Submit to survive: an exploration of sexual cleansing as an act of violence against widows in the Luo community of Kenya

Autor: Leso Munala, Margaret Harris, Esther Mwangi, Nene Okunna, Emily Hohenshell, Maureen Ong’ombe, Maria Musa
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: Culture, Health & Sexuality. 25:698-710
ISSN: 1464-5351
1369-1058
DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2022.2091797
Popis: In this paper, the sexual 'cleansing' of widows and subsequent inheritance is assessed for its socio-cultural significance. Although the practice has been well studied in the context of HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa, it has not been widely examined as an act of sexual violence against women. To address this gap, in-depth interviews were conducted with 27 widows aged 29 to 90 years in Siaya County in Southwest Kenya. A majority of participants stated the cleansing ritual was forcefully initiated, violently fulfilled, and frequently seen as rape. Findings from this study necessitate the identification of the cultural practice of widow cleansing as an act of violence against women. Doing so will facilitate the creation of a legal framework with which to act to eliminate the practice.
Databáze: OpenAIRE