Reinforcing subordination of women: A study of widows in the conflict and HIV/AIDS affected Manipur

Across Indian society, women continue to struggle for gender equality and women's rights issues. Particularly, widows in India are facing a lot of problems and hardships in family and society because of traditional norms, cultural practices and beliefs in the society. In the patriarchal Hindu society in which women derive their status from their husbands, widows have always been regarded as symbol of misfortune, and their presence is thought to be inauspicious at happy occasions. They were forced to withdraw completely from social life and were made to follow a severe discipline which made their existence a virtual social death. Efforts were made during the early colonial period to work toward reforms to improve the condition of widows in India. Yet, glaring gender discrimination exists in India over the decade and centuries. Women, particularly widows, in India are the victims of social stigma. Discrimination of widows is a common phenomenon which is deep rooted in the traditional values and beliefs of the communities. Widows are found to have abundance of problems all over the world due to the doctrine of patriarchy and social debasement. Among the widows, the most vulnerable groups are those who have been living alone or staying with unmarried children. Some of the major problems a widow faces are related to responsibility of child-bearing, lack of companionship, violence against widows, hindrances in remarriage, control over sexuality, victimization, and psycho-social adjustment with her own family and society. In all the developing countries, millions of widows and their children live in the condition of acute insecurity, deprivation and violence. Even though we have civil laws of inheritance, customary laws relating to marriage and inheritance, land ownership and child custody there is a large gap between the legal measures and practices due to a rigid patriarchal attitude towards women. In India and probably elsewhere irrespective of religion, caste, class and education, millions of widows are deprived of their universally acknowledged human rights. Their essential needs like food, shelter and clothes are forbidden. A few of women are even forced to face sexual harassment from their in-laws. Widows are marginalized in Indian society and they are not taken into mainstream. Even in an educated civilized society, they are isolated and placed under several restrictions. Because of the question of control over their sexuality, widowhood is insisted on women to confine them in their homes. They are not allowed to attend any social and religious functions and so they restrict their right to live in public sphere. Methodology: The present study is used both quantitative and qualitative method. Focus group discussion with widows and data are collected through an interview schedule by using stratified random sampling method. Participation and non-participation observation are also used to get first-hand knowledge about the widows in the state.