Widows’ Day Call for Justice, Not Symbolism

 Hyderabad: With more than 4.3 crore widows living in India and women being over three times more likely than men to live without a partner, reports Bala Vikasa, on International Widows’ Day, June 23. They should become a movement for restorative justice rather than a symbolic observance, according to S. Shoury Reddy, executive director of Bala Vikasa.

Highlighting the challenges faced by women who have lost their husbands, Shoury Reddy said millions of women lose not only their life partners but also financial security, legal protection and social dignity after the death of a spouse. He noted that India has one of the largest such populations in the world, while recent Sample Registration System (SRS) data showed a significant gender gap, particularly in southern states including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

“Despite their large numbers, the women remain statistically and socially invisible. Many continue to live on the fringes of public policy and community support systems,” Reddy said.

According to him, the women continue to face social stigma, exclusion from family celebrations and religious events, and discrimination rooted in outdated customs. He pointed out that although legal safeguards such as the Hindu Succession Act exist, many widows are deprived of their rightful share in family property and assets through coercion or social pressure.

Reddy said the sudden loss of a spouse often pushes women into economic hardship, especially those who were financially dependent on their husbands. He also referred to the concentration of abandoned widows in pilgrimage towns such as Vrindavan and Varanasi, describing it as evidence of longstanding societal neglect.

While acknowledging the role of government welfare schemesgovernment welfare schemes such as widow pensions and the National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS), Reddy said bureaucratic hurdles and inadequate financial support often limit their effectiveness.

Calling for policy reforms, Reddy urged governments to modernise pension schemes by linking them to inflation, establish dedicated legal help desks for property disputes and create employment opportunities for widows through targeted skill development programmes. He also advocated the establishment of a dedicated corporation for widows and incentives to encourage widow remarriage.