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Widows in Nigeria have a hard time. They are first hit by financial and economic hardship. Next, husband probably left no will and his relatives will take over his property (including land she can farm). Then comes loneliness and depression. We have no social security in Nigeria.
If she is “fortunate” her kids may be grown and earning and can support her, but if they are young they may have to drop out of school, restoring a cycle of inter generational poverty. The economic impact of widowhood is not just financial. Poverty takes many forms including lack
of access to opportunities the widow may have had with her late husband’s support and protection. Then she faces social stigma, discrimination and possible sexual abuse. In patriarchal societies like ours women are often wrongly seen as second class, widows as third class.
