Second Lady Pastor Dorcas Rigathi advocated for the empowerment of widows, stressing the importance of initiating economic empowerment with a mindset shift.
She emphasized the need for widows to transition from grief and negative thoughts to a more dignified life, highlighting that despite losing their husbands, widows retain their intelligence, capability, and capacity to work.
Dorcas delivered these remarks during the first African Widows Summit held in Zanzibar, Tanzania from June 20 to June 22. The summit, themed ‘Women in Widowhood: Reforming the African Space’, aimed to devise solutions for the challenges faced by widows across the continent, particularly focusing on their economic empowerment.
“A widow is not a beggar who needs sympathy but a person who needs empowerment and opportunities to continue with her life,” she said.
She further encouraged African nations to organise widows into cooperatives, SACCOs, and CBOs to harness their potential.
“I also proposed that the African Union establish a fund to support widows,” she said.
‘The Union of African Widows’ organized the summit, representing a Pan-African movement dedicated to advocating for widows’ rights.
The organization positions itself as a beacon of hope and a staunch advocate for the voiceless, focusing on empowering widows by providing them with essential tools and resources to facilitate their journey towards rebuilding their lives.
