Widows Of Vrindavan - Feminisation Of Old Age In India

Abstract

The present paper looks at some of the issues of the old women with a special focus on widows of Vrindavan. In 2009, there were 88 million elderly people in India. By 2050, this figure is expected to soar over 320 million. By 2050, women over 60 years would exceed the number of elderly men by 18.4 million, which would result in a unique characteristic of ‘feminisation’ of the elderly population in India. The gendered nature of ageing is such that universally, women tend to live longer than men. In India, social mores inhibit women from re-marrying, resulting in an increased likelihood of women ending up alone. The life of a widow is riddled with stringent moral codes, with integral rights relinquished and liberties circumvented. In many conservative Indian Hindu families, widows are shunned because they’re seen as bringing bad luck. Most of these widows find refuge in Vrindavan. Here they lead a very miserable life mostly begging and singing hymns in praise of God. However, this year saw a change in the condition of these women due to the initiative of Sulabh International, which takes care of two shelter homes where more than 800 widows have been registered and for the first time after they became widows many women played Holi (a festival of colours)excising their agency in a small way. The paper concludes by stating that there is very little information available on these widows. There is a need for better data collection and research on the social and economic status of widows, and on inheritance practices. Last but not least let us treat the widows as human beings and bring them into the main stream of the Women’s Movement.