As the world prepares to mark International Widows Day come June 23rd, the Hands of God Widows Support Initiative (HOGWIN) has continued to draw attention to the experiences of widows in Nigeria.

In commemoration of International Widows Day with the theme, ‘Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality’, the body will be hosting widows in the Igbogbo community, a suburb in the Ikorodu area of Lagos.

The Executive Director of HOGWIN, Phranklin Audu, announced that widows will receive small business grants and opportunities for skill acquisition in the business of fashion and other vocations.

According to Audu, now more than ever, International Widows Day is an opportunity for action toward achieving full rights and recognition for widows. This, he said, includes providing them with information on access to a fair share of their inheritance, and productive resources; pensions and social protection that are not based on marital status alone; decent work and equal pay; and education and training opportunities.

He further stated that empowering widows to support themselves and their families also means addressing social stigmas that create exclusion, and discriminatory or harmful practices.

“ At HOGWIN, we are passionate about investing in widows and children of widows. We strongly believe that they must be empowered to live a more productive and fulfilled life after the death of their breadwinner.

“This is why we are calling on the government to take action to uphold their commitments to ensure the rights of widows as enshrined in international law, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,” he said.

Audu noted that HOGWIN is advocating for programs and policies for ending violence against widows and their children, poverty alleviation, education, and other support to widows of all ages also need to be undertaken, including in the context of action plans to facilitate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Hands of Gods Widows Support Initiative is a not-for-profit organization championing the recognition of the rights of widows across rural communities in line with Sustainable Development Goals 1, 3, 5, 8, &17.

The body is set to launch a fund-raiser for a documentary for advocacy and mass awareness on the plight of widows in Nigeria.

International Widows Day is a United Nations Day of action to address the poverty and injustice faced by millions of widows and their dependents in many countries. The day is observed annually on June 23rd.

https://newtelegraphng.com/intl-widows-day-hogwin-calls-for-action-towards-widows-rights/

https://independent.ng/international-widows-day-hogwin-calls-for-action-towards-widows-rights/