Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 07/Oct 20:27

Widows tells PM: Show us compassion in budget

AS Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo prepares to deliver his first national budget, the Widow Support Trinidad and Tobago (WSTT) group is calling on the new administration not to overlook the struggles faced by widows. Tancoo is set to present the 2025-2026 national budget on October 13, marking the first of five budgets expected to be delivered by the United National Congress (UNC) government during its term, having won the April 28 general election. In the lead-up to the presentation, Soraya Nanan, president of WSTT has released a “wish list” of measures it hopes will be included in the new fiscal package, appealing directly to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to treat widows with compassion in her government’s first budget. The organization’s appeal highlights several areas where widows continue to face hardship from accessing benefits to the financial burden of parenthood. “Every day, widows face not only the grief of losing a husband, but also the crushing weight of financial hardship, delayed benefits, and the struggle to provide for their children. “Behind every widow is a story of loss, but also a story of courage,” said Soraya Nanan, president of WSTT. “Yet too many widows in our country are being forced to carry their pain in silence while fighting endless battles to access what is rightfully theirs.” Among its key proposals are, faster access to benefits, financial relief, support for their children, training and employment programmes, counselling and emotional support. “Widows wait months and sometimes years to receive their late husband's NIS contributions and grants from the Ministry of Social Development. This delay leaves many widows unable to pay bills, buy groceries or send their children to school. A special fast-track system for widows is urgently needed,” Nanan shared. The group also appealed for targeted assistance for the widows, who are forced to function as sole breadwinners, such as tax breaks and small grants to help them cope with the high cost of living. “This could mean the difference between survival and despair.” WSTT said assistance with school meals, books, uniforms and tuition is essential to prevent their children from falling behind. “When a widow struggles, her children suffer most.” WSTT also advocated for government training programmes for widows, who dedicated their lives to being housewives, to re-enter the workforce, along with job placement so they can become employed and financially independent. Recognising the hardship one would experience having lost her spouse, the group also urged government to assist with grief counselling, peer support and empowerment programmes. “Widows are not asking for handouts. We are asking for compassion, for fairness, and for recognition that when a woman loses her husband, her whole world changes overnight.” “No widow should have to beg or fight for survival.” WSTT emphasised that supporting widows has a ripple effect across society. “When you support a widow, you support a family — and by extension, the nation,” Nanan added. WSTT was founded by Nanan to empower widows through advocacy, skills training and peer support. It continues to campaign for social and economic reforms that recognize the unique challenges faced by widows in TT. The post Widows tells PM: Show us compassion in budget appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.