"I and my children were beaten and kicked out of our house by the
brothers-in-law. We live by begging, in continual fear"
Background to WRI
Widow’s Rights International grew out of our initial activities under the name of Empowering Widows in Development. We changed our name in 2004 to reflect more clearly the focus of the organization.
New Directions
Rather than dealing with the very wide range of issues to do with widowhood
including those of widowhood and conflict, the Trustees decided that Widows
Rights International should concentrate on the lack of social justice
for widows and the discrimination which they suffer.
The Aims of WRI
Widows’ Rights International supports organisations in South and West Asia and Africa working for social justice and human rights for widows including:
- Right to keep their home and property
- Right to inheritance and land ownership and possession
- Right to keep their children
- Right not to be forcibly married to the dead husband’s kin
- Right to work outside the home
Traditional customs in many developing countries, especially in Asia and
Sub-Saharan Africa - which can deprive a widow of home and livelihood or subject
her to social ostracism - lead to dire poverty for widows and their children.
Even when modern laws exist to prevent these abuses, ignorance of the law, or cultural habits, impede access.
Widows are young as well as old, because of:
*Child marriage
*HIV/Aids
*Civil strife
WRI works:
*to promote the recognition of widows’ special vulnerability
* to combat negative social attitudes which lead to their isolation, exploitation and poverty
* to bring these practices to an end: