House favours granting wife’s pension to widowed husband

As a means of enabling equality among men and women in all legal aspects, the lawmakers have decided in favor of widowed husbands receiving the spouses’ pension. Widowed women are currently granted pension of their husbands, however, men who are widowed do not enjoy the same right.

Only men who are disabled are granted the pension of the deceased spouse. Following serious discussions, MPs yesterday voted for granting the pension to widowed husbands. They aim to make amendments to the 1976 Social Insurance Law, 1976 Security, and Military Personnel Wages and Benefits Law and the 1975 Civil Servants Wages and Benefits Law to enable the change.

This is despite reservations from the government, which stated that financial strain from such amendments may negatively affect others who may be more deserving of such benefits and are in need of help.

The Supreme Council for Women has supported the MPs’ stance stating that the move would bring equality among men and women. However, the Bahrain Women Federation was against the proposed amendments stating that men being breadwinners should be able to cover their expenses without such support.