Our Founder was once asked, “Why are widows special and some are in better situations compared to every other woman?”

She had so many reasons, because she has 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲. She did not read it from a book. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝.

Please know that;

Widows specialty is because of their 𝐯𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. They are 𝐃𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 women. They are 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 by the society, in-laws and some religions treat them like 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐧𝐬.

They are 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 of all their properties and in some communities they are forced to be 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐞𝐱, because some communities still believe that death is a bad omen and men should not die. Most widows are suspected to know the source of their husband’s death, they are 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐬.

In some communities widows are 𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 together with their children. This has contributed to 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫, 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 to their children where it is still practiced.

This is why we at CTWOO must speak. This is why we gather.

📸 Widows gathering – finding strength in numbers

#WidowsVoice #DuallyMarginalized #CTWOO