BANDIPORA, JULY 31: District Legal Services Authority, Bandipora in coordination with Tehsil Legal Services Committee and in collaboration with District Social Welfare Department organized an awareness programme on Protection of Human Rights of the Widows .
Speaking on the occasion Aamir Shafi Panel Lawyer DLSA, Bandipora said that for many women around the world, the devastating loss of a partner is magnified by a long-term fight for their basic rights and dignity.
Despite the fact that there are more than 258 million widows around the world, widows have historically been left unseen, unsupported, and unmeasured in our societies, he said.
Today, as displacement and migration, and the COVID-19 pandemic leave tens of thousands of women newly widowed and many others whose partners are missing or disappeared, the unique experiences and needs of widows must be brought to the forefront, with their voices leading the way.
Experience from the past, shows that widows are often denied inheritance rights, have their property grabbed after the death of a partner, and can face extreme stigma and discrimination, as perceived ‘carriers’ of disease.
Worldwide, women are much less likely to have access to old age pensions than men, so the death of a spouse can lead to destitution for older women.
Speaker also awarded participants about the various schemes available in the Social Welfare Department for the welfare of the widows.
The programme was participated by Panel Lawyers, staff members of District Social Welfare Office Bandipora, Women, PLVs & TLSC Bandipora.
