Women with missing relatives: Recognizing the plight of those left behind

from ReliefWeb

For hundreds of thousands of women one of the worst consequences of armed conflict is the long and agonizing wait for news about their missing relatives. Since the vast majority of those who are killed or disappear are men, the burden of trying to find out what happened to them usually falls to the women in their family. On International Women's Day (8 March), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) highlights its commitment to easing the plight of these women.

Ashwak, an Iraqi refugee now living in Jordan, has lost track of her husband. "We looked everywhere. We went to all the prisons and the forensic institute. We searched for more than four months," she says. "We looked in all the places we could think of, but we always received the same answer - that he was not there. Yet we still have hope."

For those who are left behind like Ashwak, not knowing the fate of a relative is emotionally devastating. No matter how difficult it is to mourn the loss of a loved one, it is even more distressing not to be able to mourn at all. Many women spend years and their life's savings on a fruitless search. For those trying to trace a missing child, husband or father, peace in their country does not automatically bring peace of mind, because abandoning their quest would seem like a betrayal.

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