Widows worldwide robbed, enslaved, raped and accused of witchcraft

Millions of widows around the world are left destitute after being robbed of their inheritance, while others are enslaved by their in-laws, accused of witchcraft or forced to undergo abusive sexual rituals, research shows.

The crushing poverty and persecution faced by widows worldwide is outlined in a major report on widowhood which will be presented to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday.

"Widows have been suffering in silence for centuries, and yet nobody - no government, not even the U.N. - has ever attended to this problem," said Lord Raj Loomba, a campaigner on widowhood, who will . . .