To read this content please select one of the options below:

Social Neglect and Oppression of Widows in Rural India: Need for Social, Economic and Policy Implications

Enabling Gender Equality: Future Generations of the Global World

ISBN: 978-1-78560-567-3, eISBN: 978-1-78560-566-6

Publication date: 13 November 2015

Abstract

The total number of widows in India exceeds 33 million. Yet, despite the large number of women affected, little is known about their living conditions. Widows are particularly vulnerable and deserve special attention within the study of public policy and economic development. This paper is based on an analytical research study conducted by interviewing 300 randomly selected rural widows of all age groups from rural parts of the Vidarbha region. An attempt is made to achieve better understanding of social and economic condition of widows, by focusing attention on widowhood as a social problem. This study explores the dominant ideological construction of widowhood in the context of patriarchy, religion, and customs. Nearly 69% widows were illiterate, 96% had economic problems, and 47% faced discrimination due to caste and religious obligations. Elderly widows constituted 49% of the sample, age had placed them in a difficult position to discrimination, dependence, oppression, and health problems. Among elderly widows there was a wide spread feeling of psychological neglect and isolation. The paper also discusses some key issues of social, economic policy, and action in support of widows’ property rights, social security, employment, social identity, and participation in society.

The study identifies factors that account for high levels of deprivation which includes limited freedom to remarry, insecure property rights, living arrangement of elderly, social stigma, restricted employment opportunities, and lack of social support. The study extensively deals with social work intervention aspects in helping the widows and discusses social, economic, and policy implications of the problems of widows.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgments

I am grateful to the University Grant Commission, Government of India, New Delhi, for providing fellowship and financial assistance under the Faculty Development Programme for the present study. I am immensely grateful to Dr Varghese Devasia, Director, Center for Social Sciences and Legal Research, Nagpur, for his never-ending encouragement and valuable guidance throughout the study. I sincerely thank all those who assisted me in libraries of Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Devonar, Mumbai, and SNDT University, Mumbai, India.

Citation

Niswade, J. (2015), "Social Neglect and Oppression of Widows in Rural India: Need for Social, Economic and Policy Implications", Enabling Gender Equality: Future Generations of the Global World (Research in Political Sociology, Vol. 23), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 113-131. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0895-993520150000023008

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2015 Emerald Group Publishing Limited