“Life has been hell. After burying my husband, the in-laws refused to recognize me as their daughter in-law. At some point I became a beggar so as to educate my children but the worst if it all is when my small portion of land was grabbed by my in-laws,” said Karen.
In a chilling report released in 2017, Kenya was named among the countries in the world where is rampant oppression of widows. The study, World Widows Report launched at UN headquarters in New York, revealed that Kenyan widows suffer from, among others, systematic seizure of property, discrimination and evictions by their late husband’s families.
In a chilling report released in 2017, Kenya was named among the countries in the world where is rampant oppression of widows
Widows deserve a life with dignity and respect. Widows carry a lot of pain in their hearts and lives. To resolve this, we must collectively safeguard and advance widows’ rights. No widow should lose her land, children, dignity and other properties after the demise of her husband.
Some in-laws and relatives have mastered the art of depriving widows their properties. This has pushed hundreds of widows to abject poverty and homelessness while some have lost their lives while trying to defend their properties.
It is disheartening that a significant portion of widows in our communities are unaware of their legal entitlements. The majority of these widows are uniformed about their right to possess the death certificates of their deceased husbands. Moreover, they lack knowledge of the procedure for obtaining such certificates.
Widows must be empowered to support themselves and their families. I call for the protection of widows’ to
Our focus should also be directed on raising awareness on the various forms of Gender Based Violence surrounding widows. We want every widow to know her rights and to confidently say NO to any form of violence. We envision a society where no one dares to trivialize her dignity simply because she is a widow. We strive to end all injustices that widows endure and instead celebrate them as heroines who hold their families together against all odds. We are also urging leaders to take widows’ issues seriously and work towards empowering them in every way possible.
The loss of a spouse can increase a widow’s vulnerability to human trafficking, with some lured by false promises of work or exploited for forced labor. This complex web of challenges creates a constant state of insecurity and fear jeopardizing a widows wellbeing and hindering her ability to create a safe and healthy future for herself and her dependents.
The Maputo Protocol remains one of the most progressive legal instruments providing comprehensive set of rights for women on the Africa continent. Widows are women too and we are glad this legal instrument has a set of rights that ensure widows are living in honor and dignity. Article 20 of the Maputo Protocol clearly articulates that a widow, a woman who has lost her husband, must not be subjected to inhuman, humiliating, or degrading treatment. It prohibits acts that shame or violate a widow’s human dignity, such as confinement or forced head-shaving.
Article 21 of the Maputo Protocol: This article clearly states each widow has the right to a fair share in her husband’s inheritance and the right to continue residing in their matrimonial home. This guarantees that her husband’s relatives have no authority to evict her from her home. Even in the case of remarriage, this right endures if the house belongs to her or she has inherited it.
Let us join hands to give widows a bright new beginning. Nobody chooses to be a widow because they carry the load lightly, does not mean it is easy. Losing a spouse is devastating and navigating what’s next is difficult for every widowed individual which is why it’s very important to support widows in any way we can.