[afro-nets] HIV Frequently Used as an Excuse to Confiscate Widows Homes

[Babalola Faseru <bfaseru@yahoo.com>]

HIV Frequently Used as an Excuse to Confiscate Widows Homes
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SOME AFRICAN FAMILIES LEFT WITH NOTHING BECAUSE OF AIDS, INHERI-
TANCE CUSTOMS

The entitlement customs and HIV/AIDS prevalence in sub-Saharan
Africa are "combin[ing] in a terrible synergy, robbing countless
mothers and children not only of their loved ones but everything
they own.

Although the degree to which men control household property
"varies from county to county and tribe to tribe," the "stubborn
tradition" of many African cultures "automatically" entitles the
husband's side of the family to claim "most, if not all," of the
family's valuable property when he dies, "even if it leaves his
survivors destitute," according to the New York Times.

Widows and children are "left essentially to start over," some-
times being allowed to keep the family house, land and cooking
supplies but not furniture, vehicles or other valuable belong-
ings.

HIV-positive widows face even greater challenges, as parents-in-
law increasingly cite HIV-positive status as a reason to "con-
fiscate" widows' homes after the death of their husbands.

Legal advocates say that laws protecting inheritance rights of
widows and children "are not enforced or are simply no match for
the power of tradition" because few widows know their rights,
and even fewer are able to seek legal help.

SOURCE: Kaiser Network, 18/Feb/05

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Babalola Faseru
mailto:bfaseru@yahoo.com