(Eqtsad)- One of the most tragic outcomes of Syria's war is the rising number of widows who lost their husbands on the battlefields.
Ahmed al-Ali, social expert explained: “there are many social and economical obstacles facing widows these days, one of them and the most important is lack of source of income, especially with the high cost of living and inability of widows’ families to afford to support them and their children, added to lack of aid and relief organisation in most of liberated areas to support widows and their children due to lack of sources and difficulties in delivering aid.”
He added that all above mentioned circumstances forced women to work in jobs over their ability to cope which affect their care to their children, or accepting marriage again to men most of the time unsuitable, like getting married to the husband’s brother as a second wife in order to protect children, or to old men. All that resulted social problems of new kind.
“There is no doubt about the difficulties and preconceptions face widows and divorced women in our community, which harden their lives and affect their chances to work outside homes”, the social expert detailed.
Sheikh Abdullah commented on the subject: “the social perception of a widow is still unfair although our religion encourages marriage even for more than one to protect women and save their children of loss, and that what we need in these exceptional circumstances to encourage to protect widows”.
Amira, 28, a mother of 3, her husband was killed in a battle two years ago, she explained that in the beginning, apart for sadness for her lost, matter went alright. “ but a year after conditions started to change due to soaring prices and lack of aid and support and drop in the salary I received, we and my family have financially overstretched, which forced me to look for a job, first I worked in a clothes shop, then as hairdresser's assistant, but my work forced me to leave my children long time alone, which made me look for a job to be done inside home.”
She added that she is now work as a tailor from home after having a course was run by an aid organisation. She added that she was asked for marriage many times but she refused because she did not want to lose her children.
Doaa, 35, explained that she would not think of getting married again regardless of the community perception to her, as there are lots of widows and most families have one or two. She added that the most important for a widow to know what she wants and protect herself.
“losing the husband is sad and put widow under big responsibilities, but she has to be up to that because she is the one who has to bring up her children and protect them” she detailed.
Despite the difficult financial conditions, she mended her husband’s car and let it for 40,000 Syrian Pound a month, beside 10,000 Syrian pound as rent for a shop she inherited from her husband, which can help her in covering her family's expenditure.
Om Ghassan, 43, complained that her responsibilities are far over her ability to cope due to difficult financial circumstances as there is no source of income. She has 6 girls and a boy, the eldest was in grade-10, but she pushed her to marry to reduce the financial burden she is under.
She added that after the death of her husband by a shell, and her eldest son died in detention, she lost the source of income. In the beginning she worked in fields during different seasons, and a relief organisation sponsored two of her children and gave them financial and in-kind support.
Khitam, 22, wondered: “how would I get married, who would I leave my son to? I have returned to my family’s home because it is no longer socially acceptable to stays in my in-law house with my brothers-in-law, although one of them asked me to marry him in order to protect me and my son, but I refused as I could not imagine myself to be a second wife over his wife who has been my best friend.”
She added that she is thinking to complete her study in University after freezing her registration when she was in year-3, due to difficulties in passing through barriers.
She commented on social perception toward widows: “community in Horan like others in Syria, they protect widows and support them, but still I find some difficulties in my freedom to move or do things I feel them normal”, ended.
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