Human Rights of Women

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Source: AllAfrica
Governments at all levels have been called upon to put policies in place to protect widows from external family members, obnoxious and ill-treatment, as well as set up counseling department to take care of widows' emotional and psychological state.

The International Federation of Female lawyers (FIDA), Eket coordinator, Mojisola Tijani, made this known in an interview with The Guardian in Akwa Ibom State in commemoration of the 2017 Widows Day celebration.

Tijani, an advocate for the girl-child and women, emphasized the need for government to put policies in place to ensure that widows are given allowances periodically to support themselves and their children. She added that there is need for counseling units to be set up where widows would be heard.

She, however, called for sensitization of women, whom she said are mostly at the forefront of inflicting obnoxious practices and victimization against their fellow women who are widows, while urging husbands to prepare their will, which will protect their wives and children when they are deceased.

Her words: "A policy should be put in place by the government to prevent widows from external family members because most of my cases are family-based. I sometimes handle them pro-bono because most of these victimized widows' are indigent. Policies should be put in place where government will give allowances to widows periodically to ameliorate their suffering as it is done in some other countries.

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