Beneath a mango tree at Kole District headquarters, a group of women stepped onto a makeshift stage not to entertain, but to confront generations of cultural injustice.
Dressed in worn skirts and trousers, the widows reenacted their lived experiences through dramatic stories of being cast out, humiliated, and dispossessed.
One sat on a plastic chair as an in-law, waiting to be approached by his late brother’s widow, a demeaning practice still forced on widows in parts of Lango.
Another, acting as the widow, was shouted at by the in-laws for refusing to be “inherited” by her husband’s brother.
The performance opened the June 23, 2025, International Widows Day commemoration in Kole District, where over 400 widows from Kole, Lira, and Oyam gathered to share their pain and call for justice.
The event’s theme, “Accelerating the Inclusion of Widows in Socio-Economic Development,” struck a nerve, as many women present had lived through decades of marginalization and abuse justified in the name of culture.
Across Lango, widowhood is not just a personal loss; it is a cultural crisis. Women often lose access to land and property they helped acquire simply because of their gender, or refusal to be inherited by the husband’s brothers.
“There’s a perception that if a widow only has daughters, she doesn’t need land. If she has fewer children than her in-laws, they claim she should give up some of her late husband’s share,” explained Jane Achola, Community Liaison Officer with Redeem International, a non-governmental organization providing legal aid to widows in the region.
Even worse, widows who date or remarry outside the deceased husband’s clan are seen as a threat.
“The family believes the new man will take their land. Even widows who stay single but thrive independently face hostility. The clan wants to control her life and her land,” says Achola.
Joan Awor, 59, from Ayer Sub-county in Kole, recalled being thrown out of her home in 2005 shortly after her husband’s burial.
“In 2009, I got sick and was taken to the hospital. When I returned, my house was empty. They thought I would die. When I tried to go back, my father-in-law refused me,” she said. “
It took intervention from clan elders to get her reinstated when the local clan leaders made the father-in-law sign an agreement allowing Awor to return to her husband’s home.
Similar stories were shared by many. Achola said in some instances, widows reported being called “witches” to scare communities into rejecting them and seizing their land.
“You have lived peacefully for 30 years. But once your husband dies and there’s a land dispute, they brand you a witch. It’s a tactic to chase you away,” says Achola.
Even with constitutional guarantees under Uganda’s 1995 Constitution and the Succession Act, widows rarely win. The justice system is difficult to access, as many of these widows can hardly afford the costs of processing the necessary documents.
Achola said, “Many widows are semi-literate. They go to the LC1s who refuse to write letters unless you bribe them, and most don’t know that managing a deceased husband’s estate legally requires letters of administration. Without an LC1 letter, you can’t file a case. It’s how women remain trapped.”
Francis Ochira, Program Manager at Redeem International Lira Field Office, said the organization is currently providing free legal aid, helping widows draft legal documents, pursuing land restoration cases, and offering psychosocial support through social workers.
“We work with courts and law enforcement to restore widows to their homes and land. And we train local leaders to respect the law above harmful customs,” says Ochira.
Beyond legal aid, widows in Lango are also mobilizing on their own, forming savings groups and cooperatives to cushion themselves from rejection.
“When we realized no one would fight for us, we started fighting for ourselves. We meet every Monday at my residence, and each member buys stamps for Shs2000 per stamp. So, we support each other in everyday challenges,” said Esther Aparata, Chairperson of Ayer Widows SACCO in Ayer Sub-county, Kole District. “
Aparata said the SACCO, which has over 70 widows, began after several members were evicted from their marital homes in 2015.
“At first, it was very difficult to come together and start the initiative; we were only 14 at the time. We started saving Shs200 as welfare and Shs1000, but later we realized it wasn’t helping. So we increased and started welcoming more members,” she said.
Moses Ajuk, community development officer (CDO) of Ayer County, said the government is integrating widows into various development programs.
“We support women under the Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (WEP) and Youth Livelihood Program. In FY 2024/25, we gave Shs 8 million to a women’s group in Lela Parish doing piggery and poultry. Some of the members are widows,” Ajuk said.
He added that complaints from the widows are first recorded at the CDO’s office and referred to local courts if not resolved.
Josephine Omara Olili, Kole Resident District Commissioner, condemned the cultural attitudes that continue to dehumanize widows.
“Widows are being burned out of their homes, blamed for deaths, and denied dignity. We must stop hiding behind culture. It’s time to respect the law and protect our women,” says Olili.
Recently, Lango Paramount Chief Moses Michael Odongo Okune tasked the government to empower cultural leaders and set up systems recognized by the judiciary to resolve land-related cases.