Towards a Better Life for Widows
In commemoration of the International Widows Day, a Nigerian-based Nongovernmental Organisation, Felix King Foundation, launches a campaign in aid of widows, which challenges the merits of a sexist tradition that perpetuates their illtreatment. Mary Nnah
After the death of their husbands, many women are saddled with contesting the right to safeguard their social and economic relevance. It has been estimated that there are about 258 million widows around the world, half of them living in extreme poverty and are subject to cruelty and violence. Up till now, a lot of widows face several forms of discrimination; while some of them, who were still young when they lost their husbands, face a lifetime of widowhood.
It is also a known fact that once widowed, women in many countries are often confronted with the denial of inheritance and land rights, degrading and life-threatening mourning and burial rites, and other forms of widow abuse. Some are dispossessed of their homes and physically abused even by members of their own family.
In many societies, especially Africa, a woman’s social status is intimately linked to that of her husband, so when he dies, a woman no longer has a place in society. To regain such social status, widows are expected to marry one of their husband’s male relatives, sometimes unwillingly. For many, the loss of a husband is only the first trauma in an enduring nightmare.
While some widows are stigmatised and seen as a source of shame in some societies, others are thought to be cursed in some cultures and are even associated with witchcraft. Such misconceptions lead to widows being detested and ill-treated.
The children of these women are not left out of the ordeal, as they are time and again affected both emotionally and economically. Widowed mothers, now supporting their families alone, are forced to withdraw their children from school and get them involved in some forms of trade to support their mothers. Such ordeals are often seen as right in terms of tradition and culture.
International Widows Day
To draw global attention to the plight of widows, the United Nations on December 22, 2010 at its 65th General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution to establish June 23 of every year as the International Widows Day (IWD). Worldwide, the IWD works to identify widows and their circumstances. This was a step to empower the widows and help them regain their rights, as they have been neglected and violated for so long.
New Campaign
June 23 has been an annual, global day of action to raise awareness about the cultural discrimination against widows, but the founder of Felix King Foundation, Dr. Felix King, would rather that the day be declared a “Zero Maltreatment Day” for widows. He believes that if the maltreatment widows suffer is kept on the front burner, a lot of people would have it on their sub-consciousness as they mark the day every year.
Speaking during an event tagged, "Sign Up for June 23 as Zero Maltreatment Day for Widows", held at the Moremi Hall of the University of Lagos, Akoka Lagos, to press for a Zero Maltreatment Day, King said, “Our tradition is very unfair to womanhood and that is why today, widows face a lot of challenges and this is not just here in Nigeria but there are lots of countries in the world that have the traditional practices that allow women to suffer a lot of human right violations.
“We are trying to put our voices down and say at this stage that tradition is sexist and we are saying no to that. So we are trying to see how we can strike out a balance whereby there would be equality among all human races."
Consequently, the foundation mobilised millions of people cross the world for the sake of the widow’s right to living, for them to sign up for the Zero Maltreatment Day for June 23 every year. King expressed the belief that once that is done; the foundation would put it to the UN and ensure that it declares the day as a Zero Maltreatment day.
He said, "When people know that June 23 is a Zero Maltreatment day, subconsciously you tell your families, friends, colleague and community that this day is Zero Maltreatment Day for the widows and gradually the awareness would grow and the evil practiced against women will gradually fade away."
Thus, in a captivating style at Moremi Hall, University of Lagos Akoka, Lagos, support was in no short supply for widows as the King; Pop star, Harrison Tare Okiri popularly known as Harry Song, rapper MI Abaga and comedian Bayegun Oluwatoyin, popularly known as Woli Arole among others urged the United Nations to declare June 23 a Zero Maltreatment Day instead.
The year’s global theme was “Developing Resources and Policies to Empower Widows” and so beyond mere celebration of this day as set aside by the UN, the foundation marked the Widows Rights Movement flag off, a movement that was simultaneously held across some parts of the world in Nigeria, Ghana, US, Canada and the UK.
According to King, “The widows’ rights movement is a Felix King Foundation’s organised international movement campaigning for the abolishment of widows maltreatment, while advocating for UN declaration of June 23, as a zero maltreatment day for widows in countries with traditional societies where women suffer human rights violations with membership spread across the world.
“We have realised the essence of direct mobilisation and that is why we are here today to get support for what we are doing online and as we are doing this here today,
Our tradition is very unfair to womanhood and that is why today, widows face a lot of challenges and this is not just here in Nigeria but there are lots of countries in the world that have the traditional practices that allow women to suffer a lot of human right violations