IMPACT OF DEPRIVATION OF WIDOWS INHERITANCE RIGHT BY THEIR HUSBANDS RELATIVES

IMPACT OF DEPRIVATION OF WIDOWS INHERITANCE RIGHT BY THEIR HUSBANDS RELATIVES

ABSTRACT

The major purpose of the study was to identify the impact of deprivation of widow inheritance right by their husband’s relatives in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State. The study employed the survey research design to elicit information on the impact of deprivation of widows inheritance right. The population of the study consisted of 743 widows from the five major town in Nsukka communities namely: Obukpa, Ovoko, Nsukka, Alor-uno, and Okwutu. Questionnaire was used as instrument for data collection, and it contain 21 items grouped into four sections, according to the research questions. The research questions were formulated and analysed using mean distribution. The questionnaire was validated by our HOD being our supervisor from the Department of Home Education. The principal findings of this study were, widows are considered as strangers in their husbands’ family ie. Discrimination against widows. It causes psychological trauma on the widow in Nsukka communities of Enugu State. It was recommended that Enugu State government should change certain cultural practices that maltreat widows hitherto. They should also organize seminars, conferences, workshop and refresh courses on women education for policy makers and implementation.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF STUDY
A widow is a woman whose husband has died. (Catherine Soanes 2001). The state of having lost ones spouse to death is termed widowhood. Problem of widows have been an important social issue in many societies in which the husband was typically the bread winner. His sudden death could plunge his family into poverty. Not only poverty but also loneliness, because a couple living together, having everything in common, buying property together, sharing things in common, along the line death just sneaked in and steal the husband, for sure that woman’s life span has been reduced.
Babatunde and Owasanoye (ed) (2001) stated that in some patriarchal societies widows could maintain economic independence. A widow could carry on her late husbands business and consequently be accorded certain rights, such as the right to her husband’s wealth and property.
According to Okoye (1999) in Nsukka communities widows are often victims of human cultural practices, widows are denied the right to what rightly belong to them. Widows’ rights international (2008) noted that the treatment of widows continues to abrogate their human rights. In some part of Africa, widows are still subject to traditional practices which lead to their poverty, social ostracism and exclusion as well as loss of their homes and children. Okoye (1999) pointed out that in many cultures widows have no right to inheritance or land ownership, and even where modern legislation provides such rights ignorance of the law of widows or cultural practices impede their access to it. Most of these deprivations has great impact on the live of widows.
Impact is defined as a noticeable effect or influence on something (Catherine Soanes 2001). The following are some of the impact deprivation has on widows:

IMPACT OF DEPRIVATION OF WIDOWS INHERITANCE RIGHT BY THEIR HUSBANDS RELATIVES