As the global community marks this year’s International Widows’ Day today, the Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Right Honourable Somtochukwu Udeze, has said that the law enacted by the state legislature to prohibit widowhood malpractices and other related matters is still in force in the state, calling on traditional rulers to abrogate all obnoxious and harmful laws, as well as discrimination and practices against widows in their various communities.
In his goodwill message to widows, Right Honourable Udeze maintained that widows should be allowed to enjoy their human rights as equal and valuable members of the society, and urged government at different levels to intensify campaign and measures to ensure adequate protection and empowerment of widows.
The Speaker, who called on South-Eastern Houses of Assembly to come up with a regional legislation to restore the rights of widows, commended Governor Chukwuma Soludo and wife, Nonye for ensuring that issues concerning women, especially widows in the state, are given priority attention in order to better their lives.
He called for a total change of the ugly narratives about widows such as denial of inheritance, being subjected to inhuman burial rights on customary grounds, as well as abuses among others, suggesting institution of Widowhood Endowment Trust Fund to improve the condition of widows.
