Addressing Plight of Widows [A Must Read]
MOST women in Nigeria still experience great hardship after the death of their husbands. Worldwide, 245 million widows are identified, while 115 million of them live in extreme poverty. Between 7-16 percent of adult widows in the world constitute the greatest percentage of the poorest of the poor, as they lack education.
HOWEVER, globally, widows out- number widowers; there are more elderly widows in developed countries, while in developing countries, there are younger ones. The increasing number of widows is attributable to the high incidence of armed conflicts, HIV/AIDs and poverty in developing nations, including Nigeria.
THE plight of widows as an ostracised group is a human rights catastrophe. On one level, there are humanitarian problems of abject poverty and widespread violence against women and children. The violent cases in the Northern part of the country are recent examples. BUT on another level, it is about the rights and the role of women in certain societies, where their marginalisation and dehumanisation create environments that perpetuate abuse. IT is a different treatment for different widows, depending on the part of the world they come from. But one thing is certain , widowhood makes the woman vulnerable. For many women, the loss of their husbands is only the first traumatic step in a long-term ordeal that will see them lose status, income security, livelihood, a home, personal safety and security. Once widowed, women in many countries are often denied inheritance and land rights.
THE continuing plight of widows has been identified as a threat to the realisation of Millennium Development Goals (MDG) numbers one, three and eight, which seek to end poverty, promote gender equality and engender global partnership.IN Nigeria, like other developing nations, the plight of the widows is lamentable because they are not empowered. Traditional institutions in Nigeria are some of the greatest obstacles in the fight for rights of widows. Today, 80 percent of Nigerians who fall into this category are uneducated or lack skills to sustain themselves and their offsprings.
