 23, 20 widowhood practices in developing country nigeria have been detrimental to womens general wellbeing and as such considered a serious social problem. However, in all cases, it is the widow who bears the brunt and brutalities associated with the practices. Certain customary practices such as widowhood rites may reflect and.
Indepth interviews conducted in twi with 20 widows, five from each site, focused on womens experiences of widowhood. May 07, 2002 it is noteworthy that ghana is the only country in the world that has attempted to eliminate degrading and harmful widows mourning rites by legislation. Although this situation exists in almost all parts, it is particularly prevalent in the rural communities. This makes it imperative for traditional authorities and. To be supplied and extends from the atlantic coast inland up to about latitude 7. Widowhood rites the ga believe that in everything there is a spiritual and a physical element.
The inhuman treatment of widows in african communities. Ba 1981, describes this period as a dreadful moment for african women and oduyoye 1997. Apr 07, 2021 it is noteworthy that ghana is the only country in the world that has attempted to eliminate degrading and harmful widows mourning rites by legislation. Widowhood rites still rife in northern regions modern ghana. African traditional widowhood rites and their benefits andor. Practice and correlates of widowhood rites in a city in.
Augustine abbey, also known as idikoko, is a ghanaian actor and movie maker known for comedy. It is noteworthy that ghana is the only country in the world that has attempted to eliminate degrading and harmful widows mourning rites by legislation. Balungu community is one of the 38 electoral areas in the bongo district in the upper east region of ghana which is 15 kilometers away from. Facts from fiction, myths from reality, widowhood rites in an. Separation from the husbandwife in the spiritual realm.
Though it is being performed in many parts of the country, the practice differs from society to society. Women who undergo such rites are subjected to mental, physical, and. The widows and orphans ministry wom was founded in 1993 by betty ayagiba or ayageba public agenda 19 june 2006. It also examines the scourge of dangerous, discriminatory practices such as female genital mutilation, the banishment of suspected witches, and inhumane widowhood rites, which are detrimental to the survival of women in. Effects of widowhood rites on the psychosocial wellbeing of women in nadowli district upperwest region ghana download fulltext pdf. Women who undergo such rites are subjected to mental, physical, and emotional torture, accused of killing their husbands. The effects of widowhood on physical and mental health.
May 24, 2016 some widowhood rites infringe on the fundamental human rights of women and impact negatively on the lives of women who go through them. The following are a few african widowhood rites and practices in a few african contexts. Translating widow s rights into local reality 44 chapter 6. These practices or rituals of widows have been linked to many serious problems affecting every corner of the social functioning of the widows. The reasons were to seek their opinions about the practice of widowhood rites and what they could do to remove the abuse aspects of the practice of widowhood rites, if the alleged violation is true. Ghana for the respective offence if he does an act which if done within the jurisdiction of the courts of ghana would have constituted any of the following offences. Ghanaian widows are routinely accused by the community of having caused the death.
The ewe speaking people of west africa inhabit the areas between the river volta in modern ghana and the river mono on the western borders of the ancient kingdom of benin dahomey see map 1. Jul 12, 2006 although sources did not specify whether the following widowhood rites apply to the akan people, this additional information regarding widowhood rites in ghana is of interest. To achieve these aims, i relied largely from the materials on isiokpoikwerre widowhood rites. The study found through both the literature study and the empirical component, that harmful cultural practices are associated with the cultural rituals of widowhood. The 1989 amendment to the penal code criminalises the acts of any person who compels a widow to undergo any custom or practice that is cruel, immoral, or grossly indecent. These are nations located in the eastern region of modern day ghana.
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