The Status Of Widows

The narrative is not unlike what we have come to learn and accept as normal in our society. In the film, after the death of Neria’s husband, Neria’s brother-in-law takes over the deceased’s estate as well as the children. Some film critics have said the movie struck a nerve that runs across the continent. The film ruefully illustrates deliberate perversion of traditional customs.

About a year ago, while scrolling through social media, I read a caption on a post about a funeral in Zambia. The author’s uncle had died. Immediately following his death, his brothers and male cousins came to his home, where his grieving widow was lying on the floor surrounded by other mourners.