Widowhood Rites and Rituals in Some Communities of the North West Region of Cameroon: Psychological, Financial, and Physical Health Impacts on Widows and Consequences for Children’s Education

The main purpose of this study was to examine the psychological, financial, and physical health impacts of widowhood rites and rituals on widows in some selected communities of the North West Region of Cameroon and consequences for their children’s education. The mixed research method was adopted for this study and data was collected with the use of three instruments; questionnaire, interview guide and observation guide. The sample comprised of 160 widows who have undergone widowhood rites and rituals, and 10 elderly women responsible for carrying out and supervising widowhood rites and rituals, who were interviewed. The researcher personally observed some widowhood rites and rituals as they were being performed. The purposive and the snowball sampling techniques were used. Quantitative data was analyzed with the use of Means and Standard Deviations, while qualitative data was analyzed using the Thematic Approach. The findings revealed that many of the widowhood rites and rituals practiced in the area under study impose significant psychological distress, financial hardship, and physical health challenges on widows, which limit their ability to adequately support the education of their children, thereby increasing vulnerability to poor educational outcome. The study then concludes with recommendations that will go a long way to reform practices that undermine dignity, health, economic well-being, and educational welfare of widows’ children.