The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) is urging the federal government to approve a four-and-a-half-month leave for female employees who experience the loss of their husbands.
In a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, MURIC’s executive director, Ishaq Akintola, expressed concern about the treatment of widows by their employers after the death of their husbands. He emphasized that the Nigerian government currently does not provide specific support to working women who lose their husbands.
Akintola stated, “More often than not, they are left at the mercy of their employers who may or may not give them one or two days off duty. This is heartless to say the least. A woman who loses her husband to the wicked hands of death is going through a harrowing experience.”
He highlighted the need for sympathy, companionship, and ample time for rest for a widow. Citing the Glorious Qur’an, Akintola pointed out that Muslim women are entitled to a recovery or waiting period of four months and ten days, termed ‘iddah, after the death of their husbands. This period allows for emotional healing and provides time for the widow and her husband’s family to determine if she was pregnant before his death. During ‘iddah, the widow is expected to remain indoors.
Emphasizing that this command is a fundamental human right enjoined by Allah, Akintola called on both the federal and state governments to consider the case of widows on compassionate grounds. He clarified that MURIC advocates for a four-and-a-half-month leave for all widows, irrespective of their religious affiliation, in federal, state, and private establishments. Akintola argued that the provision of paternity leave for men sets a precedent for extending similar relief to vulnerable widows, aligning with principles of logic and good conscience.