WIDOWHOOD RITES: EXPERIENCES AND PERCEPTIONS AMONG THE IBIBIO PEOPLE OF AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA.

The study which is purely a qualitative enquiry was designed to examine widowhood rites:experiences and perceptions among the Ibibio people of Akwa Ibom State. Three specificobjectives were set out by the researchers and they adopted the descriptive ethnographicmethod in carrying out this investigation. Four different Local Government Areas and threecommunities from each of the LGA were studied. It is an indisputable fact that discriminationagainst and abuse of widows of all ages occurs across a wide spectrum of cultures, religions,ethnic groups, and regions, irrespective of the economic or educational status of thesewidows, they are still subjected to this oppression, and Ibibio ethnic group of Akwa IbomState is not left out. In some communities in Ibibio land, widows are coerced intoparticipating in harmful, degrading and even life-threatening traditional practices as part ofburial and mourning rites. Attitudes to, and treatment of widows vary among the variouscommunities studied. However, one common phenomenon discovered was that widows inthese areas undergo diverse inhumane treatment. The dehumanizing effects of thesetreatments have resulted in the impoverishment of most of these widows as their livelihoodsare usually taken away and this makes the women go through different challenges such as;emotional and psychological trauma, physical abuse and severe obnoxious treatment.Against this backdrop, the study recommends a public enlightenment campaign to educatepeople about the harmful effects of evil widowhood rites practices. These could be in the formof television and radio jingles in the local dialect of the people, for those in the rural areas tobe aware and well informed