Chefusirri Foundation enlightens over 40 widows on rights to fight inhumane practices.

This was the main focus of a one-day training which was organised by the Chefusirri Foundation as part of activities to mark this year’s International Widows Day.

The training which took place at the Norbert Kenne Memorial Peace House in Yaounde, Friday June 23, was on the theme: “Not alone”.

International Widows Day, it should be said, is commemorated every June 23. This year’s edition was under the theme: “Innovation and technology for gender equality”. 

In her welcome address, the Founder of Chefusirri Foundation, Barrister Chefu Sirri-Afanwi Joy, told the widows that the training was organised to sensitise them of the national and international legal instruments that protects them, first as women and secondly as widows. 

The sensitisation, Barrister Chefu noted, aims to help the widows stand up for their rights and not allow themselves to be abused through some “inhumane and wicked practices”. 

“The aim of this meeting is to educate them on their rights first as women and secondly ask widows,” Barrister Chefu said, adding that those already sentistised about these rights will help enlighten others how to resist inhumane practices.

“We want them to understand that the Cameroonian widow is protected, we want them to know that they are laws that protect widows and that they are ways towards which they can be able to seek help if they are in difficulty especially when it concerns harmful practices, property rights…,” she added. 

The lawyer and human rights activist said with a data base of the widows, the foundation intends to see how it can, in one way or the other, come in to help those whose situation are dire. 

“Unfortunately, we cannot solve the problem of all the women... they are some who are really in need, some have children who need to go to school, some need to get into petit trades. So we want to keep the data base to see how we can offer them help in our little way,” she assured. 

Widows counseled on how to move on from grieving 

Aside sensitising the widows on their rights, volunteers of the Chefusirri Foundation also counseled the widows on how to come out of grieving and move forward with their lives so as to better carter for the children left behind by their husbands. 

On her part, Guardian Counsellor and volunteer of the foundation, Blanche Ketly, drilled the widows of the five stages of grieve including anger, denier, bargaining, depression and acceptance. 

She urged them to see death as normal and accept their fate, move on with their life. Ketly touched specifically on anger, noting widows have to carefully deal with it as it has the highest negative impact on them and those around them.

Overcoming grieve, Ketly insisted, is of utmost importance and helps in the healing process. She advised widows to develop a thick skin and be resistant in order not to become isolated due to their current status. 

Taking the cue, another volunteer, Tudi Nathalie, harped on women’s rights. She touched principally on the need for widows to have knowledge of the laws that guarantee their protection rights to be alive, educated, work, have salary, own property among others.  

Ngong Elise on his part, talked on the rights of widows. Ngong cited articles of the Maputo Protocol that protects widows added to the national laws. He said widows are not to be subjected to inhumane and humiliating treatment. 

Ngong cited articles of the Maputo protocol which fights against discrimination, ensures their security, guarantees their consent to sex, fight forced marriages, rights to keep their name among others. 

On her part, Dr Ngang Cilia, used the session to talk on stress related diseases that can come in the period of grieve while Zeh Zeh Rodriques harped on the theme of the commemoration. 

The Maputo Protocol, it should be said, ensures widows automatically become the guardian and custodian of their children after the death of their husbands unless this is contrary to the interests and welfare of the children as well as guarantees right of the widow to remarry anyone of their choice. 

The commemorative activities, it should be noted, ended with donation of basic food items to the over 40 widows by officials of the foundation.