EWD Workshop reports

Widows without Rights Conference

Tuesday 6th February, afternoon:
Workshop 1: Widowhood and cultural practices
Rapporteur: Patsy Robertson

Traditional and religious customs, deeply embedded in the cultures of many societies now constitute the greatest threats to the human rights of millions of widows and the well-being of their children, particularly the girl child.

These customs vary, but in most cases they can be described as cruel and inhuman treatment which has been expressly forbidden under several international conventions and agreements. In many developing countries, widows are subjected to humiliating and degrading burial and mourning practices . In developed countries widowhood can lead to loss of status in the community and social ostracism.

In many countries, particularly in Africa, the custodians of cultural traditions, almost exclusively male, rigorously enforce practices which leave widows and their children isolated, often in unhealthy conditions, sexually and physically abused, impoverished, and without any inheritance rights to property accumulated in the marriage.

As Nafis Sadik, former head of UNFPA, has said: "We must not bend under the weight of spurious arguments invoking culture or traditional values. No value worth the name supports the oppression and enslavement of women."
This group considers that EWD must adopt these words as its mantra and in order to end the oppression of widows, it was agreed that the following should be considered:

Educational programmes should be encouraged to make young people aware of the traditional customs and practices in their societies which abrogate the human rights not only of widows but of women generally and which must be eliminated.
Efforts must be made to ensure that all Government institutions involved in all social issues and in the legal system such as judges, and police carry out their responsibilities so that widows are not discriminated against in such areas as healthcare, or pensions or in any other fields.
Traditional rulers and religious leaders who are almost always male, should be encouraged to support human rights and gender equality initiatives. This includes the appointment of women chiefs to their councils.
The role of the media in publicizing cruel and inhuman practices should be encouraged. Media practitioners should receive gender training and the media should be used to sensitise people about human rights and other issues, in particularly about the hidden practices which are harmful to widows and their children and which must be eliminated. TV and radio dramas and soap operas can also be used to change perceptions of the role of widows in the development of their societies.
NGOs including EWD which are working to attain full human rights for widows, must undertake intensive lobbying programmes at national, regional and international levels. They must also work quickly to build up international networks and coalitions to empower all women, including widows and to encourage women everywhere to assume leadership roles in their societies.