The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development on Tuesday met with its shareholders to collectively raise the bar towards addressing the concerns of widows in the country.
New National Star reports that the ministry held a press briefing on the sidelines of the commemoration of 2023 International Widow’s Day and the Renaming of the National Centre for Women Development as Mariam Babangida National Centre for Women Development at the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja.
International Widows Day was first launched in 2010 and celebrated every year on June 23rd by the United Nations as a ratified day of action to address poverty and injustice faced by millions of widows and their dependents in many countries due to the death of their husbands.
To commemorate 2023 International Widows Day, the following activities were marked out as part of this year awareness plans:
Community Level Advocacy and Awareness/sensitization programme at Old Karu, Abuja where about 200 widows are expected to be provided with some palliatives to reduce their social economic burdens, A Digital training for Economic Advancement of Widows organized by Widow’s Hub Africa Initiative in partnership with the Ministry, An Interactive Dialogue with Widows to be organized by Help Line Foundation in partnership with the Ministry, Empowerment training on Agricultural skills and Life Reality and Awareness programme to equip widows socially and psychologically by Nigeria Weed Project/Seed Cooperative in partnership with the Ministry.
In her address, the Permanent Secretary of Women Affairs, Mrs. Monilola Udoh revealed that many widows in today’s society are being denied of inheritance right and suffers eviction from their homes, ostracised, stigmatized, abused and discriminated against.
She added that as a result, the children sometimes find themselves withdrawn from schools and are more vulnerable to forced labour, sexual and other abuse especially in the case of girls which can be attributed to long-time inequality that pervades the society.
The Permanent Secretary further disclosed of the widowhood rites in Nigeria to include: Shaving of hairs, wearing of black/white clothes, sleeping and sitting on the bare floor or mat in the dark; being refrained from bathing for a number of days, seclusion and being made to drink corpse bathing water or swear with husband’s corpse among others to proof innocence. Hence, widows have remained at the fulcrum of a debasing treatment which negatively impact on their social, psychological and physical wellbeing.
Udoh who on this years’ theme “Innovation and technology for gender equality” said it aimed to help widows realize the fact that technological knowledge is important to grab the best opportunities in today’s world.
“The theme emphasizes the dire economic and social potentials of digital literacy for women to o enable them catch up with development realities that will enhance their living conditions and enable them contribute to national development”, she noted.
The Permanent Secretary further seized the occasion to announce the amendment of the National Centre for Women Development Act, Cap.N15, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 by the National Assembly today Tuesday 20th June, 2023.
She said the schedule on the renaming of the National Centre for Women Development (Amendment) Bill, 2023 is in line with the Bill on the renaming of the National Centre for Women Development to Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development which the Senate on 29th March, 2023 passed; while the House of Representatives passed it on the 5th of April, 2023 which formed part of former President Muhammadu Buhari led administration success story.
This she said the amendment will help to enhance the functions of the Centre.
She however, urged all stakeholders present to continue to collaborate with the Ministry to ensure that gender equality and women empowerment is achieved.