Study spotlights plight of Jaffna widows

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 February 2005, 12:26 GMT]
A study conducted by the Federation of NGOs revealed that 26,745 women have become widows due to the two decades of war and other reasons in Jaffna district, and the children growing up in widowed families suffer from severe malnutrition. These families continue to be economically backward, the study further said.

Only 15,700 widows, 59% of the total number, receive even the meagre allowance of Rs 250 or less a week from the state, the study found.

40% of the widows are below the age of 50, and most of them face difficulties in meeting the nutritional and the educational needs of their children.

Meanwhile, although many projects are implemented to improve the well being of the widows and their families by the International and local NGO's, there are criticisms from civil groups that as these projects are not satisfactorily carried through and have not yield satisfactorily results.

Civil society groups also have severely criticised the Government of Sri Lanka not taking action to improve the economic well being of this group which needs urgent support.