In the tranquil rural community of Ikot Ekpeyak Ikono in Akwa Ibom State, South-South Nigeria, a tragic event underscores the harsh realities faced by women as breadwinners. A woman in her 60s lost her life trying to mediate a dispute between her machete-wielding daughter and her estranged son-in-law over a cassava harvest. The daughter, determined to protect her economic independence, had harvested the crop and transported it to her parents’ home, angering her ex-husband, who had plans to sell it without her knowledge. In the ensuing altercation, the mother collapsed and was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The man fled, leaving a grieving family to mourn.
Community lending by widows
