February 2007
79 Year Old Widow's Suffering To Be Documented
By Perpetual Sichikwenkwe
Justice for Widows and Orphans Project (JWOP) is earmarked to produce a feature film based on a true story of Theresa Chilala, a 79 year old widow who suffered for two decades seeking for solution from the traditional leaders in her area, the local courts and the lands tribunal that failed to solve her problem of turning her homestead into a graveyard after she refused to be inherited by her brother in-law.
The $15, 000 (about K64.5 million) feature film will be a tool that can be used by many widows and orphans that suffer in silence to voice out and claim their fundamental rights.
The film will give hope to many abused widows to take a leaf at Chilala who for two decades suffered humiliation until she finally found help.
JWOP Communications Officer Felix Kunda said in a press statement released in Lusaka recently that the film will show how Chilala's in laws grabbed land from her and property left by her late husband after she refused to be inheritated by her brother in-law.
Kunda said "The case of Chilala is a clear testimony of discrimination against and abuse of widows of all ages that occur across a wide spectrum of cultures, religions, ethnic groups and regions, irrespective of the economic or education status of the women subject to this oppression".
He said in the context of legal rights whether enshrined in international law or in the Constitution and domestic law, widows are often beyond the reach of modern statutes and may for various reasons be unable to access the modern justice system in their countries.
Kunda further said that in Zambia where parallel systems of law co-exist (religious, customary and statute), widows' lives are mainly determined by interpretations made by leaders of their local communities of former two systems.
"Chilala's situation is one such case where widows are often barred from inheriting from their dead husband's estate, may be evicted from the family home, lose custody of their children to the male relatives of their deceased spouse" said Kunda.
He said the lack of legal rights leaves the majority of widows in extreme poverty and destitution adding that widows and their children are among the poorest of the poor.
As a way of punishing her for refusing to be inherited, the brother-in-law went further by turning her backyard into grave yard. Seventeen graves in all were buried in her backyard until JWOP working together with the National Royal Foundation stopped further burials in 2006.
In the two decades that passed, she witnessed her in law spearheading the gathering of mourners at her homestead for burials, she underwent emotional stress, realising that as a widow help does not easily come to you in Zambia despite many legislation that purported to protect the vulnerable groups such as widow.
Kunda said the film is hoped to bring out such issues in motion picture. The estimated budget of the feature film is $ 15, 000. He said they are strong indications that cooperating partners will support the noble cause but so far only one organization had pledged $ 5, 000 towards the project. He appealed to institutions, actors cooperating partners and individuals that are willing to come on board by being part of the sponsors for the productions of the film to get in touch with JWOP.