In observance of the International Widows Day 2022, Hands of God Widows Support Initiative (HOGWIN) flags off with a free eye care for 50 widows.

International Widows Day is a global awareness day that takes place annually on 23rd June. The day was set aside by the United Nations in 2010 to raise awareness for the violation of human rights that widows suffer in many countries following the death of their spouses.

The theme of International Widow’s Day this year is “Invisible Women, Invisible Problems”. The theme highlights the fact that for many societies a woman’s identity is attached to her partner and after his death, the problems faced by her are ignored by policymakers who don’t give any special attention to the widowed woman. When her spouse passes away, she is left alone, and her troubles become invisible to the rest of society.

Hand of God Widows Support Initiative will through its work draw attention to the plight of widows, demand more equitable treatment and improved access to economic opportunities across communities in Nigeria and the rest of Africa.

In some societies, widows are put through extremely dehumanizing conditions and may never recover from the effects of such conditions?

It is estimated that one in ten widows’ lives in extreme poverty. Discrimination, disinheritance and harmful practices endured by widows make widowhood directly linked to poverty (SDG 1).

The overarching goal of the day is to develop resources and policy to empower widows and allow them to have access to education, work, healthcare and lives free of violence and abuse. Enabling them to create a life for themselves and their children following the death of their husband and ending the vicious cycle of poverty and abuse.

As Nigeria joins the rest of the world in observance of the International Widows Day today, we appeal to the government and our legislators to drive policies that alleviate the plight of widows and elevate their status within the society.