OWERRI – Worried by the unabating stigma­tization, property confiscation by in-laws, false accusations and sundry perpetuation of harm against widows, a Non-Gov­ernmental Organization, OffT­heHook Foundation for Rural Dwellers, has stepped up aware­ness campaigns and advocacy to tackle the evil practices and create a society that upholds the rights and dignity of all widows.

Founder of the organisa­tion, Ugoeze Chigbo Nwamara, disclosed this at a ceremony marking the 2024 edition of the International Widows’ Day Cel­ebration held at the Traditional Palace of Umueze-Chokoneze, Ezinihitte Mbaise Council Area of Imo state.

Established in 2015 with a commitment that transcends be­yond material aid, Lady Chigbo, who is the wife of the tradition­al ruler of Umueze Chokoneze autonomous community-HRH Eze Mike E.O.A Nwamara (KSC) (Ezeukwu) II, said that the Foundation had since taken cog­nizance of the specific challenges confronting young widows in the rural areas, especially amidst the current challenging economic situation and had provided essen­tial resources and opportunities to improve the circumstances of approximately 10,000 over the years.

She explained that the theme, “Accelerating the Achievement of Gender Equality”, and strengthening land and property rights was equally meant to high­light the urgent need to address these critical issues and ensure that widows had equal opportu­nities and rights.

“The offthehook Foundation for Rural Dwellers is not celebrat­ing widowhood; rather, we are us­ing the occasion of International Widows’ Day to raise awareness of the real issues of widowhood through our dedicated efforts and the generous contributions of our sponsors, we have witnessed firsthand, the profound impact our support has had on the lives of these resilient women in the areas under our care.”

The ceremony featured med­ical outreaches and distribution of clothing household items and food items to approximately 500 widows, skillful engagement of 50 young widows on soap mak­ing and empowerment for them to establish their own business­es.