THE LIFE OF A WOMAN

Women are to be loved and cherished by the society, but some tradition seem to forget that to a certain extent. Over here in Nigeria, most of those women diminishing traditions which were formerly practiced are gradually being abolished. Thank God for this generation were feminism has almost completely taken over. As a matter of fact, feminism have to a certain extent become a more interesting topic to speak on, but that will certainly be for another day. Journey with me then as I tell you about a tradition I consider the most cruel to women as at it was practiced.

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The Igbo traditional community practically consider women as subordinates to men. That explains to a certain extent why a family would prefer a male over ten female children. Though such mentality is gradually being abolished, but what was still have effect on the minds of people today and that in itself is enough unfair tradition to women. I might be wrong but I guess this very tradition of considering men superior to women was practiced too in many cultures of the world.

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I never experienced this very tradition, but I was told about it and it was the case that my grandmother underwent it. It is a tradition that predicts how a woman should mourn her dead husband. To mourn another is absolutely normal, but to forcefully torture a person by predicting inhuman activities for her as she mourn a loved one is completely out of place. Funny enough, this is simply what this very tradition does.

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According to what my father told me, a woman who lost his husband must have no hair on her head for about 6 months. After losing her husband, other women from her kindred will gather to barb her hair before she undergoes other rituals. It is said that the woman who lost her husband must have to live in the bush for seven days after beginning from the day she lost her husband. For that seven days, she must not take her bath nor perform any form of cleaning. During her stay in the bust, some women from the kindred are to check on her and bring her food.

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On returning back to her home, she must put on a white cloth and must stay out of the site of the general public for about six months. As matter of fact, she is to suspend everything that would take her outside of her home as she only get to meet those who pay her condolence visits. Everything needs must be brought to her from outside and hair must remain barbed.

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Here comes the crazy part. After mourning her husband and after the ritual must have been completed, the woman might be mandated by tradition to get intimate with her husband's brother. Funny enough, most women of that time consider it the life they must live. For many young women who lost their husband, it is absolutely normal that they automatically become married to their husband's unmarried brother if he desires them. This mostly happen in families where the dead man is the only married man in the family. In such occasions, the immediate younger brother to the dead man takes over the wife. Leveraging on this awkward tradition, some men who desires their late brother's beautiful wife do not waist time before forcing themselves on her.

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Thank you so much guys for reading up till the end. The tradition I told you about is what was in Nnokwa community of Anambra State, Nigeria. That notwithstanding, many communities in Anambra state and even beyond also practiced this particular culture as it was the culture of many Ibgo community. I am @ernesto6402 and I once again appriciate that you read up till the end. One Love ✌️

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