Widows in the Cameroons
Widows Condemn Exploitation By in-Laws
The Post (Buea) Elvis Tah
Grace Eneme, a social worker of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon , PCC, has called on women to be self-reliant in order to avoid depression in the absence of their husbands. She made this call in a seminar dubbed Widows Initiative on Survival Strategies, WISS, held in the PCC Conference Hall, to drill widows on how to make ends meet in the absence of their husbands. The conference, attended by a cross section of widows around the Buea locality was presided over by Lawyers Ernestine Samba and Elizabeth Atemkeng.
Talking to the widows about widow's rights to inheritance, Ernestine made it clear that in the event of the death of the husband, in-laws have no right over deceased husbands' property except otherwise stated in the deceased husbands will. She stressed on the education of the girl child, which according to her, is the first step towards women empowerment, which enables the girl child to know her rights, to be able to defend herself where she feels cheated.
She lampooned the fact that some cultures make provision for a woman to become their husband's property and can be handed over to their brothers-in-law when the husband dies. She said some families even go as far as forcing the woman to get married to her brother-in-law, so that he can take control of the estates left behind. Some, she added, go as far as sending the woman and children away to share property.
With all these in mind, she quoted a 1955 law that states that any custom repugnant to natural justice should be discarded. She told the widows to be assertive and to stand firm on their rights and not to allow themselves to be exploited by some unscrupulous in-laws, who do not know how they suffered with their husband to procure their estate, adding that what they care about, is to reap where they did not sow.
Reacting to the assertion that only the boy child has the right to inheritance, Atemkeng said everybody is eligible for inheritance, depending on who has been willed to take control over the property left behind by a deceased husband. She pointed out two types of succession known-as testate and in testate succession stating that in testate succession, the deceased husband left no will before dying unlike the testate succession in which there is a will.
She said according to the law, the widow has the first right to succession or to administer the estate followed by legitimate children; and that illegitimate children and in-laws are the last to be considered. She said the administrator of estates is not the owner of the estate; that he or she is just there to administer the estate for the benefit of the entire family and as such, he or she has no right to claim ownership or sell the estate.
She said a next of kin declaration is given at the customary court during his or her appointment. The appointed next of kin has to provide a signed inventory to the taxation office, which, according to her, is another form of security, should he or she confront any problem with tenants on landed property and present the case to the State Counsel.
Asked whether a widow is free to get married to another man, Barrister Atemkeng said they are free to get married but after some number of days after mourning. She added that a widow could get married to her brother in law by her wish and not by custom. She said a widow who is administering an estate and gets married to a new husband, has to decline her deceased husband's property.
Elaborating on whom to execute a will, she said pastors, lawyers, trustees, friends, creditors are rightful persons to execute a will and at least there must be two witnesses to sign. She said all children in the family are entitled to benefit from the will, if not, the court may challenge it in case of any eventualities.
Interviewed later, Mrs. Eneme said she initiated the conference to help up-lift widows, who are going through hard times; to let them know what to do and how to go about doing it. "Inspired by the sufferings of widows," she added, "I felt there was the need or space of healing for widows to share ideas, create solidarity links among themselves, so that they could share each others experiences and know how to tackle similar problems when they come their way."
Post also spoke to a widow, Lydia Bih who said she was very impressed with the initiative, because she had so many problems back at home with her in-laws and co-wife concerning her deceased husband's property. She was assured that she was now able to face her problems, through legal means.
When asked what her problems were, she said her co-wife conspired with her in-laws to send her away from the house, calling her names because she was unable to bring forth children.
Some research findings from Western Highlands, Cameroon
The main finding of the researcher is that general population data, and age
distribution by gender data are very difficult to find at the national level.
‘The total population of the Western Highlands in 2000, according to
the Cameroon National Institute of Statistics, was estimated at 3,716,000.
With an annual growth rate of 2.7, by 2005 the population is estimated at 4,245,490,
of which 50.1% are females and 49.9% males.’
Beyond these figures there is nothing on incidence of widowhood, or the differing
percentages of men and women who have lost a spouse. In her own mini survey
in one village of 92 women farmers, 30 were widows.
This confirmed the finding of another researcher who in 2002 estimated
that 33% of all women over 15 are of have been widowed at some time. This
high figure may be related to the scourge of HIV-AIDS which has had an impact
on life expectancy rates.
‘In 1981, 1991, and 2004 life expectancy of women was respectively 50.26 years, 57.6 years and 48.83 years; while for men within same period was 48.63, 54.54, and 47.1 years.’
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