Unshackling widowhood bondage in amplifying SDG#5: Experiences of Township widows in South Africa

Abstract

Sustainable Developmental Goal (SDG) 5 of the United Nations, Agenda 2063 of the African Union, and the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 implores the signatories, including South Africa, to promote and support gender equality and human rights for all. Literature shows that widows within Southern African cultures remain shackled in bondage manifesting as discrimination, neglect, cultural and psychological oppression. The research question guiding this study is: What are the experiences of Township widows in Gauteng province? A qualitative research approach within radical feminism in the feminist paradigm was adopted, employing a participatory methodology for data collection, such as individual interviews from twenty township widows living in Gauteng. Using thematic data analysis, the findings revealed that widows are exposed to in-law weaponisation of rituals, community stigma and discrimination, dispossession of assets by in-laws and absence of support systems. Against these experiences, widows yearn for support and spaces of belonging. This is a qualitative study conducted in a township context in Gauteng. Thus, findings cannot be extended to other contexts. From the experiences of these widows, the paper recommends a need to create space for societal reflections on how societies can provide care and support for widows and how widows can be empowered. This study plugs the gap in literature and practice where limited strategies exist to address isolating and discriminative practices metered against widows in Africa. The study's major contribution is proposing a framework for supporting widows in African contexts.