UNFAIR TRADITIONS DONT FAVOUR WOMEN

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Although women are beginning to find their roots and identity in the society but there are some areas where women are subjugated and their opinions do not matter. Especially in the case of inheriting properties left by their husbands, families or parents. while some culture are fair to women in the area of inheriting properties, some communities still have this archaic belief that whenever a man dies, the male child must inherit all their father's properties. Hence, it is in the place of the boy child to decide whether or not to give a portion to the women in the family.

The fight over properties are mostly common in polygamous homes, this is where the man did not write a will before passing on. Hence, it becomes difficult to allocate properties to members of the family without causing a quarrel. I would use a real life experience to backup the fact that women really do not have a say when it comes to sharing inheritance in some Communities. They still believe that it is a man's world and nothing can change that.

In this community where I stay, tribe withheld, there was a man and a woman who were married and had children. Apparently, the woman who stayed with him till he was old and Gray and finally died was the second wife. Before this man died he was seriously ill to the extent that he could not move. This woman had to do everything possible to keep him healthy. She and her children bathe him, cleaned him, fed him and did the necessary caring. After everything the sickness was too much that the man was frail and eventually died. it was a devastating moment for the community at large.

Burial arrangements were made and everyone including the first wife and her children came down from wherever they were located to perform the funeral rites. After the burial was over, it was then realized that the man did not write a will before he died, this gave the first born son of the first wife the authority to do as he pleased with the properties of their father. Lo and behold the son practically withheld all the properties of the man leaving the second wife who was there for the man while he was sick with nothing.

It was the intervention of the community elders and Chiefs that spoke against the discrimination of totally abandoning the woman with nothing while the man has properties like Lands and buildings. In the end, they locked up the main part of the man's house and allocated just two rooms to the woman. If the community had not interferred they would have practically thrown the woman on the street.

So as we can see, women are still relegated to the background in some communities when it has to with with inheritance matters. Personally I believe these traditions are unfair and should be reviewed because the world is changing. Because I am a woman should not make me less of a human being.

This is a part of my entry for the #octoberinleo prompt as organized by the @leogrowth team with great initiative that members of Hive you can participate in this prompt and tackle them as you deem fit. In collaboration with @hivenaija community.

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