Leviratic Marriage

A leviratic marriage is a type of marriage where a widow is obligated to marry her deceased husband's brother. The deceased husband's brother is also obligated to marry the widow. This is a more traditional, old-fashioned form of marriage that is similar to widow inheritance, where the deceased husband's brother determines who the widow can remarry. The rationale for leviratic marriages was the protection provided to the widow and her children during times or societies where women were more reliant on a male provider because of the lack of equal opportunity and economic freedoms for women.