Investigation of Gender and Access to Justice for Widows in Enugu State

Widowhood in South East Nigeria is frequently accompanied by systematic denial of property rights, forced mourning rituals, and social exclusion that compound the economic and emotional vulnerability of bereaved women. This study investigates gendered barriers to justice for widows in Enugu State, focusing on customary law enforcement and state legal remedies available in Enugu, Udi, and Igbo-Eze South Local Government Areas. A mixed-method design was adopted, with 200 widows completing structured questionnaires and 40 participating in semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Findings reveal that 77% of widowed respondents experienced at least one form of property-related injustice following their husband's death, including eviction, asset seizure, and exclusion from estate administration. Legal redress is pursued by fewer than 15% of affected widows, primarily due to financial constraints, unfamiliarity with legal processes, community pressure to settle internally, and fear of family reprisals. Cases that reach formal courts face prolonged proceedings averaging 18 months. Recommendations include mobile legal aid clinics targeting widows in rural Enugu communities, sensitisation programmes for magistrates on widow property rights under Nigerian law, and engagement of Ohaneze Ndigbo in developing widow protection frameworks. This study contributes to gender, law, and widowhood literature in South East Nigeria. Keywords: widows, access to justice, property rights, Enugu State, gender