The practice of a widow marrying a member of her husband's family, after her husband's death, is known as levirate in Nigeria (Zeitlan et. al. 1995; Empowering Widows in Development n.d.; Korieh Spring 1996).

The following information was obtained during a 25 January 2000 telephone interview with a Professor of African Languages and Literature at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, who is also the Director of the National African Language Resource Centre. Her responsibilities include Yoruba language studies. She is herself Yoruba and visits Nigeria regularly. She stated that levirate marriages are still possible in small, traditional Yoruba communities but that they are not likely to occur in urban areas. While stating that levirate marriages may still occur in the Yoruba culture, she said that "it is possible for a woman to say no." She mentioned one recent example, that she was familiar with, in which the widow's deceased husband's father wanted to marry her. The woman declined, although this presented her with some difficulties in later dealings with her father-in-law. The professor said that there was antagonism toward the widow from the father-in-law and that he tried "to make her life miserable." However, the professor said that she was not aware of these difficulties as being present with other members of the family. The professor added that, in this and other cases of refusing a levirate marriage, it was/is possible for the widow to move to another area in Yorubaland in order to avoid these difficulties.

In a number of different articles, without specifically mentioning Yoruba widows, Post Express refers to the difficulties faced by widows including poverty, "dehumanizing treatment," "social neglect," and forced remarriage (14 July 1998; 18 Aug. 1998; 29 Oct. 1999; 10 Aug. 1998; 6 June 1997; 24 Mar. 1999).

In June 1997, the Anglican Bishop of Ikale/Ilaje Diocese in Onto State criticized "the practice of forcing widows to marry the relatives of their husbands" and said "that the church had no fundamental objection to the practice of inheriting a widow, but objected to compelling a woman into it" (ibid. 6 June 1997). In March 1999, the chairman of the Bayelsa State Family Support Programme (FSP) stated that the FSP "in conjunction with some Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), had embarked on a series of campaigns to stem some obnoxious practices against womanhood, such as genital mutilation, widowhood practices and early marriage. ... She advised widows in the state, whose relatives were being forced to marry relations of their dead husbands, to use the services of the legal aid council" (Post Express 24 Mar. 1999).

Without specific reference to levirate, there are several reports on efforts being made to alleviate the situation of widows. Post Express reported on 26 August 1999, that Dr. Frederick Fasehun, leader of the Yoruba Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), had "advised President Olusegun Obasanjo to give adequate consideration to the plight of Nigerian widows" including the "total neglect of the children left behind by the husband, social dislocation of the women at the death of their husbands and lack of financial strength to cope with the responsibilities of the deceased husband."

On 19 April 1999, Post Express reported that the National President of Widows Organization International had

advised widows to re-marry if they felt 'that is the way that they can have interesting and fulfilling lives.' She said in Minna that it was wrong for anyone to assume that the association was formed to encourage women who lost their husbands not to re-marry. Rather the organization was formed to protect the interests of widows, she stated, adding that that the issue of their remarrying again was paramount.

Post Express reported on 18 December 1999 that the Family Law Centre would take action against "some community leaders ... for alleged inhuman treatment to a widow," as a result of her being "forced to drink from the water that was used to wash the corpse of her husband." Nigeria News Network reported on 21 January 1999 that "15 widows in Ebonyi State have petitioned the state's Family Law Centre (FLC), protesting against infringement on their rights by the families of their late husbands." The wife of the Ebonyi State governor, who set up the Centre, "stressed that the FLC was set up to investigate and address issues of infringement on the rights and privileges of widows" ibid.). Post Express reported on 17 January 2000 that a Gender Review Colloquium had prepared a document that represented the "collective effort of Nigerian women and the amendments they wish to insert in the 1999 Constitution" and that the proposed amendments include issues relating to "the rights of widows."

Post Express reports include mention of a range of different organizations that handle widows' issues. These organizations include: the FSP (ibid); the Hope Alive Foundation (ibid. 25 Oct. 1999); Widow Support Centre (ibid. 10 Aug. 1998); Widows Association of Nigeria (ibid. 1 Dec. 1998); Widows Organization International (ibid. 19 Apr. 1999); and the Network for Widows and Children in Nigeria (ibid. 26 Aug. 1999).

For information on the practice of levirate within the Igbo community please consult NGA33756.E of 27 January 2000.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Empowering Widows in Development (London, U.K.). n.d. "Country Reports: Nigeria." http://www.oneworld.org/empoweringwidows/10countries/nigeria.html [Accessed 1 Jan. 2000]

Korieh, Chima Jacob [University of Bergen, Norway]. Spring 1996. Widowhood Among the Igbo of Eastern Nigeria. Thesis Submitted for the Degree of Master of Philosophy in History. http://www.uib.no/hi/korieh/chima.html [Accessed 19 Jan. 2000]

Nigeria News Network. 21 January 1999. "Widows Petition Centre Over Assets." http://www.NigeriaNews.net/ [Accessed 21 Jan. 2000]

Olufemi (University of Georgia, Athens). n.d. Yoruba Traditional Marriage. Unedited Paper by Student of the Yoruba Language Program. http://www.uga.edu/~aflang/YORUBA/PAPERS/OLUFEMI.html [Accessed 19 Jan. 2000]

Post Express [Lagos]. 17 January 2000. Jim Pressman. "Gender Review Committee Concludes Work." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 21 Jan. 2000]

_____. 18 December 1999. Petrus Obi. "Governor's Wife Protects Women's Rights." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 21 Jan. 2000]

_____. 25 October 1999. Clement Shima. "Governor's Wife Plans to Float NGO." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 21 Jan. 2000]

_____.26 August 1999. Bayo Muraina. "Widows Deserve Society's Support, Says Faseun." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 21 Jan. 2000]

_____. 19 April 1999. "Widows Advised to Re-Marry." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 21 Jan. 2000]

_____. 24 March 1999. "Bayelsa Writes Off Loans to Widows." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 21 Jan. 2000]

_____.1 December 1998. Uche Nwosu. "Abia FSP Plans Programme for Widows." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 21 Jan. 2000]

_____. 18 August 1998. Chris Oji. "Rotary Club to Establish Farm Settlement for Widows." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 21 Jan. 2000]

_____. 10 August 1998. Hellen Obayagbon. "Utomi Canvasses Equal Opportunity for Widows." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 21 Jan. 2000]

_____.14 July 1997. "Don Advocates Self-Reliance for Women." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 21 Jan. 2000]

_____. 29 October 1997. Chris Oji. "Rotary Establishes Farm Settlements." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 21 Jan. 2000]

_____. 6 June 1997. "Forced Marriage on Widows Criticised." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 21 Jan. 2000]

Professor of African Languages and Literature, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 25 January 2000. Telephone interview.

Zeitlan, Marian F.; Ratna Megawangi; Ellen M. Kramer; Nancy D. Colletta; E.D. Babatunde; and, David Garman. 1995. Strengthening the Family - Implications for International Development. United Nations University Press. http://www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu13se/uu13se00.htm [Accessed 19 Jan. 2000]

Additional Sources Consulted

IRB databases

LEXIS-NEXIS

REFWORLD

World News Connection (WNC)

Unsuccessful attempts to contact six non-documentary sources

Search engines including:

HotBot

Metacrawler