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Invisible women, invisible problems: Why Uganda must not forget its widows
This year's national celebrations will be held in Lira City under the coordination of the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, the Province of the Church of Uganda, Redeem International, and other partners.
Nabukwasi standing over the rabble that remained at what used to be her home
By: Admin ., Journalist @New Vision
By Timothy Mwesigwa Lubuulwa
On 23rd June 2026, Uganda will join the rest of the world in commemorating International Widows' Day.
This year's national celebrations will be held in Lira City under the coordination of the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, the Province of the Church of Uganda, Redeem International, and other partners.
The theme for this year's commemoration, "Invisible Women, Invisible Problems," is both timely and necessary.
It draws attention to a category of women whose struggles often remain hidden despite their immense contribution to families, communities, and national development. Widowhood is more common than many people realize.
Globally, there are an estimated 250 million widows, with nearly half living in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Uganda alone, it is estimated that more than 3 million women are widows.
Yet their concerns often remain on the margins of public discourse, policy attention, and development programming. For many women, the death of a husband marks the beginning of another struggle.
Widows frequently face property grabbing, inheritance disputes, social isolation, economic hardship, and discrimination. In rural communities where land is often the primary source of livelihood, losing access to land can mean losing shelter, food security, income, and dignity.
The story of "Nabukwasi Ruth" (not her real name) illustrates this reality. Widowed in 2019 after her husband, a police officer, was killed while visiting a piece of land he had lawfully acquired, she soon found herself at the center of a protracted struggle.
Individuals linked to the disputed land allegedly orchestrated threats and attacks against her family, including an attempt to burn her home. Although her husband's murder was never resolved, she eventually succeeded in recovering her land through the courts.
Globally, there are an estimated 250 million widows, with nearly half living in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Uganda alone, it is estimated that more than 3 million women are widows.
Yet their concerns often remain on the margins of public discourse, policy attention, and development programming. For many women, the death of a husband marks the beginning of another struggle.
Widows frequently face property grabbing, inheritance disputes, social isolation, economic hardship, and discrimination. In rural communities where land is often the primary source of livelihood, losing access to land can mean losing shelter, food security, income, and dignity.
The story of "Nabukwasi Ruth" (not her real name) illustrates this reality. Widowed in 2019 after her husband, a police officer, was killed while visiting a piece of land he had lawfully acquired, she soon found herself at the center of a protracted struggle.
Individuals linked to the disputed land allegedly orchestrated threats and attacks against her family, including an attempt to burn her home. Although her husband's murder was never resolved, she eventually succeeded in recovering her land through the courts.
Her experience reflects the harsh reality faced by many widows who must fight not only grief but also injustice.
This year's commemoration also highlights the intersection between widowhood and health, particularly HIV/AIDS.
Many widows are caring for family members affected by HIV, living with HIV themselves, or dealing with the long-term social and economic consequences of the epidemic.
The burden is often compounded by poverty, stigma, limited access to healthcare, and weak social support systems. Uganda has made remarkable progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS through sustained political commitment and innovative programming.
Initiatives such as the Presidential Fast-Track Initiative on HIV/AIDS, the Munonye Initiative, Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision, and the Test and Treat strategy have significantly strengthened prevention, diagnosis, and treatment efforts.
Uganda is also embracing innovative long-acting HIV injectables designed to improve treatment adherence and outcomes among vulnerable populations.
These achievements demonstrate what is possible when government, faith institutions, civil society, communities, and development partners unite behind a common cause.
They also underscore Uganda's commitment to ending AIDS as a public health threat and advancing the goals of the National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan. The same level of commitment is now needed to address the challenges faced by widows.
Widows should not be invisible in national development plans, health programmes, social protection systems, or justice interventions. Their experiences must be recognized, their voices amplified, and their rights protected.
This requires strengthening protections against property grabbing, expanding access to healthcare and psychosocial support, increasing economic empowerment opportunities, and ensuring widows are represented in decision-making spaces.
Encouragingly, faith communities are increasingly stepping forward.
During the 2025 International Widows' Day commemoration, Rev. Barbara Mugisha, Family Life Coordinator of the Church of Uganda, announced the launch of the RUTH Widows' Ministry, an initiative aimed at supporting widows and ensuring that their voices are heard.
Such efforts reflect a growing recognition that widows deserve not only sympathy but also meaningful support and inclusion. As Uganda commemorates International Widows' Day 2026, the message should be clear: the challenges facing widows are not private family matters.
They are issues of justice, public health, human rights, and national development. When widows are invisible, their problems remain invisible. When their problems remain invisible, children become more vulnerable, families slip deeper into poverty, and communities lose opportunities to thrive.
This International Widows' Day provides an opportunity for all of us—government, cultural institutions, religious leaders, civil society organizations, and citizens—to reaffirm our commitment to protecting the dignity, health, property, and future of widows. As the former UNAIDS Executive Director Dr. Michel Sidibé once observed, "Ending AIDS is an investment in human dignity and not a charity."
The same can be said of protecting widows. Ensuring that widows are seen, heard, and protected is not charity; it is an investment in justice, human dignity, and a more inclusive Uganda.
By Timothy Mwesigwa Lubuulwa
On behalf of Redeem International and partners commemorating International Widows' Day 2026
This year's commemoration also highlights the intersection between widowhood and health, particularly HIV/AIDS.
Many widows are caring for family members affected by HIV, living with HIV themselves, or dealing with the long-term social and economic consequences of the epidemic.
The burden is often compounded by poverty, stigma, limited access to healthcare, and weak social support systems. Uganda has made remarkable progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS through sustained political commitment and innovative programming.
Initiatives such as the Presidential Fast-Track Initiative on HIV/AIDS, the Munonye Initiative, Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision, and the Test and Treat strategy have significantly strengthened prevention, diagnosis, and treatment efforts.
Uganda is also embracing innovative long-acting HIV injectables designed to improve treatment adherence and outcomes among vulnerable populations.
These achievements demonstrate what is possible when government, faith institutions, civil society, communities, and development partners unite behind a common cause.
They also underscore Uganda's commitment to ending AIDS as a public health threat and advancing the goals of the National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan. The same level of commitment is now needed to address the challenges faced by widows.
Widows should not be invisible in national development plans, health programmes, social protection systems, or justice interventions. Their experiences must be recognized, their voices amplified, and their rights protected.
This requires strengthening protections against property grabbing, expanding access to healthcare and psychosocial support, increasing economic empowerment opportunities, and ensuring widows are represented in decision-making spaces.
Encouragingly, faith communities are increasingly stepping forward.
During the 2025 International Widows' Day commemoration, Rev. Barbara Mugisha, Family Life Coordinator of the Church of Uganda, announced the launch of the RUTH Widows' Ministry, an initiative aimed at supporting widows and ensuring that their voices are heard.
Such efforts reflect a growing recognition that widows deserve not only sympathy but also meaningful support and inclusion. As Uganda commemorates International Widows' Day 2026, the message should be clear: the challenges facing widows are not private family matters.
They are issues of justice, public health, human rights, and national development. When widows are invisible, their problems remain invisible. When their problems remain invisible, children become more vulnerable, families slip deeper into poverty, and communities lose opportunities to thrive.
This International Widows' Day provides an opportunity for all of us—government, cultural institutions, religious leaders, civil society organizations, and citizens—to reaffirm our commitment to protecting the dignity, health, property, and future of widows. As the former UNAIDS Executive Director Dr. Michel Sidibé once observed, "Ending AIDS is an investment in human dignity and not a charity."
The same can be said of protecting widows. Ensuring that widows are seen, heard, and protected is not charity; it is an investment in justice, human dignity, and a more inclusive Uganda.
By Timothy Mwesigwa Lubuulwa
On behalf of Redeem International and partners commemorating International Widows' Day 2026