Marriage and Money:Widows in India

Current ConditionsMarriage and Money: Widows in India

Viviane Dalles

Setting the Stage

—For many women, their economic status is tied to their marital status

—Widows are uniquely vulnerable to poverty

—50% of the estimated 100 million widows in the developing world are impoverished

Widows in India

Widows in India—India produces 12% of the world’s cotton

—60 million people depend on the cotton and textile industries

—Many farmers borrowed heavily to buy expensive genetically modified seeds

—Unable to pay debts and support their families, thousands of farmers have committed suicide

Widows in India

Viviane Dalles

Widows in India

Ask Yourself

—What are the implications, positive and negative, when a woman’s economic well-being is tied to her marital status?

Viviane Dalles

Viviane Dalles

Vijaya, age 22. Photo credit: Viviane Dalles

Lalitha, age 24 Photo credit: Viviane Dalles

Proposed Solutions

—All women should have access to education, good jobs and support for domestic duties

—Provide systemic support for widows

—Societies need to support the economic rights and empowerment of all women

Widows in India

Learn More at www.imow.org

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Widows in India

What You Can Do

Make a donation to The Loomba Foundation

Campaign against dowry with SACHET

Spread the word about this issue

Widows in India

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Widows in India