International Journal of Sub-Saharan African Research (IJSSAR)

Background: In Igbo society, widowhood-particularly when experienced in youth—often exposes women to severe cultural abuses and psychological trauma. This study examines the lived experiences of young widows who, following the death of their husbands, face dispossession, social stigma, emotional neglect, and accusations of culpability for their spouses’ deaths.
Objective: The study documented persistent practices such as dispossession of property, stigmatisation, forced rituals, and denial of inheritance rights of young widows.
Method: Using a qualitative research method that includes interviews and open ended questionnaires, the study explores the forms, frequency, and effects of these abuses.
Result: Findings indicate that Igbo society is patriarchal. Hence, cultural practices account for a significant proportion of approximately 25% of reported abuses, with significant adverse effects on physical health (31%) and socio psychological and socio economic well being.
Conclusion: Young widows are frequently stereotyped as gold diggers and, in extreme cases, subjected to harmful ritual practices that endanger their physical health. The study argued that these practices constitute violations of fundamental human rights and natural justice.
Unique Contribution: The work distinguished young widows from other classes of widows and documented their ordeals in Igbo society.
Key Recommendation: The study recommended targeted psychological therapy, legal protection, and legislative interventions to safeguard the dignity, inheritance rights, and well being of young widows. And legislative reform is a necessary measure for safeguarding the dignity, autonomy, and well being of young widows in Igbo society.