Hands of God Widows Support Initiative to Empower Widows in Nigeria on International Widows Day
Hands of God Widows Support Initiative to Empower Widows in Nigeria on International Widows Day
As the world prepares to observe International Widows Day on June 23rd, the Hands of God Widows Support Initiative (HOGWIN) is raising awareness about the challenges faced by widows in Nigeria. With the theme “Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality,” HOGWIN is hosting an event in the Igbogbo community, located in the Ikorodu area of Lagos, to commemorate IWD2023.
Widows and their dependent children often suffer from severe human rights violations, including poverty, ostracism, violence, destitution, and discrimination, both legally and culturally. To address these issues, HOGWIN’s Executive Director, Phranklin Audu, announced that widows will receive small business grants and opportunities for skill acquisition in the fashion industry and other vocations.
According to Audu, International Widows Day presents a critical opportunity to act and ensure the full rights and recognition of widows. This includes providing widows with information on inheritance rights, access to productive resources, fair pensions, and social protection.
“At HOGWIN, we are dedicated to investing in the empowerment of widows and their children. We firmly believe in enabling them to lead productive and fulfilling lives after the loss of their breadwinner.” Phranklin Audu noted, he also emphasized the need for the government to fulfill its commitments by upholding widows’ rights as enshrined in international conventions such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
HOGWIN advocates for comprehensive programs and policies aimed at ending violence against widows and their children, poverty alleviation, education, and other forms of support, including – launching a fund-raising campaign(documentary) to raise awareness and advocate for widows’ rights in Nigeria. These initiatives, in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals are all part of Hands of God Widows Support Initiative’s current efforts to assist widows in the society.
International Widows Day is observed annually on June 23rd as a United Nations Day of action to address poverty and injustice faced by millions of widows and their dependents in many countries.
About Hands of God Widows Support Initiative:
Hands of God Widows Support Initiative (HOGWIN), a member organization of the Nigeria Network of NGOs is dedicated to championing the rights of widows in rural communities in Nigeria, in line with Sustainable Development Goals 1, 3, 5, 8, and 17.
