Today, 23th of June, International Widow's Day is celebrated across the world.

Afghan Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled (MoLSAMD) said on Thursday that five hundred thousand widows are now the breadwinners of their families.

As Afghanistan celebrates the day, the widows are facing serious of economic and legal challenges.

In this report TOLOnews correspondent pictures the stories of two war widows: Shakeela and Bibi Ko.

Shakeela is mother of eight children and she bakes bread and to feed her children.

Shakeela came to Kabul after she lost her husband two months ago when government forces clashed with Taliban in Baghlan province.

Shakeela said that her relatives rented a house at 5,000 Afghani per month because she is not able to earn more than 2,000 Afghani per month.

Bibi Ko, an 80 years old widow, lives with her three children and a nephew in Kabul. She runs a small shop with her 13 years old daughter.

Her nephew, Yasmin, said: "When I go to school my grandma stays at the shop.When I return from school, she goes to home and I run the shop."

Bibi Ko's son is a soldier who was wounded six months ago. He now he lays at home.

"We don't have anything, we are just passing our lives," said Bibi Ko.

Based on statistics of the Labor, Social Affairs Ministry, 500 000 widows live in Afghanistan. Among them are 70 000 who are their family's breadwinner. About 50 percent do handicraft and 37 percent working in offices.

"We have proper programs for widows. In offices these women are being paid less and have fewer privileges because they are widows. We are now trying to increase privileges of widows," said a Ministry adviser.

War and violence are one of the main reasons for increase of widowed women in Afghanistan.

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