Widows’ Vulnerability: A Descriptive Study of Neglect and Emotional Factors as effects of widowhood. A case study of Solwezi District, Zambia

Abstract

The rapid growth of population in the Sub-Saharan region also spells an increase in the death rate and lack of access to dwindling resources. These are factors from which widowhood can be traced, and as this paper has illustrated, widowhood almost always creates an unfillable rift between women and society. Previous research has relied on the assumption that widowhood is somewhat immune to the cultural aspect of society. It has largely appealed to the emotive aspect of widowhood. This study uses data from the comparisons of the present income situation by marital status to show the true effects of widowhood on household income. The use of longitudinal data such as the UNICEF study of 2004 could overcome some of these problems as we, as much as we could, inquired about a person’s socio-economic status before and after the loss of a spouse. Although our study was hinged on women, we have taken some considerable time to highlight the differences by gender. Contrary to what has been assumed, it has been established in this study that the kind of relationship the widow had with the late husband is a considerable determiner of the kind of life she will live after the process is done. If the relationship with the husband was satisfactory, widowhood adjustment will be more difficult. Since the husband is no longer living to provide that mutual fulfillment of needs, the widow experiences a great loss, thus making her adjustment to widowhood even more difficult. A widow whose needs were not fulfilled' and who experienced an unsatisfactory relationship, may possibly not experience as difficult a time in her adjusting to the problems of widowhood.