Narratives of childless widows: exploring the lived experiences and well-being of childless widows in rural Nigeria

摘要

Background: Widows are socioeconomically disadvantaged, especially in low resourceregions. Childless widows are a group whose plight may be worse given socioculturalcircumstances. In the current study, we examined the lived experiences of childless widowsliving in remote Nigeria, highlighting this group as being in critical need for socialinterventions.Method: Childless widows (n = 11) in rural settings in South East Nigeria were interviewed.Narrative analysis was used in navigating the lived experiences of the widows.Results: Extreme distress, ostracism, stigma, and traumatic experiences were common in thenarratives of the widows. However, childlessness was at the core of their distress. Treated asoutcasts, the widows resigned to God, though some were scarcely allowed to play supportiveroles among relatives. As social welfare packages are almost non-existent in this region,religious groups often played supportive roles.Conclusion: Legislation protecting widows are good but may not be sufficient if it does nottranslate to improved wellbeing/welfare for widows. Childless widows, especially those inrural areas, are especially vulnerable as they face peculiar deprivation and psychologicaldistress arising from cultural/social realities. Recognising the limited resources in low incomecountries, mobilisation of local structures and resources to educate and monitor local com-munities are important.