Widows in India

Read this article about widows in India living a life that is so much a shock to me.

Just because the husband passed away, the living wife not only have to grief with the loss of her loved one, she has to endure and put up a life that she does not deserve it.

In the different cultures of the world, woman's fate are still very dependable on the man she is married to. So what happen if the man die?

This article mentioned that widows are considered to be ill-omen in traditional villages where they may have to shave their heads, forbidden to enter places of worships, wearing whites for instance. Many probably suffer in silence but there are some which dare to move out of it. They sought refuge in Vrindavan where they face less discrimination accordingly to the article. Thou most of them do not have proper shelter and food, they are happier to be there. Most of the widows are not educated thus they do not know where and how they can seek help.

The article ends with the situation is changing as more widows are changing their own attitudes and this will definitely helps more women to reconnect back to their life in the future.

The article is by Swapna Majumdar is based in New Delhi and writes on gender, development and politics.