Two months ago, I got an online message from a friend affirming the message on the power of prayer in one of my inspirational Bible verse posts.
Indeed, she told me, prayers helped them weather financial difficulties brought about by her husband’s health issues.
A month later, she posted another message in reaction to my post on the need for us to seek God’s guidance and ask Him for strength amidst our troubles.
This time, the reaction was wrapped in loneliness and sorrow: he just slipped into eternity and obviously she was desperately in need of comfort.
The following days were spent in exchanges of messages, from my end, encouraging her to turn to God for coping and emotional healing and entrusting to Him our cares and burdens so we can be led to level ground again.
The coping has apparently sunk in and the healing process has slowly started to take roots as shown in latest posts about “farewell in the journey to eternity” and “rejoicing up there” as the days turned to weeks and months.
Losing someone is truly painful and can be a devastating experience, especially when one is the anchor of a family.
***
The situation of my friend came to mind when my online calendar flashed events next week – and one of them is International Widows’ Day on Friday, June 22.
The day elevates into the stream of public consciousness “issues affecting widows around the world and what must be done to safeguard and advance their rights.”
It also aims to focus attention “to the voices and experiences of widows and to galvanize the unique support that they need.”
The United Nations has pointed out that “widows are often denied inheritance rights, have their property grabbed after the death of a partner, and can face extreme stigma and discrimination,” among others.
Worldwide, UN added, 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.
The global organization further said:
“In the context of lockdowns and economic closures, widows may not have access to bank accounts and pensions to pay for healthcare if they too become ill or to support themselves and their children.”
The situation could be worse for lone-mother families and single older women already particularly vulnerable to poverty, it further said.
The celebration focuses on the theme, “Innovation and Technology for gender Equality”.
The dire situation becomes more complicated as widows face long-term fight for their basic rights and dignity.
The number is staggering – there are more than 258 million widows around the world. Despite this huge figure, UN further said, “widows have historically been left unseen, unsupported, and unmeasured in our societies.”
The observance becomes more relevant with armed conflicts, displacement and migration continue and, including the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby “leaving tens of thousands of women newly widowed and many others having their partners are missing or disappearing.”
Widows’ Day brings to public attention the unique experiences and needs of widows and “empowering them to support themselves and their families as a means to address social stigmas that create exclusion, and discriminatory or harmful practices.”
Through the celebration, governments are expected to take action to uphold their commitments to ensure the rights of widows as enshrined in the provisions of international law.
***
My friend’s situation as a widow is far from being a composite picture of women of her kind as she is gainfully employed but, emotions wise, she is no different from them – scarred and in need of comfort, care and understanding.
On International Widows’ Day, let us spend time offering our hand to a widow in your neighborhood or within your social network realm as we and our leaders also take heed of the UN call “to take a look at some of the issues affecting widows around the world and what must be done to safeguard and advance their rights.”
Doing so dwells well with our Christian duty to treat then with honor, kindness, dignity, inclusion and even support.
***
The Lord protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow. (Psalm 146:9) – NWI
