A male-dominated society exists in many of the countries where we work across Asia and Africa, leaving women, particularly women with disabilities, vulnerable.  Widows or women whose husbands leave them are often left with no option but to beg in order to survive.  It is also highly problematic when the man of the household becomes disabled, perhaps due to the late treatment of leprosy, and as a result, finds it impossible to work and support the family.

As well as providing medical treatment and care for leprosy patients, The Leprosy Mission provides opportunities for education, job training and employment opportunities.  We constantly seek to address any inequalities between the sexes and ensure an individual either has the means to support themselves or be cared for by a family member who is able to provide for them.

International Widows Day is a United Nations day of action to address the poverty and injustice faced by millions of widows and their dependents.  Since its origin in 2005, the awareness day has grown each year.  We are delighted to see public events to mark International Widows Day now held in the countries where we work including India, Nepal and Bangladesh heralding, what we hope, will be a sea change in attitudes towards widows.

As a result of a grant from the European Commission, we are part-funding a livelihood project in Bangladesh to benefit households headed up by women, in particular women with disability and affected by leprosy.  In 2012 alone, 910 leprosy-affected households headed up by women received help to earn a living.

Easter is 57 and lives on the outskirts of Delhi in India.  Leprosy has left the mum-of-four with numb hands and feet as a result of nerve damage meaning she is no longer able to work.  Coming from a leprosy-affected family, Easter would have been left in a desperate situation 10 years ago when her husband died.  The Leprosy Mission, however, provided education and training for Easter’s children and they now support her as she approaches her retirement years.

She said:  “Without The Leprosy Mission, I would probably be begging on the street and homeless but I thank God for leading me to a dignified life.”

National Director of The Leprosy Mission England and Wales, Peter Walker, said:  “A recent study presented to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon revealed that half of the world’s widows - more than 100 million – live in poverty and suffer social stigmatisation and economic deprivation as a result of losing their husband.

“Our role is to help leprosy-affected people - men, women and children - to live dignified and fulfilled lives and, in order to do this, we work hard to provide them with a route out of extreme poverty.”