Widowhood Rites of Asantes of Ghana (Case Study: Kwadaso, Ejisu Sekyere East)

Abstract

This qualitative study examines the lived encounters of widowhood, widowhood rites, the infringement against the rights of Asante widows, their property rights, and how they manage to survive their ordeals through the company of family, friends, church, and ultimately their belief in God. The paper also explores how these widows' experiences affect their lives. Nine widows, and two traditional leaders were selected. The selection focused on the following variables: widows ranging from 30 to 65 years, rural/urban dwelling, level of education, type of marriage (customary/ religious marriage), different widowhood experiences, and employment status. Participants were selected from three districts within the Ashanti region of Ghana: three from the Kwadaso Municipality, three from the Sekyere East District, and three from the Ejisu Municipality. Through the incorporation of the chosen members and a friendly interviewing technique used, the widows gave informative, descriptions of their experiences and, understanding, and meaning of their lived experiences as widows. Findings confirm that widows' subjection within the Asante tribe is not directly connected with the social location of Asante women, cultural roles of women in marriage, customary rites and practices, the women's socio-economic standings...