World’s Widows Endure Shame, Abandonment, Exploitation

WILLS POINT, TX — A Texas-based missions agency helping thousands of widows in crisis across Asia and Africa is spotlighting their agonizing plight to mark International Widows Day, June 23.

“Millions of widows live in societies where they’re considered a curse, shunned, abused, and abandoned,” said Bishop Daniel Timotheos Yohannan, president of GFA World. “They’re often blamed or neglected for their husband’s death, regardless of the circumstances.”

Widows Island

The ministry supports specially trained national — or local — missionaries called Sisters of the Cross, including those who serve “forgotten” widows on an isolated island.

Many of the widows living there lost their husbands in the perilous fishing waters that surround the island. Alone and cut off from the mainland, they struggled to survive — but the Sisters have forged deep friendships with them, living among them, and showing them “the love of God.”

With GFA World’s support, they’ve provided food, shelter, and farm animals that help generate income. The impact has been life-transforming — creating mother-daughter type bonds between the older widows and the younger missionaries.

It’s a model for the organization’s widow ministry in other parts of the world where millions of widows are overlooked — even despised.

Greatest Tragedy

Across Africa and Asia, many older widows are forced to scavenge or beg to survive, while younger widows may be forced into prostitution or exploited for slave labor.

Stigma, shame and despair can drive many to suicide, the mission organization says.

Globally, it’s estimated there are more than 258 million widows, and that 38 million of them live in extreme poverty. The annual International Widows Day aims to put their plight front and center.

Shocking mistreatment of widows includes:

• In Nigeria, widows were locked in a room with their husbands’ corpses and forced to shave their own heads — a ritual of shame­
• In Afghanistan, outcast widows had to establish their own “colony” on a hillside above a cemetery, cut off from mainstream life
• In sub-Saharan Africa, widows can be forced to take part in abusive “cleansing” rituals, including having sex with relatives of their dead husband­­
• Across Africa and Asia, widows often lose everything after their husband dies, including their home and possessions

“As tragic as their situation is, the greatest tragedy is that millions of widows worldwide have never heard that God loves them,” Bishop Daniel said. “We’re dedicated to giving widows hope today and hope for eternity.”

GFA World is one of many faith-based organizations helping the most vulnerable widows in Africa and Asia. The organization provides food, income-generating farm animals such as cows and goats, medical care, literacy classes, and vocational training.

More information is available at http://www.gfa.org/widows.

About GFA World (formerly Gospel for Asia)

GFA World is a leading faith-based global mission agency, helping thousands of national missionaries bring vital assistance and spiritual hope to millions across the world, especially in Africa and Asia, and sharing the love of God. In a typical year, this includes thousands of community development projects that benefit downtrodden families and their children, free medical camps conducted in hundreds of villages and remote communities, and more than 150,000 families provided with the means to break the cycle of poverty through income-generating gifts. More than 40,000 fresh water wells have been drilled since 2007, hundreds of thousands of women are now empowered through literacy training, and Christ-motivated ministry takes place every day throughout 18 nations. GFA World has launched programs in Africa, starting with compassion projects in Rwanda. For all the latest news, visit the Press Room at https://gfanews.org/news.