Victimization of Elderly Women, “Witches,” and Widows

Abstract

Violence against women is one of the most widespread unpunished crimes, affecting women of all backgrounds, cultures, and countries. In many societies, elderly widows are perhaps the most vulnerable to physical and mental abuse. The victimization of women living alone is committed not only by strangers seeking to steal her assets but also by her own family desirous of inheriting her property. In many countries, a woman’s status is linked to her husband, so that when he dies or divorces her, she becomes vulnerable and is ostracized. With no rights to ownership of her husband’s property, a widow may be thrown out of her own home and become destitute. In some societies, elderly women are accused of witchcraft or, in developed countries, deemed “incompetent” simply to acquire her property. Across Africa and Asia, widows are coerced into harmful, degrading traditional practices—ranging from shaving of the head, imprisonment in the home, and forced marriage to a relative to the burning of widows. But even in developed societies, widows can be denied proper medical care, have difficulties accessing credit, be liable for the debts of a deceased spouse, or be driven to suicide by the hostility of in-laws or the greed of their own children. The United Nations has set aside June 23 each year to commemorate International Widow’s DayInternational Widow’s Dayin order to make visible the dilemmas of widows, promote national protection programs, combat religious and cultural practices, and also end impunity for widow abuse.