Widows press for the abolition of widowhood rites

In a bid to eradicate the tradition of widowhood rites and other gender-biased practices in most parts of Cameroon, a Bamenda-based advocacy association dubbed Modern Advocacy Humanitarian Social and Rehabilitation Association, MAHSRA, in partnership with the Canadian government has launched an intensive advocacy initiative programme on widowhood rites in Menchum Division beginning with widows groups in three villages.

In the presence of the Canadian High Commissioner, H.E Rene Cremonese, and the Governor of the North West Region, Adolphe Lele L’Afrique (represented), a memorandum of understanding was signed between the legalised Widowhood associations, the administration of Menchum, Fons of Weh, Esu and Aghem and the CEO of MAHSRA Dr, Kelly Ngyah, to ensure that widows are treated with respect and their rights are protected.

Creating awareness on the rights of widows in the communities stand sublime given that widows are subjected to go through some very obnoxious rites upon the dead of the husband which include not bathing, wearing only one cloth and not eating from any utensil like others.

During the mourning period widows are not allowed to associate with others, talk less, not permitted to go to the market and to make matters worse the husband’s relatives would deprive her of the husband’s property and even throw the widow and her children out of her matrimonial home.

The Mayor of Wum, Dighambong Anthony, reiterated that following the ordinance on civil status, the law makes provision that after 18 months of mourning her late husband, the widow has a choice to either to remarry or not. The coming of this association MAHSRA is highly welcome in his municipality and Menchum in general in order to empower the women most especially widows.

According to the CEO of MAHSRA, the primary objective of the widowhood rites to rights initiative is to investigate, analyze and develop the most effective method to address the Human Rights of women within a complex framework of gender violence assessment that are both psychological and physical.

This initiative is in line to foster the will of the Cameroon government as buttressed in the signing and ratification of several international conventions such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women and the Declaration on the rights to Development.

MAHSRA which is a legal entity with special consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, the Association has been able to give visibility to this societal dark spots though with limited material resources.

MAHSRA is working towards aspiring to bring more vulnerable population and their plight to light especially women in rural setups that are willing to contribute towards eradicating poverty and foster rural development. Capacity building had already started and by April 2015 and a good number of the set objectives would have been met, says Dr. Kelly Ngyah CEO of MAHSRA.

In this light the Canadian High Commissioner to Cameroon, who was just clocking 54 days in the country, applauded the women especially the widows of three villages for coming together to better their situation. To him, education is one of the key factors towards liberation from certain situation especially practices that violate their rights first as human beings then as widows.

He said the Canadian government has made a policy to support associations that advocate on human rights and would continue to lend support in other areas if need be.