Hannah O'Neill
Hannah O'Neill is an associate producer for an international news broadcaster in London, and is completing an Msc in Violence, Conflict and Development at SOAS University.
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.
