Abstract
Gender is among the most globally discuss topic due to its
inherent nature which centre on the societal role place on
male and female that is mainly cause by religion and
culture. Gender has a greater role to play as a major
determinant factor with regard to the issue of inheritance in
contemporary Africa, and inheritance according to African
point of view is gender sensitive and most often gender
bias, which prioritises a particular sex against the other.
The research employs hermeneutical method to elucidate
that one cannot discuss about gender without taking
cognizance of its equality and inequality, gender inequality
is mostly female marginalization which is frequently used
terminology in Africa that plays out often with issue
relating to inheritance, and the African societal role of
gender place more value on male than female regarding the
issue of inheritance. The problem of female
marginalization on inheritance which was as a result of
gender role is the bane of this hermeneutical investigation,
which the right of female to participate in sharing of inheritance is unpopular and hardly seen both in ancient
and contemporary Africa, and in some circumstance female
that clamour for gender equity and emancipation are
psychologically/emotionally traumatized and physically
abused, and the male counterpart is seen as a superior being
that has exclusive right to inheritance. The research
discovers that female marginalization on inheritance is as a
result of societal creation that perceives female as a weaker
sex and also can be married out at anytime; which is fuelled
by the philosophies behind those culture and religion in
Africa. The research concludes that for there to be a
comprehensive eradication of female marginalization on
inheritance in contemporary Africa, female rights to
inheritance needs to be enshrined in all the customs and
traditions of all African nations backed up by their various
constitutions in order to protect and project the female
rights to inheritance and arguably to a reasonably extent
gender equity achieved.
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