By Zainab Oyekan
Mrs Helen Mutfwang, wife of Plateau Gov. Caleb Mutfwang, has called on governments at all levels and other stakeholders, to end harmful practices against widows.
Mrs Mutfwang made the call during a press briefing on Sunday in Jos, to mark the International Widows Day.
She reiterated the need for governments at all levels, Civil Society Organisations, religious groups, community leaders, and the society at large, to work together to protect widows from harmful cultural practices.
According to the governor’s wife, it is imperative that all hands are put on deck to ensure a widow-friendly environment that provides support and inclusion.
She noted that in many countries with traditional societies, including Nigeria, women often found themselves in poverty situations, because they were most times denied inheritance and land rights, evicted from their homes, ostracised and abused, following the death of their husbands.
According to her therefore, the International Widows Day seeks to encourage action on achieving full rights for widows, highlighting the need for more research and statistics into violence, discrimination and poverty suffered by widows.
She further stated that the day was aimed at developing policies and programmes that should address widows’ plight.
”The day also affords us the opportunity to reevaluate our levels of commitment to the plight of widows in the state, and to continue to work assiduously to initiate programmes that would improve the well-being of widows in particular, and women generally,” she said.
Mrs Mutfwang said that the state acknowledged the invaluable contributions of widows in building the state and nation, and so would support and empower them.
“The state, through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, in an effort to ensure widows are empowered economically, has trained 102 widows in three vocational skills acquisition.
“The skills include; tailoring, catering and knitting; and widows were given modern equipment and tangible Startup packs to enable them support their families and contribute to the growth and development of society, “ she added.
Mrs Mutfwang further pledged her office’s commitment to uplifting widows in the state, and called on all hands to be on deck to end harmful practices against vulnerable women. NAN
