Empowering Widows in Development

The Plight of Widows

In many parts of the world a widow's life is one of utter misery. Widows struggle to survive in a deeply patriarchial and superstitious world which grossly abuses them:

Amongst the elderly women predominate as women frequently outlive men and are often much younger than their husbands.

It is estimated that in some countries over 50% of all adult women are widowed; the numbers are even greater in conflict-torn regions, or in those hosting large refugee populations.

The stigma and shame of their state means that most widows are ostracised and forced to endure extreme poverty, ill-health, violence, homelessness, ill-health and discrimination in law and custom.

Children bear the brunt of society's neglect of widows, both as an invisible category of widows themselves and as the disadvantaged children of widowed mothers  Child Newsline Report