Publisher's Synopsis
The death of a loved one evokes the universal emotion of grief. In Nigeria, and in particular, in the South-East, the widow not only suffers the grief of her loss but addition she suffers the pain of harmful traditional mourning rites. There is a vast difference between the widow and the widower in the manner in which mourning rites are observed. Certain myths exist which influence the different mourning rites.One of such myths is the fact that a widow is accused of being her husband's killer and part of the punishment is to inflict certain harmful widowhood rites on her. These practices include forceful shaving of the hair, sitting on the floor, confinement, and grabbing of the property, and sometimes taking away of her children.Civil society organizations like the Widows Development Organization (WiDO) have done extensive research on these practices. The research material has been of great use in proving that the varied practices exist and areas where they are prevalent. This study was conducted in 17 local government areas of Enugu State. These included the LGAs mentioned above and five new ones, in addition, Nsukka, Enugu South, Enugu North, Igbo-Eze South, and Isi-Uzo.This book takes an in-depth look at widowhood practices that have been in existence particularly in Enugu State with reference to the 1998 research. It also highlights any significant changes in practice and attitude that have arisen, both as a result of the awareness campaign and the law in 2001 and the 2005 reappraisal/ research update sponsored by the Security Justice and Growth Programme (SJG). The layout of the book has been presented in a reader-friendly manner to enable easy comparison. The book will be of immense benefit to the Government, Civil Society, legislators, and development partners in Enugu State and outside the State
