A new survey released on Wednesday, International Widows Day, found that financial insecurity is a major barrier for widows in Israel, including those trying to rebuild their lives after bereavement. The poll, commissioned by the Hamaniyot association and conducted by Meno Surveys among 130 widows and widowers who lost a spouse while raising children under 18, was published amid a special discussion in the Knesset Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women.
The findings show that 50% of respondents said their financial situation worsened after their spouse died, while only 17% reported improvement. Today, about 10% describe their finances as difficult and 40% as average. By comparison, in the Central Bureau of Statistics social survey for 2024, 66% of the general public said their financial situation was good, versus 49% among widows.
Work was also heavily affected. Sixty-nine percent said the loss led to a job change, including 16% who stopped working for a long period, 15% who moved to part-time work and 11% who stopped temporarily. Even among those who stayed employed, 17% said their performance suffered. The main obstacles to working were running a household alone, cited by 56%, childcare burdens, cited by 47%, and emotional difficulty, cited by 31%. Still, 72% said they would consider joining a dedicated employment program.
The article focuses on Keren, a 43-year-old widow raising two children after her husband took his own life following trauma from the October 7 attacks. She works only one-third of a position so she can handle her children’s treatment needs. A year ago she began a relationship with another widower, but hides it because remarriage or a recognized partnership can cause survivors’ benefits to be canceled. Hamaniyot says this policy is outdated and is urging legislation to protect benefits even after remarriage. The group says Israel has about 18,000 bereaved families and 52,000 orphaned children and teenagers under 21, a number that has risen since the War of Iron Swords and the October 7 events.
