June 23 is observed as International Widows Day by the United Nations, this day is observed to create awareness about the situation of widows across the world. Losing your partner is never easy, hence Goa Women’s Forum (GWF) has called upon the directorate of Panchayats and directorate of Municipal Administration to organise an outreach to tackle the issues faced by widows in Goa in the pandemic.
In a letter to the director Panchayats Siddhi Halarnkar and director Municipal Administration Gurudas Pilarnekar, GWF convenor Lorna Fernandes has noted that now is the time for an intervention by PRIs and ULBs as June 23 is observed as International Widows Day all over the world by the United Nations.
Lorna said “Goa is passing through the second deadly wave of the pandemic which has traumatised thousands of families. Moreover, in the last 15 months there have been many deaths and many women in the villages and towns of Goa have become widows. This has led these wives and mothers thinking and worrying about the future, especially their financial future,”
“There is a need for all the village panchayats and municipal councils in Goa to organise an outreach so as to understand and tackle the issues faced by widows in Goa in the context of the impact of the pandemic. An early intervention can check the related issues of deteriorating mental and physical health, depression and suicide, human traficking for commercial sexual exploitation, murder etc. which may arise in due course.”
In its letter GWF has made some suggestions like appointing nodal officers to address the issues faced by widows in both districts of Goa.
