Across a wide range of cultures, widows are subject to harsh male-controlled customary laws and are vulnerable to economic abuse, sexual harassment and gender-based violence and abuse including pressure for Early Child Marriage of their children. This now urgently calls for attention, given the extent and severity of the challenges widows’ experience.

There is a need to empower and help widows to gain skills that will bring income, which will in turn create a positive, direct impact on their livelihoods and participate in decision-making processes.

Women contribute the most to growing the economy. Women are also the ones who spend increased household income on the whole family, especially children. That’s why we target widows in poor communities by helping them to start businesses and become local leaders.