Widows’ Socio-Demographic Characteristics and the Observance of Widowhood Rites among the Aworis of Ogun State

Abstract

This study examined the socio-demographic characteristics of widows in Awori two urban and two rural communities of Awori land in Ogun State, Nigeria and the observance of widowhood rites. It utilized a survey questionnaire containing open and closed ended questions to elicit information from 912 respondents. The linear regression was used in testing the hypothesis formulated for the study, in addition to cross-tabulations and simple percentages. The critical variables in the hypothesis are ten (10) indices which helped to measure the socio-demographic attributes of the widows sampled. The indices are: age, education, income, occupation, number of children, sex of children, religion, type of marriage, form of marriage and place of residence). The purpose was to determine which of these indicators had the most effect on the widowhood practices outcomes. The results revealed no relationships between the dependent and independent variables in the first model except for education and type of marriage which were found to be significantly related to widowhood rites. In the second model, widows’ education and occupation were both positively related to property inheritance and statistically significant. Finally, the study presented conclusion and recommendations on the basis of the findings.