Widowhood can be defined as the status of an individual who was legally married to someone who subsequently died. In this study there is a kind of imbalance in the performance of widowhood rites in the Ghanaian society. The men enjoy more freedom in the performing of the rite than women. If a man refuses to perform the rite there is no public outcry but if a woman refuses she is blended with all sorts of taunting and considered as having hand in the death of her husband. Despite the air of change blowing in our society concerning the position of women, there is more to be done to liberate them from oppressive mechanism laid down by the culture. According to Seán Ruth (2006), this mistreatment of women sometimes blocks women from self-development and excluded them from participation in true marital life and in society because they do not have certain rights that the men take for granted. Economically, the death of a spouse will result in loss of income and property that the deceased spouse received or owned, unless provision for their continuation and inheritance is made explicit in income program rules, laws of inheritance, or through the deceased spouse’s will. For this reason, it is important to understand how marriage and inheritance rights to income and assets are defined in law and by programs that provide income to elderly persons.
