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SOUTH ASIAN NETWORK FOR WIDOWS EMPOWERMENT IN DEVELOPMENT

(SANWED)

 

 

MISSION STATEMENT

 

Widows hold up “more than half the sky”. They are sole supporters of families as well as vital contributors to the economy.

 

SANWED is a new initiative in the South Asian region to fight for widows’ human rights in all aspects of their lives; an end to their poverty and marginalisation; and the elimination of all forms of discrimination against them – legal, social, cultural, religious and economic.

 

VISION

 

SANWED HAS BEEN FORMED TO:

 

·        Bring together under one consortium, as a means of strengthening their effectiveness,  all widows’ associations and groups in the seven countries of South Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal,  Pakistan and Sri Lanka

·        Identify activists for widows and encourage the establishment of widows’ grass-roots empowerment organisations in countries where there are none

·        Focus on widows’ key roles as contributors to the economy and society, as custodians of the environment, as peace and democracy builders and as valuable “social capital” in development, rather than as exclusively “vulnerable and needy” victims of circumstances.

·        Gather vital statistics and data on this hitherto neglected area of women’s human rights

·        Share experiences and “best practice” for the promotion and improvement of the legal, social, cultural, religious and economic status of widows through action at local, national, regional and international levels.

·        Ensure that the needs and roles of South Asian widows are addressed and acknowledged by their governments, UN agencies, donors, and INGOS and the international community generally

·        Build up the capacity of South Asian widows’ organisations for effective advocacy, awareness raising, and monitoring of widows’ human rights in the framework of international conventions and agreements (e.g. CEDAW, BPFA, SCR 1352, and the MDGs[1]).

·        Network with widows’ empowerment groups in other regions of the world to prioritize the issues of widowhood, in the context of the reduction of poverty and the promotion of human rights and justice, on international, regional and national agendas

·        Strengthen the effectiveness of the International WIDOWS FOR PEACE AND SECURITY[2] network through a strong regional membership.

 

 

Background

 

Never before in human history has there been such a dramatic escalation in the numbers of widows, particularly in developing countries, in South Asia, Africa and parts of the Middle East. This unprecedented rise in numbers has been caused by the proliferation of armed conflict, ethnic cleansing, the scourge of AIDS and the persistence in some regions of harmful traditional practices.

 

Statistics barely exist (with the exception of India) on widowhood. But in conflict afflicted countries it is estimated that nearly half of all adult women may be widows or wives of the “disappeared”, many of them very young mothers of dependent children. Many women are still in their teens and early twenties when they become widows, destined to spend the rest of their lives in poverty and vulnerable to abuse, unless governments demonstrate a commitment to right the wrongs inflicted on them.

 

These women, of all ages, are to be found among the poorest of the poor, often invisible, their voices unheard and their needs, both immediate and long-term unmet. In spite of the panoply of international human rights conventions and agreements that their governments have ratified or signed up to the status, situation of widows continue to be ignored. Legal reforms, for example, on inheritance, land rights, violence to women, have failed to redress injustices since widows’ lives are often determined by arbitrary interpretations of religious and customary laws. Many obstacles exist to their accessing the justice system. Widows have a desperate need for education, training and employment to adequate housing, health-care, nutrition and education for their children. Also to personal security and protection from abuse. The exclusion of widows from full participation in society has grave and irrevocable implications for their children, for society as a whole and development in general.

 

While governments have done little to address the needs and roles of widows, in some countries of South Asia widows have been able to look to NGOs to alleviate their suffering. But the pattern is uneven. Some of the South Asian countries have literally hundreds of NGOs working with poor widows but many are “top-down” welfare-based charities rather than active political activists, while few can be called real grass-roots organisations for the real empowerment of widows. It is vital that widows form their own associations.

 

The goal of SANWED is that in each country, a  national association of widows’ groups  should be established, with branches or member associations in every city, town, village, refugee or IDP camp so that widows’ know and can obtain their rights, can access training and employment, and participate in decision-making at every level. There can be no real change in the situation of widows until they themselves are AGENTS OF CHANGE.[3]

 

 

International Action and Framework

 

June 23rd was proclaimed INTERNATIONAL WIDOWS’ DAY by Cherie Blair (the wife of the UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair) earlier this year. This annual date provides a challenge for all of us  to celebrate the lives of widows and to work towards their full emancipation from poverty, fear, isolation and violence.  We can do this if we work together. Hopefully, the establishment of SANWED in South Asia will encourage consortiums of widows’ groups to be set up in the other regions of the world where widows face similar problems.

 

We will also be supporting the proposal that the UN Secretary-General appoints a Special Rapporteur to investigate the treatment of widows by State Partners.

 

SANWED will hold its first inaugural meeting in Chennai, Southern India, from December 17-21st hosted by Dr Felix Sugirtharaj of the Coastal Poor Development Action Network.

 

We look forward to your support and contributions to this initiative.

 

Dr Felix Sugirtharaj. Coastal Poor Development Action Network, India

Mr. Anuradha Wickramasinghe  Small Fishers Federation,  Sri Lanka

Ms. Lily Thapa. Women for Human Rights, Single Women’s Group,

Ms. Sadhana Shrestha, Country Representative,Ashoka Nepal

Mrs. Margaret Owen  WIDOWS FOR PEACE THROUGH DEMOCRACY. UK. 

 

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 First SANWED Regional Meeting

 

Background

 

The First International Conference on Capacity Building of Single Women (Widows) organized by Women For Human Rights (WHR) of Nepal  in May 2005 was the initial step towards setting up the platform for the voice of widows to be heard in the international level.

A positive outcome of the International Conference was the initiation of a Global Networking for the widows, which was spear headed by the team of Ms. Margaret Owen from Widows for Peace through Democracy UK , Mr. Anuradha Wickramasinghe from Small Fishers Federation and Lily Thapa of Women for Human Rights, respectively.

 

As a followup Mr. Anuradha Wickramasinghe from Small Fishers Federation hosted an exposure visit to Sri Lanka widow's group with representatives from  UK, Nepal, India and Thailand. Thus the concrete concept of South Asian Networking for Widows in Development (SANWED) came into existence.

 

There is a wealth of rich experience to share in the region. For example, in India, the work of the Guild of Service, the Single Women’s Association of Rajasthan, and the Coastal Poor Development Action Network; in Nepal the unique achievements of the Women for Human rights Single Women’s Group; in Sri Lanka the extraordinary examples of economic empowerment sustained by the Small Fishers’ Federation of grass-roots widows’ groups. All these experiences need to be shared and the voice of widows will be stronger when it comes from the region as a whole, rather than from one country or one association.

 

 

Agenda of FIRST SANWED REGIONAL MEETING:

 

Observing the abrupt need to work on widows issues and to enlighten the lives of widows SANWED has been established and the First Regional Meeting  is going to be held in Chennai, South India form December 17-21st hosted by Dr Felix Sugirtharaj of the Coastal Poor Development Action Network along with the coordination of the other SANWED regional members, in which each country will have three to four participants of which one must be a widow to represent the respective country.

 

 

Objectives/ Agendas of the Meeting:

 

·        Finalize the SANWED Vision/ Mission and Objectives.

·        Based on the above , identify activities –short term and long term.

·        Action Plan- how, what, who, when and where -for implementation of activities.

·        Finalizing the roles and responsibilities of SANWED Member organizations.

·        Set up  Widows Resource Fund.

·        Secretariat.

 

 

Program Schedule

 

December 18th- 20th, 2005

 

First Day: December 18th, 2005: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

 

·        Opening Ceremony/ Formal

·        Welcome with Objectives of the Meeting

·        Key Note Speakers

·        Vote of Thanks

 

Tea Break

 

·        Introduction of country representatives

·        Country Presentations on the Status of widows

·        Open Discussion

 

Lunch and Field Visit

 

Second Day: December 19th, 2005: 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

 

·        Discussion & Finalise the Vision and Mission of SANWED

·        Group Work on SANWED activities to achieve vision: Short and Long term (National & Regional)

 

Tea Break

 

·        Presentation of the group work

·        Compile and prepare the final activities of SANWED.

 

Lunch Break and Field Visit

 

Third Day: December 20th, 2005: 9:00a.m. To 2:00 p.m.

 

·        Discuss and finalize the roles and responsibilities of seven SANWED member countries.

·        Identify key activities to implement the activities of  SANWED

Tea Break

 

·        Discuss on creating  Widows Resource Fund.

·        Discuss & Finalise the administrative responsibilities for SANWED

 

Lunch

 

 

Primary activities of SANWED to be discussed

 

Strong advocacy from the grassroots level to the governmental agencies, and International Level

Implementing First Widows Charter- Kathmandu.

Yearly publications of the activities of seven SANWED member countries.

Documentation of  best practices and activities of seven SANWED member countries of each year.

E-Network of  SANWED member countries.

Database of members.

Website of SANWED.

Flier

Membership Fee

Constitution  of SANWED.

Proposal Writing and identifying donors.

Membership open