Widows in Zimbabwe are routinely evicted from their land by relatives after the death of their husbands, according to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] report [text] released Tuesday. The report documents interviews with 59 widows, throughout all 10 provinces of Zimbabwe, conducted between May and October 2016. In 2013 Zimbabwe adopted a new constitution [text, PDF] that protects equal rights for women, including inheritance and property. However, this only applies to women who are in an officially registered marriage. A majority of marriages in Zimbabwe are conducted under customary law, leaving widows without a legal recourse. Those who can afford to go to court have been able to gain success through organizations such as Women and Law in Southern Africa Research and Education Trust [advocacy website].

This report comes at a time where women’s rights are facing international barriers. On Monday HRW released a report which highlighted current Russian legislation that the group says would weaken protections [JURIST report] against domestic violence in the country. Last week a US judge issued a temporary restraining order [JURIST report] to halt a Texas plan to cut Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood. Earlier this month in India police were accused of raping [JURIST report] at least 16 women in October.