ABSTRACT
Descriptions of the consequences of the absence of their husbands who had worked at the Kaduna Textile Ltd mill were elicited through extended interviews with their widows. These interviews were conducted with the help of women leaders from the Coalition of Closed Unpaid Textile Workers Association Nigeria. Widows responded to questions about their relations with their husbands, about their lives before and after the mill closed, and about the situations—often illness—that led to their husbands’ deaths. Some were able to provide their husbands’ KTL mill ID cards, family photographs, death certificates, and funeral programs. For those living in Kaduna, some assisted us in visits to their husbands’ graves. Widows were also asked about their current situations and those of their children, the work they were involved in, housing, and food. After concluding these, at times, emotional interviews, permission was asked of each woman to take her photograph and printed copies were later returned to them. As may be seen, these portraits convey a sense of sorrow as well as strength of these women and are included as an important part of this study.
