Iraq’s Forgotten Widows Struggle to Survive

by Baghdad Women Association

International Widows Day takes place on June 23rd and has been formally accepted by the United Nations as a day of action since 2010. The day is meant to raise awareness of the struggles of widows worldwide, who may face poverty, social stigma, and problems with providing for their children. Events connected to International Widows Day take place all over the world to bring attention to the inadequate support given to widows and their children. -Ed.
Widows in Iraq are struggling to survive day to day 10 years after the war in Iraq.

There are currently a million and a half widows in Iraq, nearly 10 percent of the female population. According to Oxfam, widowhood had become more common as a result of the violence the country has experienced. Many lost husbands in the Iran-Iraq war of the 80s, as well as the war in Iraq ten years ago and the sectarian violence that has followed it.

• Many widows lost husbands in the Iran-Iraq war of the 80s, as well as the war in Iraq and the sectarian violence that has followed it. Photo courtesy of Oxfam GB/International. •

Iraqi widows often live in poor and difficult conditions and have to provide for themselves and their remaining children. Oxfam is working with Iraqi partner organizations Baghdad Women Association, Widows Training and Development Centre, Women for Peace, and Asuda for Combating Violence against Women to ensure that widows receive the government pension that they are entitled to. The latest statistics indicate that only 120,000 widows receive the pensions that they are entitled to – just 8 percent of the total number of widows.

 The pension is 100,000 Iraqi Dinars (around $80 a month, just over £53 British pounds), which is not enough to meet the needs and is usually allocated every three months.
Oxfam’s partners are calling for an increase in the rate of widows’ pensions to $200 (or approximately £134) and want the pensions to be paid on a monthly rather than a quarterly basis. They are also seeking to train widows professionally to provide them with job opportunities.

• Many Iraqis widows live in poor and difficult conditions and have to provide for themselves and their remaining children. Photograph courtesy of Oxfam GB/International. •

Many widows have resorted to begging on the streets or outside mosques just to survive. Most widows are poor and illiterate, and many are not allowed to go out and work by other family members because of traditional customs. Here are some of their pictures: