In societies in which women are considered vulnerable because they have no male protectors, the levirate, a custom by which a man may be obliged to marry his brother's widow, can be used to expose a widow to mental, physical and sexual abuse in the name of tradition. Most recently, the practice has been highlighted by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women as an issue to be addressed in the Congo (CEDAW/C/COG/CO/6, para. 15).
Legal status
Non-negotiated soft law
Body
Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences