Today, Tuesday, 23rd June 2020, the global community is marking International Widows Day.
It is estimated that there are some 258 million widows around the world, with over 115 million of them living in deep poverty.
The day was launched by the United Nations in 2010 to raise awareness of the violation of human rights that widows suffer in many countries following the death of their spouses.
In many countries with traditional societies, women find themselves left in poverty when their husband dies.
In some countries, these women find themselves denied inheritance and land rights, evicted from their homes, ostracized and abused.
The children of widows also often find themselves affected, withdrawn from school, and more vulnerable to abuse, especially in the case of girls.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Kofi Atakora
