Violence against Widows

Violence against women is one of the most widespread violations of human rights, affecting women of all backgrounds, ages, cultures and countries. Widows are no exception and may in fact be at particularly high risk of violence. A widow is a woman whose husband has died and who has not married again. According to Ahuja (1996) there are three kinds of widows. One is a young girl with no children, a woman who becomes a widow after some years of marital span and has children. The third is case of a woman who is widow of 50 years and above of age. Widows are often evicted from their homes and physically abused. Some even killed by members of their own family. In many countries, a woman's social status is inextricably linked to her husband's, so that when her husband dies, a woman no longer has a place in society. To regain social status, widows are expected to marry one of their husband's male relatives, sometimes unwillingly. For many, the loss of a husband is only the first trauma in a long-term ordeal. According to Dreze J. (1995) the well being of widow is not just a question of economic security, but also one of dignity, self-respect and participation in society. In many countries, but particularly across Africa and Asia, widows find themselves the victims of physical and mental violence including sexual abuse, related to inheritance, land and property disputes. With no rights to ownership of her husband's property, a widow may be subject to abuse and cast out of her home altogether. In Africa, widow abuse cuts across ethnic, class and income boundaries, rendering widows among the most vulnerable and destitute women in the region. Widows are coerced into participating in harmful, degrading and even life-threatening traditional practices as part of burial and mourning rites. In a number of countries, for example, widows are forced to drink the water that their husbands' corpses have been washed in. Mourning rites may also involve sexual relations with male relatives, shaving of the hair and scarification. Widowhood is stigmatized and seen as a source of shame. Widows are thought to be cursed in some cultures and are even associated with witchcraft. Such misconceptions can lead to widows being ostracized, abused and worse. The children of widows are often affected, both emotionally and economically. Widowed mothers, now supporting their families alone, are forced to withdraw children from school and to rely on their labour. Moreover, the daughters of widows may suffer multiple deprivations, increasing their vulnerability to abuse. Such cruelties are often seen as justified in terms of cultural or religious practice. Impunity for abuses of the rights of widows is rife, with few perpetrators ever successfully brought to justice. Even in countries where legal protection is more inclusive, widows can suffer social marginalization. Across a wide spectrum of countries, religions and ethnic groups, a woman is left destitute when her husband dies. Poverty is often made worse by little or no access to credit or other economic resources, and by illiteracy or lack of education. Without education and training, widows cannot support themselves or their families. In India, where widowhood constitutes a low status social institution as well as a personal condition, thousands of widows are disowned by relatives and made homeless, forcing many women to seek informal work as domestic labourers or turn to begging or prostitution.