Widowed Legacy

   Written by: Naqib Ahmad Azizi

According to the report broadcasted by BBC and confirmed by the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs & Disabled of Afghanistan, there are about 500 thousand widows living in this country and some of them are not able to get their legacy and facing many problems.

The writer/producer AEPO has talked to some widows about their problems.

A widow says: I lost my husband seven years back. I have 7 daughters and 2 sons. My father-in-law did not give me my legacy and I am facing many economic problems and none of my children has studied.

Another widow, Shazia says: my husband has died 17 years back and no one has paid my legacy yet. I passed very hard days. We have nothing to eat for many days I had fasting without eating.

Huma Husaini, a resident of Maidan-Wardak province says: Most of the widow are afraid to get their legacy because their families criticize them.

Another widow says that a woman loses his husband, her husband’s brother wants to marry her for himself otherwise, she could not be able to get her legacy.

Mohammad Omar Omarzadeh, director of laws of Kabul Province says:

At the beginning, a widow has to present a petition to the of law in Kabul Province or to a court in any province in Afghanistan. They would help her to get her legacy according to Islamic and effected regulations of Afghanistan.

If a widow has a child, she could get the 8th portion of the properties of his husband, and if she has no kid, she could get the 4th quarter.