Widowhood Rituals versus Widows’ Rights

Sampling Alego Usonga Sub-County, Siaya County, Kenya

Abstract

The research article sets out to assess the effects of African indigenous widowhood rituals on widow's rights in Alego Usonga Sub-
County, Siaya County, Kenya. The Feminist Theory supported this research, which utilised a descriptive research design so as to unveil the main problem. The study population consisted of 600 participants who were the key informants of the study. Based on the Taro Yamane sample size determination formula of 1967, the sampled participants were 186. It relied on structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews as one of the several sources of primary data collection tool. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics with the help of MS Excel. The qualitative data generated from the interviews were analysed by using content analysis. The narratives were presented around the study objectives, namely, the nature of widowhood rituals, the extent to which the widowhood rituals affected widow's rights, and the efficacy of the measures put in place to mitigate the infringement of widow's rights. The study emphasizes the significant impact of widowhood rituals on widows' lives, including psychological distress, social isolation, economic challenges, and discrimination. Measures to mitigate the infringement of widow's rights, such as education campaigns, enforcement of human rights laws, economic support programs, and legal reforms, receive varying levels of agreement. The study recommends developing programs to address misconceptions, advocating for legal reforms, and fostering community involvement to provide support to widows.