film

Triumph Over Terror (series): Till Death Do Us Part

User Rating	1 2 3 4 5
Producer(s)	Communicating for Change with TVE
Director(s)	Ihria Enakimio and Sandra Mbanefo Obiago
Runtime	27 min
Format(s)	video
Language(s)	English
Youth Media	no

Film Description

In Nigeria a married man cannot die of natural causes, his wife must have had a hand in his death. In both urban and rural areas widows are made to suffer for their husbands' death. As a first rite, her head is forcibly shaven, she is forbidden to bathe, and made to sit on the bare floor for at least a month. Even if the deceased had made a will, his family moves in immediately to take over his possessions, and a widow's own older children must be on guard to make sure she comes to no harm.

This film looks at the problem in three different areas of the country, and explores the way denial of inheritance and property rights is forcing growing number of widows to join the ranks of the homeless in the shantytowns of major cities like Lagos.