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| Title: | Widows' property rights and cultural practices: a comparative study of Ganda and Iteso ethnic groups |
| Authors: | Nagawa, Jane Mary |
| Keywords: | Property rights
Culture
Widows |
| Issue Date: | 7-Dec-2008 |
| Abstract: | Property rights are the most fundamental resources to their living conditions, economic empowerment and social status. These are entitlements to acquire, own (through purchase, gift, or inheritance),
manage, administer, enjoy, and dispose of tangible and intangible property,
including land, housing, money, bank accounts, livestock, crops, and
pensions. Under International Human Rights Law, women and men are entitled to equal legal protection of their property rights. The study was carried out among the lteso in Ngora County, in Kumi district, and among
the Ganda in Wakiso and Kampala districts. lt was a comparative study of cultural practices and widows' property rights. The main objective of this study is to highlight the problems caused partly by cultural practices, which are met by widows in matters property rights, and strategies through which they can be solved-using lteso and Ganda ethnic groups as a case study.
Widows' property rights are important because they are fundamental to women's economic security, social and legal status, and largely their survival.
Achieving women's equality with respect to property is a critical aspect of development and social stability in post-conflict situations. Widows' property
rights are also important within the fight against HIV/AIDS. Violations of these
rights make widows more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and speed their deaths
when their homes and assets are taken, need to safeguard orphans and protect them from child labour, street children, and distress and child negligence. In order to obtain information from the field/ data the researcher used both qualitative and quantitative methods. These included use of
questionnaires of open ended and close-ended questions, survey research,
comparative research design, in depth interviews, with local and cultural
leaders, and library research. The population sample of 100 from each case
study with a gender balance of 50men and 50 women. The traditional exclusion of women from property inheritance on gender
grounds is the most damaging global human rights experienced in many countries and especially in African cultures. Among the causes of violations of widows' property rights are child marriages, bride price, low level of education, and lack of awareness of existing laws, customs and cultural practices that give men superiority over women. The main conclusion is that uneducated full-time house wives, and women in rural areas coupled with
poverty have rendered women to undesirable situation. The main recommendations are: all people should be trained and encouraged to write a will. Government should legalize the property rights of cohabitating women.
Decentralizing the administrator generals services, making the girl child education mandatory with penalties, incase parents tend to ignore. Formal education that addresses gender biased cultural practices and changing custom and practice must occur through massive action on legal, educational
and other fronts. International Human Rights norms must be incorporated into
local and regional laws to render them relevant. |
| Description: | A Masters Thesis accessible from the Library |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/228 |
| Appears in Collections: | Theses & Dissertations (Science)
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Files in This Item:
| File |
Description |
Size | Format |
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| nagawa-arts-masters.pdf | Widows' property rights | 5230Kb | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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