Widows in Crisis – International Women’s Day 2023

Widows in Crisis

“Thirty years of campaigning for the human rights of widows of all ages, wherever they are, but especially in the global south and in FCS*, it is scandalous that this gender and human rights issue is still not on international or national agendas!  
This omission must be rectified.  This IWD is occurring in a year when many armed conflicts continue ferociously – as in Ukraine – and are creating ever more numbers of widows suffering stigma, violence and poverty.”

Margaret Owen OBE, Founder &  President of Widows for Peace through Democracy (WPD).

Voices from around the world

To mark this International Women’s Day (IWD), we invited our partners, network members and colleagues around the world to submit a quote about widows in crisis for publication on this website – as a message to all politicians, legislators, policy-makers and decision-makers.
The UN theme for this year’s IWD is ‘Innovation and technology for gender equality’ – so this aspect is particularly emphasised in many of the submissions…

India

“My first encounter with widowhood was at the age of 8 and while I knew my mother was a widow I could not believe the talk around the city of a girl 14 years old being lit on the fire for being a widow.

Since then there has been no turning back. As Margaret so beautifully put it that widow’s life at all ages and the issues related to widowhood do not appear on the international agenda.

Today more than ever we are looking out for peace with armed conflict all around us decreasing democratic values, combined with violence is affecting the world all around. For me today, after 60 years of working on the issue I still feel that let us be at the highest rank in the army, medical, engineering, and everywhere we have not yet broken the glass ceiling. Till such time let us all get united and change the mindset of men and start it with our little child and that equal status to us will always evade us. “

Dr Mohini Giri – founder of the Guild for Service (WPD Partner); former Chairperson of India’s National Commission for Women and founder of the Women’s Initiative for Peace in South Asia (WIPSA) and the War Widows Association.

“Great to know this year theme for the IWD 2023 is  ‘Innovation and technology for gender equality’ – it’s time to ensure that innovation and technology is reaching out to the most deprived and vulnerable living in the remotest and difficult parts of the world. Those among the most deprived are single women, widows, children with absentee parents and tiger widows in Sunderbans.

After COVID-19 and recurring disasters, these families are running hardest from economic crisis. Support is needed for the regeneration of livelihoods and social protection. We hope the technology will find the way to reach out to these most vulnerable and empower them. It would be a great contribution to achieving the global target – Leaving no one behind.”

Ashok Kumar Nayak – Programme Manager, ActionAid Association India (WPD Partner).

Nigeria

“Widows suffer layers of vulnerabilities including  bereavement, loss of livelihood, having to head their households, loosing their property and  undergoing harmful practices. They are not spared from climate anxiety and mental health issues. Widows are not homogenous as there are widows of conflict, widows  of climate disasters, COVID widows and child widows. 

More importantly, with the help of technology, widows can rise above these vulnerabilities to become pillars of society and contribute meaningfully to their communities as decision makers, mediators and peace builders.

I call on Governments to start the process for a Global Treaty to end all forms of violence against women and girls including widows.
I call on the UNSG to commission a global study on widows and to designate  a widow as special rapporteur or envoy for widows.”

Dr Eleanor Nwadinobi – President, Widow Development Organisation (WiDo) (WPD Partner); Country Representative, WGWYPS-WAS Nigeria; President, Medical Women’s International Association.

“Educate the girl child, build capacity of women and when you do so, you will improve the finance of women in the community and when you improve the finances of women, you increase the value of women’s view, self esteem, skills and widen their social network that will  effectively  influence decisions and policies that affect their lives. 

No woman ever plan to be a widow or suffer discrimination or stigma, if it happens by chance due to fail government policies or act of God, lets not make her a misfortune but rather lets amplify their voices and stand by them.”

Eghosa Osazee Ogbebor FIMC, CMC. Executive Director – One Life Count Empowerment Foundation (WPD Network Member).

Also see: ‘Benefits of Innovation and Technology to Widows in Crisis‘ by By Adenike Omowunmi Zipporah Oladejo, Founder & Director of Widows Rejoice Mission (WPD Network Member in Nigeria).

DR Congo

“On this International Widows Day, we remember all women and girl victims in Eastern D. R. Congo.

Widows’ rights are also human rights, let’s unite to put an end to violence against widows and for the promotion and protection of their rights”.

Jacqueline Musagani Nyangoma – Initiatives des Femmes en Situations Difficiles pour le Développement Durable et Intégré, IFESIDDI (WPD Network Member)

“COFAPRI Joins the World on this IWD to Promote the Digital for Gender Equality

COFAPRI works to empower rural women (younger and older) and children survivors of armed conflicts in the villages of DRC. The organisation joins the world on this IWD 2023 to encourage women, and mostly older ones and the widows, involve in DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality. COFAPRI has started the process by teaching older women and widows the basics in literacy. These are important skills because they can open possibilities for these women to involve in the digital. COFAPRI is sending this message worldwide to all politicians, legislators, policy makers and decision makers to help restore peace all over the world, and particularly in the eastern DRC. A peaceful environment can allow widows and all the people in general to learn more about life saving skills, including the digital. No peace, no life. In developing countries, most women and widows are in technological crisis, and would like to benefit of its innovation to confirm gender equality.

Village women, mostly in developing countries, play an important role in agriculture, as they feed families. Still, they are discriminated over the food they produce. For instance, Mugisho (2016) found that discriminatory norms in remote villages of DRC forbid older women to eat some foods like milk, chicken…which shows power imbalances. With notions of the digital, they can be able to denounce forms of discriminations and violence they endure in their remote villages. All this happens because widows in rural areas cannot have access to information and even legal support, a condition that causes them trauma and stigma.

COFAPRI hopes that the basics in literacy these widows are learning can hugely open them to the digital world. This could enable the widows to secure property and learn about their rights in general. The digital knowledge can enhance their access to other productive resources such as water rights. With digital technology, widows can acquire documentation on various issues they are deprived of. Literacy and the digital connect because they can enable the widows to have access to social protection, legal aid, education and training. The participation of every leader remains paramount as it can boost the whole process.”

Mugisho Theophile – Co-founder/Exec. Director, COFAPRI (Congolese Females Actions for Promoting Rights and Development) (WPD Network Member).

Cameroon

“Faith Gardens Medical Foundation International on behalf of Widows of Grace

In view of International Women’s Day coming up March 8th, 2023, we would love to follow this year’s theme on ‘Innovation and technology for gender equality’ to give you an insight on the needs of widows in Ndop, Ngoketunjia of the Northwest Region of Cameroon. 

Widows of Grace was created as a result of the overwhelming need to help women who became widows unexpectedly as a result of internal conflict in this region of Cameroon. The greatest need we have right now as an organization is the need for digital technology to have access to adequate business training we have already started and data collection. Access to technology will enable the widows to have access to social protection, legal aid, education, and training. Also, our goal is to start collecting data on all widows in Cameroon to make them visible to policy makers.

Therefore, we need donors, politicians, legislators, and decision makers to change the trajectory for these widows in Cameroon by providing us with technological equipment to be able to produce these household items on a large scale. We also need teachers to train the widows either virtually or in person. The ability to access services like zoom is very limited due to lack of good internet access. These services will help the widows to not only be self-sustainable but will also help them to have access to information and have access to training and legal assistance that they need so they thrive and not just survive.”

Emelda Ndinjiakat – Board of Directors, Faith Gardens Medical Foundation Int’l (WPD Network Member); CEO/Founder, Grace Gardens Women’s Health Association with affiliate Widows of Grace (WoG).

Kenya

“For an equal society we must ensure promises of equal Opportunities are fulfilled, we must also not leave widows behind'”

Dianah Kamande HSC, Founder/Executive Director, ComeTogther, Widows & Orphans Organization. (WPD Network Member)

“We stand in solidarity for DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality for widows in rural areas this International Women’s Day.”

Evanson Njeru – Founder, Compassion CBO. (WPD Network Member)

Also see ‘Widows in Crisis in Kenya‘ – by Roseline Orwa, Founder & Director of Rona Foundation (WPD Partner).

Sierra Leone

“Rural women are kept in the dark from the very moment of their birth, without the right to education; formal and non-formal that gives them voice and knowledge to demand and enjoy their rights as citizens. We rise and stand together for women’s rights.”

Santigie Bayo Dumbuya – Founder & Director, We Yone Child Foundation (WYCF) (WPD Network Member).

Global

“Despite the significant amount of attention that is given by international institutions to “empowering” women, widows have been left behind in theory and in practice.

The international community must work to ensure widows are no longer invisible and that poverty, inequality, and discrimination are addressed.

Increasing representation of widows in various dialogues can shine a spotlight on the challenges and issues they face, dismantling stigmas and empowering them.”

Regina Paulose – Executive Director of The Common Good Foundation (WPD International Partner).

“Widows: marginalised, stigmatised, forgotten! The nomenclature itself brings gendered assumptions and responses. Widows are women. Women have rights. Women have agency and women must be heard!

On IWD we remind ourselves of the absolute need for inclusivity and participation in our own emancipation and equality. All of us!”

Madeleine Rees, OBE – Secretary General, Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom (WILPF) (WPD International Partner).

“Culture, COVID, Conflict and Climate crisis is all interwoven in the life of vulnerable widows.

Widowhood causes physical, psychological, and mental suffering to the bereaved, disrupting her daily life and the stress of coping. There are lots of biases – treatment especially when it comes to inheritance, ownership of land, the main source of economy and lack of support by family members. Protecting them from violence and marginalisation is important to prevent lots of casualties from added poverty, child labour and homelessness.”

Irene Chinje – Area President, East, West and Central Africa, Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW) (WPD Network Member).

“The online & DVD audio-visual lessons provided free by Education Saves Lives have been benefiting widows in many countries, providing accessible ways to share simple information in local languages.

We often send DVDs to women and girls in rural regions of developing countries as they cannot access the internet. Even then, they are dependent upon technology to play the DVDs – which has been a challenge in some areas, particularly for conflict-widows and their children in Eastern DR Congo.

This highlights the importance of governments and policy-makers ensuring that everyone has access to the technology and basic infrastructure that will enable them to become aware of their rights, basic health information and more, which is of course especially relevant to rural widows who are often most in need of such information and least likely to be able to access it.”

Rachel Butt – Director, Education Saves Lives. (WPD Network Member)

Also See

* FCS = Fragile & Conflict-Affected States