Louise Donovan
Louise Donovan is the deputy editor of ElleUK.com, covering women's rights, gender issues and world news. She is the recipient of an award from the European Journalism Centre (EJC), and her work has been published in VICE, Grazia and ShortList magazine.
These Kenyan widows are fighting against sexual ‘cleansing’
In some rural parts of Kenya, widowhood means you’re of little value. Culturally, widows are considered impure, and tradition dictates that they must be cleaned — or “cleansed” — of their partners’ death. The aim is to chase away the demons; the ritual requires women to have sex — either with a relative or stranger.
