8,000 Zamfara Unmarried Women Seek Kano-Style Mass Wedding.

About 8,000 registered unmarried women yesterday stormed the Hizba Commission office in Gusau, Zamfara state calling on the state government administer the Kano-style mass wedding on them.

The women comprising of divorcees, widows, young ladies and orphans started converging at the Gusau Hizba office around 8am to register their demands to the authorities.

In the past months, Kano state has organized a mass wedding for divorcees, widows and young ladies to curb the high rate of unmarried women in the state. The state picks the bill for the dowry and wedding cost.

Speaking at the event, the state chairman of the Amalgamated Association of Widows Sa'idu Alhaji Goshe said the association has registered 5,380 divorcees, 2, 200 widows and 1,280 less privileged. He said the members were all ready to have good life partners as many of could not afford four square meals daily.

He said "there are some who have spent more than 16 years in widowhood and some seven years and even two years. That is why I feel it is important to form this association."

Sa'idu listed the different dowry for the women thus: "15-year old unmarried young ladies should have N20,000 as their dowry and those who attain 20 to 35 years would go with N15,000 and 35 years and above could get N10,000."

He since Zamfara state was the first to begin the implementation of Sharia law, there was nothing wrong if it emulate Kano state which has "recorded success" in mass wedding.

Mallama Sa'adiyya Abdullah who is a divorcee told Daily Trust she has been unmarried for the past five years. "Staying single as a woman is very challenging especially if that woman is not economically empowered," she said.

Another mother of two who has been a widow for six years Aisha Yusuf expressed hope that her next husband would be caring and responsible to carter for her needs should government assist her.

Chairman of the state Hizba commission Dr Atiku Balarabe Zawiyya said it their request were germane as it would stem the tide of moral decadence in the society. He promised to look into their demands and forward same to the appropriate government authorities.

 Source Daily Trust