WRI Newsletter 9th Edition
March 2007
Editorial
The coming year will be one of the most challenging in WRI’s existence. Since we were last in touch, we have faced up to the need to reassess our priorities and examine how we can relaunch ourselves as one of the leading organizations dealing exclusively with issues affecting the human rights of widows and their children.
In order to prepare ourselves to meet this challenge we have undergone an exercise to help us identify our priorities. We plan to change WRI from a trustee-led to a staff- led organisation. We have had to recognise that our cause still has limited appeal to most traditional funders and that we will have to be more alert to new funding opportunities.
We have also moved office and the process of getting settled into new premises has taken up a great deal of our time. We hope to be able to provide more effective help for our partners. We recognise that there is still a great need for advocacy at national and international meetings when issues relating to the status of women are discussed.
We acknowledge that we have been limited in our outreach activities, because widows and organisations working with them seek us out with evidence of the cruel and inhuman treatment meted out in many countries. We know that there is still a great deal of sensitive work to be done to change attitudes towards widows, as so much of their treatment is based on the culture of their societies. We understand that our work must proceed only in tandem with local partners, many of whom rely entirely on us for much of their funding.
This means that in the coming year we will be looking for wider financial support. We will try to build on the contacts which we have with a number of important and generous funders, but we hope that individuals and small groups who are touched by the harrowing tales we publicise in this newsletter.
This is therefore an urgent appeal for financial support. You can do this by filling out the gift-aid form included in this newsletter. Please remember a little will go a long way to ease the suffering of countless widows and their children.
Patsy Robertson
Chair
NEWS FROM AFRICA
Rosa's Story (WOP) Our Uganda Partner 
READ
MOREWidows and Orphans Ministry (WOM), Ghana
What widows go through in the name of cuture
OTHER NEWS
Ancient Practice of Burning Widows Divides India
IRAQ - Widows become the silent tragedy
NEWS IN BRIEF
Nepal: A message from WHR (Women for Human Rights), Nepal Group of Widows
regarding the Interim Constitution 2006 draft by the 8 party alliance
‘The Interim Constitution 2006, Part 4, Article 35, clause 9 has acknowledged "single women" under state directive principles and policies. Under this clause the state shall work towards special social security schemes for single women as well. Hope is that the state shall live up to the humble expectations of the people and progress towards making the rights and needs of single women as a essential right with follow-up of action into implementing this clause. ‘
Some news from SANWED, NEPAL (SECRETARIAT OF SANWED)
A National coherence team has been formed to get approval of SAARC to the widow's charter. Once the widows charter will be approved from SAARC Ministerial level, it will go to UN Secretary General. For further information please contact Margaret Owen at margieowen@aol.com.
A film about Hindu widows
In Friday's RNS report Lisa Rose reviews "Water," a film that shows Hindu widows surviving religious backlash: In "Water," Canadian director Deepa Mehta tells the story of three Hindu widows living in an Indian ashram, circa 1938. The widows, one of whom is 8 years old, are abandoned by their families and forbidden to remarry according to custom. The poetic film, the final chapter in a political trilogy, advocates human rights without growing preachy.
Excerpt of Religion News Services (RNS)
Women of Strength
Women of Strength
The World Welcomes You Into This New Time
This Time Of Leading In New Ways
Conflicts Are Ending.......
Even Though It Appears Global Issues Are Worsening
As Long As Women Of Strength Are Willing To Follow Their Hearts
New Times Will Arise
Women Of Strength
Know! Know! Know!
You Are Being Called !
Copyright Joana Ukali All Rights Reserved
Joanaukali@aol.com
From WRI Newsletter 9 - Full copies of the Newsletter available from WRI office or download PDF