"The Plight of Widows in Northern Ghana"

"Traditionally, after the death of the man who is usually the bread winner, widows may be forced to submit to a traditional custom called wife inheritance. This allows the families of the deceased to choose a brother or relative of the late husband to marry the widow. This practice does not allow the widow to make her own decision to either remain unmarried or marry a man of her choice. If the widow manages to remain unmarried after the death of her husband, she will undoubtedly face maltreatment and rejection by her husband's family and community and is usually accused of witchcraft, having bad luck, or having a hand in her husband's death.

If a widow resists the practice of wife inheritance, she will not be permitted to inherit any property belonging to her husband and will be left in an even more vulnerable social and economic state. While there are laws in place to ensure a widow and her children inherit property, many women do not know their rights or are afraid to demand them. Due to both their financial and social vulnerability, widows may also be forced into or lured into prostitution, leaving them more easily exposed to HIV infection and other STDs. "

Howe Sound Women's Centre is fortunate to assist in creating fundraising opportunities and information sharing for WOM.

To learn more please click on the link:  http://www.womghana.org/