BlossomNigeria recognises the step in the right direction that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has taken, through the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat. They have distributed palliatives ranging from food items and clothes to 400 widows across the territory.
The FCT Administration under the watch of Barrister Nyesom Wike is poised to identify with people in the vulnerable space of the society, to alleviate their sufferings. This is why the Mandate Secretary of the Secretariat, Dr Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, who distributed the items to commemorate the 2024 International Widows’ Day, reaffirmed the commitment of the administration to alleviating the suffering of widows in the capital city.
She said the administration believes that empowering widows to support themselves and their families also means addressing social stigmas that create exclusion, discrimination or harmful practices.
Calling for support for widows, she stated that “Losing a dear husband is a traumatic experience that no sane woman would want to have. Widowhood is caused by so many factors including disease, poverty, war, accident, negligence and sometimes hatred, which always culminates in the death of a dear husband”.
This is why for many women around the world, the devastating loss of a husband is always characterised by negligence and a long-term fight for their basic rights and dignity. She added that although there are more than 258 million widows around the world, widows have historically been left unsupported in the various spectrums of society.
She added that “Today, we rise with one voice to say ‘No’ to negligence, torture and stigmatisation of widows in the FCT and Nigeria at large, and we assure that the current administration is committed to ending violence against widows and their children, and promoting poverty alleviation, education and other support to widows.
