Widowhood and Property Inheritance in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwean widows need to inherit property when their husbands die. Property, be it material or financial in nature, is a source of sustenance and wealth. Depriving women of property inheritance rights has untold consequences. This study focuses on the property inheritance rights of widows in Zimbabwe in the Sikalenge Ward of Binga District. The aim of the study is to understand how property grabbing affects widows and to find possible solutions and intervention strategies social workers may use. The literature reviewed in the study was drawn from both the legal field and social work to create a link between the fields. The study was shaped by radical feminism for conceptualising property grabbing while the formulated intervention strategies utilised the empowerment model. The study is qualitative in nature using interviews to collect data from ten widows and five social service providers who constitute the total of fifteen participants in the study. Data was analysed qualitatively using interpretive approaches and presentation is textual rather than statistical..

Autorentext

Mr Dube holds a BSc and a MSc (both Social Work) Degree from the University of Fort Hare where he tutored in the Department of Psychology and Social Work from 2004 to 2006. In 2007, Mr Dube became a fulltime tutor and lectured in the Department of Social Work. He was awarded the MAC AIDS Leadership Initiative Fellowship in 2009.