LEVIRATE & SORORATE MARRIAGE

OTHER FORMS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, SERIES 1.

LEVIRATE AND SORORATE MARRIAGES.

Levirate marriage is the forced marriage of a widow to the brother of her deceased husband; sororate marriage is the forced marriage of the sister of a deceased or infertile wife to marry or have sex with her brother-in-law, the widower/husband. Sororate marriage is a type of marriage in which a husband engages in marriage or sexual relations with the sister of his wife, usually after the death of his wife or if his wife has proven infertile. The opposite is levirate marriage.

Marriages in Nigeria takes place under three systems, Islamic, Civil/ Statutory, and Customary. 

In general marriages in the northern states are under the Islamic law, while those in the south are under statutory law. However, even when couple's marry under statutory law, customary law still prevails in personal matters. Customary law tends to vary from one ethnic group to another, from state to state, and most often from one town to another.

In most circumstances the widows are seen as chattels and property to be inherited by the executors of their husbands estate.

These kinds of marriages are outrightly degrading and harmful, and some statistics have shown that the practice of levirate marriage has been identified as one of the leading causes of the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Levirate marriage is considered a custom of the Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa - Fulani and continues to be practiced in rural communities.

However, the increased education and urbanization are thought to have reduced the Practice and women who have greater economic independence are less likely to accept a levirate marriage.

It has also been said that women who refused to participate in these kinds of marriages have suffered all sorts of deprivations with many of them having to resort to prostitution and commodity sex to support themselves and their children.