International Journal of Social Welfare · 2002 · 99 citations · 2 references
Social SciencesGender StudiesHuman Rights LawAfrican StudiesBereavement CareFeminist TheoryAfrican Gender StudiesBereavement SupportFeminist AnthropologyFunerary RitualsViolence Against WomenWest African HistoryCultural Aspects Of GriefCultural Differences In WidowhoodEnslavement In West AfricaHuman Rights Violations AccountabilityHuman Rights Violations By The StateWidow RemarriageWidowhood RightsYoung Widowhood
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. The article describes the situation of the widows as silent victims who suffer cruel and dehumanising cultural and ritual practices as a mourning process for their dead spouses. The article also examines the gender inequalities suffered by the widows and makes some recommendations as to how these practices could be minimised or eliminated from those societies.
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