Home News Reps To Criminalise Discrimination Against Widows

Reps To Criminalise Discrimination Against Widows

by Our Reporter
…bill scale second reading
A bill to prevent discrimination against widow and all forms of Repressive and degrading widowhood practices has scaled second reading in the House Representatives.
The bill sponsored by Rep Adejero Adeogun (APC, Ondo) and Rep. Sergius Ogun (PDP, Edo) define what constitutes harmful and  degrading widowhood practices, define what constitutes the rights of widows and prescribe penalties for infractions.
It will also reserve the 23rd day of May every year as a National Day for the prohibition of discrimination against widows, women and girls as a way of bringing the problem of discrimination against widows to National attention and international attention.
It will also saddle The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP) with the responsibility of administering the provisions of this bill and organising events to commemorate the National Day for the Prohibition of discrimination against widows, women and girls as established under the Bill.
Leading debate on the bill, Rep. Adejorun said “death is inevitable. We have no control over it whatsoever. Sadly however, in several parts of Nigeria, widows are made to pay heavy penalties for the painful departure of husbands that they loved and shared their lives with.
“They are stigmatized, criminalized, denied access to properties and in some cases denied access to their own children for reasons that have no place under any Nigerian law.
“Widowhood is not by choice. Widows are victims of the inevitability of death. So why’d does our society criminalize the unfortunate incident of widowhood? Why are widows denied the right to mourn in peace? Why is the trauma of their loss met with more trauma rather than solace?
“I believe that we have a duty to right this wrong. These are our mothers, sisters, aunties, friends, colleagues and they deserve our protection.”
He said further that when passed, the bill will be recorded in history as one of the most important legislation passed by the 9th assembly, adding that “we would have succeeded in metaphorically giving to the widows in our nation what could be described as the ‘widows mite’.
“I wish to therefore plead with Honorable members of this very Honorable House to support that this bill to prohibit discrimination and unwholesome practices against widows be read a second time.”

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