Promise to consider widows in future programmes

which is enshrined in the Constitution would be used to reach out to the widows.
The ministry is mandated to take into consideration widows of all ages across the country.
“Our new Constitution includes everybody old and young, colour or creed,” she said.

“We would want to see a situation whereby widowers also form their organisation and this will begin from ward level to ensure that no one is left out.”
“Very little has been done yet as guidelines to operationalise everything is being formulated.

“We usually work with civil societies and stakeholders and there is a need for churches to come on board.”
The United Nations General Assembly set June 23 as the International Widows’ Day in 2011 to advocate for the rights of millions of widows across the globe.

The day is celebrated in different countries and is meant to reflect and ease the hardships endured by widows.  UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in his inaugural speech to mark the day that: “No woman should lose her rights when she loses her husband — but an estimated 115 million widows live in poverty, and 81 million have suffered physical abuse.

“Girls married to much older men are especially vulnerable. Let us use International Widows’ Day to advocate for the rights of all widows so they can enjoy better lives and realise their great potential to contribute to our world.”

The UN urges governments to apply laws and policies guided by the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The vision is to economically empower widows as well as encourage participation in decision making processes.
A Harare widow, Joyce Chandigadza Kadandara, who has been widowed for over 25 years said: “Being widowed can be very lonely and the idea of having an organisation or groups where we can share and support each other would be a noble idea”.

She urged the UN to recognise widows, saying African widows were in dire straits as a result of extended families, apart from looking after their own orphans.