Group engages stakeholders on widows’ rights, needs

To address the plight of widows and promote their rights, the Rose of Sharon Foundation (RoSF) has engaged stakeholders on widowhood rights across various communities in Lagos State.

In one of the outreaches at Kosofe Local Council, Country Manager of RoSF, Dr Ndudi Bowei, underscored the significance of involving community stakeholders in understanding and championing the rights of widows.

“It is a meeting where we engage community stakeholders on widowhood rights. We go from community to community to achieve this,” she said. Speaking on some of the unwholsome ways widows are treated in Nigeria, she said they are often treated almost like sub humans.

Dr Bowei reiterated the foundation’s commitment to continue advocating widows’ rights and urged policymakers, stakeholders and the government, to incorporate widowhood rights into policies for better protection and support. One of the speakers at the event, Ijeoma Olatunbosun, stressed the significance of widows understanding their rights and the laws that protect them.

“The rights of every widow must be protected and respected in our society,” she said. She urged widows to speak up against harassment and discrimination, reassuring them of the foundation’s support.

While encouraging stakeholders to collaborate with the foundation, she begged them to advocate for widows by creating awareness campaigns and also engage the media to constantly preach the rights of widows. Olatunbosun further urged collective action to end discrimination against widows and to create a more inclusive and supportive society for all.

Head of the Department of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) in Kosofe Local Council, Okunade Oluwakemi, commended RoSF for their efforts in educating and empowering widows across different communities. She highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts between stakeholders and NGOs to advocate widows’ rights.

She touched on some of the initiatives of the local government chairman, Moyosore Ogunleye, in supporting widows such as giving them grants to start businesses, food palliatives and skill empowerment programmes. Some of the widows recounted their experiences since the death of their husbands, and how RoSF has supported them in different ways over the years.