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By CCTV correspondent Wisam Al Bayati
There are more than 2 million widows in Iraq. These women have a daily struggle to survive.
Iraq’s widows have become a silent tragedy for a country that is finding it difficult to address their problems.
The US invasion of Iraq incurred a heavy toll, with more than two million men dead, and 250,000 others behind bars or disabled. Wives and mothers across the country must carry the burden of looking after their families single handedly.
There are more than 2 million widows in Iraq. These women
have a daily struggle to survive.
According to an Iraqi human rights organization, the total number of men killed since the US led Invasion in 2003 exceeds two million.
In an attempt to contain the potential crisis for Iraq’s widows, non-governmental organizations have brought in new plans to support them.
The head of the Widow Training Centre told CCTV that the purpose of the centre is to offer training to help the widows find employment or establish their own businesses and support their childcare needs.
Salma Jabbu, Widow Training Centre MGR, said, "In this training centre, we’re doing our best to help the widows with their daily needs. Most of them are living in dire conditions and desperately need help."
There are more than 2 million widows in Iraq. These women
have a daily struggle to survive.
In the absence of sustained support from the government, widowed women have to find their own ways to support their families. Many have to juggle caring for a large number of children whilst trying to work.
In such circumstances many widows are at the risk of falling prey to abuse. Many even face physical and sexual abuse. Some are forced to marry men who already have wives to avoid hunger and poverty.
Kareema Al Husseini, Social Activist, said, "Being a widow in Iraq is not easy, the society views widows differently, and many suffer abuse, either from their family or from the wider society.
This widow lost her husband during a raid by US troops. She says he was shot dead because he was mistaken for someone else.
A widow works on a sewing machine at her house in Baghdad's Sadr city
October 23, 2011.
She says that she’s been forced by her family to stay indoors because being a widow carries a societal stigma.
Alaa Al Azawi, Widow, said, "My normal life ended when troops killed my husband, every day is a struggle. I need to feed my children, I can’t watch them starve."
Observers say some help is on offer to widows through groups such as the Iraqi Red Crescent, the Islamic Party, the Muslim Scholars Association and non-governmental organizations. But it’s not always well organized, and is insufficient to help Iraq’s vast number of widows.
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