Nigerians on social media have reacted after some women in Awka, Anambra State, stood up against barbaric widowhood practices which include being forced to drink from the water with which their late husband’s corpse was bathed preparatory to burial.
OsunDaily News reports that the women who were tired of the harmful practices staged a peaceful protest on Thursday, the 11th of May, 2023 where they demanded the abolishment of such ritual of drinking the water used in bathing their husband’s corpse to be scrapped.
The leader of the protest, Mrs Okoye, while speaking to reporters, urged the government to pay attention to the practice and put an end to it so the girl child and women can be protected.
She also called on all the community leaders, especially at Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra, to stop the obnoxious practices against widows.
“We demand that the government ensures that justice is served to perpetrators of unpleasant widowhood practices against the girl child, women and widows, irrespective of their social status,” she said in part.
Reacting to the women’s plea, Nigerians condemned the practice, urging the government to look into it.
Some of the reactions are below;
One thisisspaceman wrote: “WTH … almost all the tradition or doctrines I know are anti-women. Why? The answer is very simple..they were created by men. So why can’t men drink water washed off their dxxd wives? I heard where I come from in Delta we don’t snail. Snail wey me I no dey take play. From the moment I started living on my own I don dey chop snail because nobody has been able to explain to me why. It’s not like don’t eat Lion or Tiger.. snail o snail.”
onemindxgram wrote: “It’s barbaric. Mostly engineered by angry 😡 jealous failed in-laws looking for an excuse for the demise of their brother.”
kerenofkaeskarlet wrote: “I dislike these traditions so so much 👎🏾 when would all this hardship on women ever stop? We go through a lot already. Omg.”
mariekingsbeauty wrote: “Yes that practice is barbaric, it’s so wicked coupled with it’s only the women forced to do so. I pray it ends really, it’s just pure evil to force that on a human. Also on the other hand, as an Anambra babe with facts to backup, things are really happening in Awka ooo. The rate they ……their men over there haaa. Very alarming. And most see it as something to boast about🤮🤮. Ife erike na Awka.”
adedolaruth wrote: “Men of the states too should join in this protest, it could happen to their sisters, mothers and daughters as well.”
officialhillo360 wrote: “We need eradicate something called tradition or culture..many of them are made by someone like me and you…many of them have spoiled many relationship all in the name of tradition even marriage.”
creativemaxmedia wrote: “To think of the end results, the germs and diseases they could contact from this singular act.”
sandra__odia wrote: “That barbaric tradition still dey???😢😢 i thought we agreed to discard it”
abjames07 wrote: “Some of the cultures in Igbo lands and in general should be looked at for the continuation of the tradition by the unborn generations.”
