Widow Research Articles

Patterns in suicide by marital status in Hong Kong, 2002–2020: Is marriage still a protective factor against suicide?

BackgroundMarriage has long been considered protective against suicide, but shifting social norms since 2000 in Hong Kong raise doubts regarding whether this is still the case. The aim of the study was to investigate the changing association between suicide and marital status. MethodsOfficial suicide data for 2002–2020 in Hong Kong were obtained. Suicide rates and suicide risk ratios were calculated by gender, age group, and marital status (married, never-married, widowed, divorced/separated). ResultsSuicide risk decreased significantly over time for men and women of all ages. People who were never-married, divorced/separated, had significantly higher suicide risks than their married counterparts. Increasing suicide risks over time were observed for never-married men aged 20–49 years, never-married women aged 35–49 years, and divorced/separated men aged 20–34 years. Widowed men and women of any age had higher suicide risks compared with previous studies in Hong Kong. LimitationsMarital status is a time-varying covariate, and the time spent in a given marital status could affect suicide risk. Some age and gender subgroups had much smaller sample sizes than others, thus it is possible that our suicide risk estimates were overestimated. ConclusionsDespite rapidly social changing in Hong Kong during the study period, marriage remains a strong protective factor against suicide for men and women. The protective effect is particularly evident for younger people. Increasing suicide rates for divorced/separated, never-married, or widowed people suggest that they require more psychosocial support.

The Representation of Radical Feminism in Black Widow Movie Directed by Cate Shortland

<div class="WordSection1"><p><span lang="EN-US">The goal of feminism is to fully establish gender equality in law and practice while combating sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression. Cate Shortland is the director of the superhero science fiction film <a name="_Hlk145877994"></a>Black Widow. In the film, black widowed women are controlled by the Red Room Academy, a clandestine criminal organization. The primary character and former Black Widow Natasha Romanoff is depicted destroying the Red Room Academy and its male head, Dreykov. The theory of feminism and film analysis are used by the researcher to answer these research questions. There are three objectives in this research. The first objective is to describe the character value of Natasha in the movie. Next is to analyze the radical feminism shown by Natasha in the movie. Last, to analyze the moral value that the director wants to convey. This research was qualitative descriptive method by watching the movie and taking several scenes that were related to the theory. The results of this research reveal that: (1) There are three-character value from Natasha as the main character of the movie; independent, social care and perseverance. (2) The analysis reveals the radical feminism inclinations portrayed by Natasha Romanoff is the act of self-sacrifice. (3) The moral value found in Black Widow movie is about caring each other and women’s right.</span></p></div>

FENOMENA PENCATATAN PERKAWINAN BAGI JANDA DI KUA KECAMATAN TANAH TUMBUH KABUPATEN TANJUNG JABUNG DITINJAU DARI HUKUM KELUARGA

This article aims to find out the process of registering marriages for widows in Tanah Grow District, Tanjung Jabung Regency. Uniquely, what is used instead of the divorce certificate for the prospective bride and groom is a certificate from the Village Head as a document requirement for carrying out the marriage. Meanwhile, Article 6 paragraph 2 letter (f) explains explicitly that the marriage registration procedure for widows is "having a death certificate of the previous wife or husband or in the case of a divorce a divorce certificate (divorce certificate), for marriages for the second time or more" . From this article it can be understood that if a widow wants to get married and the marriage is to be registered, then it must fulfill the existing requirements, one of which is the existence of a divorce certificate issued by the Religious Court. The type of research used is juridical research or what is called field research, namely research carried out in certain places using a qualitative approach method. Meanwhile, the data sources used are primary and secondary. The data collection methods used were interviews, observation and documentation. The results of this research show that the reasons or considerations of the Tanjung Jabung District KUA Tanjung Jabung Regency for registering the marriage of a widowed woman without a divorce certificate are: the first husband had issued a divorce, which according to the KUA was valid to continue with the iddah period having ended. Meanwhile, the pillars and conditions of marriage according to fiqh have been fulfilled. However, the administrative requirements are insufficient, namely the lack of a divorce certificate from the local Religious Court, but the prospective bride and groom replace it with a certificate from the Village Head. In this way, the KUA is not legally prevented from marrying her because one condition is lacking, namely a divorce certificate. From the KUA's considerations or reasons for all these couples, it is clear that the KUA is essentially not implementing the statutory regulations completely, this is caused by various factors. The factors that caused the KUA to issue this letter were economic factors and educational factors, because the bride and groom were classified as underprivileged, especially considering that the level of education in general in the local community was still at elementary level.

Antenatal depression and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care at public health facilities in the Gida Ayana district, Oromia Region, West Ethiopia, in 2022.

Though antenatal depression (AND) has a risk of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality, it is a neglected component of pregnancy care in Ethiopia. Research evidence is compulsory in different parts of the country to alleviate this problem. Thus, this study was needed to assess antenatal depression and its associated factors, which can help antenatal care (ANC) providers and program coordinators focus on the mental health of pregnant mothers. This study aimed to assess antenatal depression and associated factors among pregnant women attending ANC at public health facilities in the Gida Ayana district, Oromia Region, West Ethiopia, in 2022. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 370 pregnant women attending ANC at public health facilities. Systematic random sampling techniques were used to select study participants. A standard (validated) tool, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, was also used to assess antenatal depression. The collected data were coded, entered into Epi-data software version 4.6, and analyzed by SPSS version 23. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify associated factors with a p-value <0.05. In this study, the prevalence of antenatal depression was 62 (16.8%; 95% CI: 13, 20.5). Being single in marital status (AOR = 3, 95% CI: 1.5, 6.2), having an unplanned pregnancy (AOR = 2.7, 95% CI: 1.45, 5.1), and having partner conflict (AOR = 3.49, 95% CI: 1.79, 6.8) were the factors associated with antenatal depression. About one in five pregnant women has antenatal depression. Being single, having an unplanned pregnancy, and having a dissatisfied relationship with a sexual partner were the factors associated with antenatal depression. Therefore, women or partners are expected to plan pregnancy, and the dissemination of health information related to an unplanned pregnancy needs to be intensified by health providers. The partner ought to avoid conflict during the pregnancy, and healthcare providers or families are needed to support the single or widowed pregnant women. Further prospective cohort studies are needed to ascertain the effect of antenatal depression on fetal-maternal outcomes.

The Loss of a Spouse Following an Oncological Disease: A Scoping Review

Objective: Death from cancer is one of the most frequent worldwide and the spouse is the person most at risk of potentially developing psychological consequences. The following study aims to offer a scoping review of studies on people who have lost their spouses to cancer and treatments that could be recommended to prevent psychological consequences. Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses guidelines were used to report the findings of this review. Results: In total, 136 titles and 52 abstracts were selected. Of these 52 articles, 8 articles met all recommendations and inclusion criteria. Conclusions: Although cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide, the issue of bereaved spouses following cancer remains understudied. Several notions and hypotheses were endorsed, such as possible resistance to and difficulties in conducting research on this kind of loss and with caregivers, the role of illness and postmortality in the scientific landscape.

Factors associated with internalized HIV-related stigma among biological mothers living with HIV enrolled in a US cohort study

ABSTRACT Understanding factors associated with internalized HIV-related stigma among mothers living with HIV may improve health outcomes. We examined factors (age, race/ethnicity, education, income, employment, marital status, health limitations, and years since HIV diagnosis) associated with internalized HIV-related stigma among biological mothers of children enrolled in the Surveillance Monitoring for ART Toxicities study of the US-based Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study. Stigma was measured with the Internalized HIV Stigma Scale (IHSS), completed biennially at their child’s 11–17-year visits. Linear regression models were fit with generalized estimating equations to evaluate the association between the factors of interest and internalized HIV-related stigma using all completed IHSS surveys. Among 438 eligible mothers, the mean IHSS score was 43.7 (SD = 19.5). Higher IHSS scores were observed for widowed women compared to married women, with an estimated mean difference of 8.91 (95% CI: 2.25, 15.57) after adjusting for age, education, income, and health limitations. Years since HIV diagnosis was associated with internalized HIV-related stigma. For every year of increase since HIV diagnosis, IHSS scores decreased by 0.54 per year, after adjusting for age (95% CI: −0.92, −0.17). Interventions to reduce internalized HIV-related stigma should target mothers who are widowed and those with a more recent HIV diagnosis.

Rational Actions of Widows Post Earthquake Disaster in Palu City

Earthquakes not only affect material losses, but also affect the socioeconomic lives of widowed women forcing them to act rationally to survive and avoid the threat of poverty. The study aims to analyze the impact of earthquake natural disasters with rational actions of widowed women after the earthquake disaster in Palu City. The research method uses a qualitative descriptive approach. Data collection was carried out through limited observation, in-depth interviews, FGDs and document studies so as to obtain primary and secondary data. Informants were purposively selected as many as 6 people. The data is analyzed interpretively. The validity of the data is done through triangulation. The results showed that in the face of poor post-disaster socioeconomic conditions, there are five models of strategies or rational survival actions carried out by widowed women, namely, borrowing business capital, building an entrepreneurial career, finding a new job, becoming a daily freelancer, and getting married. The forms of rational action carried out by widows are instrumental rational actions, value rationality actions and effective rational actions. It suggested the importance of socio-economic empowerment of widowed women appropriately and sustainably.

Financial Literacy in Career Women and Lifestyle Hedonism in North Semarang District

This study aims to determine the socio-economic conditions of career women, lifestyle of career women, financial literacy of career women, and financial literacy and lifestyle of women's hedonism. This study uses qualitative research methods with a case study approach. the method of selecting subjects used purposive sampling with the categories of single, married and widowed career women. The results of the study show that gender equality in the Tanjung Mas Village in the economic field has been realized and in Indonesia women who have careers have been protected by articles 27 and 33 concerning the equal rights of women to work and receive proper treatment. Career women aim to make ends meet or work in the public world. Financially independent women who always have interactions such as co-workers and income to buy the things they want. These conditions provide opportunities for career women to change their lifestyle into hedonism. Career women in urban areas such as in the North Semarang Sub-District have easy access to public facilities such as cafes, karaoke, bars, and tourist attractions. Financial independence requires financial literacy knowledge and skills to maintain economic stability. Financial literacy abilities in career women include financial information, management skills, and the ability to generate an income by considering current and future risks to lead to financial wellbeing. Keywords: economy, career women, hedonism, financial literacy.

Development of an online service for coping with spousal loss by means of human-centered and stakeholder-inclusive design: the case of LEAVES

To support older mourners after the loss of their partner, LEAVES, an online self-help service that delivers the LIVIA spousal bereavement intervention, was developed. It integrates an embodied conversational agent and an initial risk assessment. Based on an iterative, human-centered, and stakeholder inclusive approach, interviews with older mourners and focus groups with stakeholders were conducted to understand their perspective on grief and on using LEAVES. Subsequently, the resulting technology and service model were evaluated by means of interviews, focus groups, and an online survey. While digital literacy remains a challenge, LEAVES shows promise of being supportive to the targeted end-users.

The WELL study, a digital health intervention to stabilize the 24-hour rhythm of sleep, meals, and physical activity among older bereaved spouses: population and challenges

The WELL study, a digital health intervention to stabilize the 24-hour rhythm of sleep, meals, and physical activity among older bereaved spouses: population and challenges

중·노년기 기혼남녀의 배우자 사별 관련 문제에 대한 지각과 사별 불안 간 관련성

Background/Objectives: This study was conducted to explore the overall trends of perception of spousal bereavement-related problems and anxiety related to spousal bereavement among middle-aged and older married men and women, as well as the moderating effect of gender in their relationship. Methods: Data were collected from a total of 431 married men and women aged 50 and over residing in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and metropolitan areas, and t-tests and hierarchical regression analyses were conducted using SPSS 25.0 and PROCESS Macro 4.1. Results: The results are as follows. First, men had a higher level of spousal bereavement anxiety than women. As for the perceptions of spousal bereavement-related problems, men were more worried about dependence on the spouse, loneliness, and feelings of being abandoned than women, who were more worried about living expenses, financial security, and economic independence than men. Secondly, men had a higher level of spousal bereavement anxiety according to a greater dependence on the spouse whereas women had a higher level of spousal bereavement anxiety according to a greater dependence on the spouse and loneliness. Finally, gender had significant moderating effects on the associations between perceptions of spousal bereavement-related problems and spousal bereavement anxiety. The perceptions of spousal bereavement-related issues had more impacts on spousal bereavement anxiety in women than men. Conclusion/Implications: Based on these research findings, this study suggested institutional and practical intervention measures to anticipate difficulties related to spousal bereavement in middle and old age from a gender perspective and to enable stable and autonomous lives even after bereavement.

Mother’s widowhood and children’s education: Evidence from India

We study the impact of mother’s widowhood on children’s education in India. Using nationally representative panel data, we find that children of mothers who transition into widowhood complete 0.40 additional standardized years of education as compared to their same-age peers. This effect is higher for daughters than sons. Greater maternal autonomy and a higher willingness to co-reside with daughters in old age amongst widowed women may plausibly explain these results.

Lesson Learn The Leadership Period of Admiral Keumalahayati for the Development of Maritime Defense Strategy

Aceh is one of the provinces in Indonesia which is located at the tip of Sumatra Island. History records that Aceh has a strategic position which is the starting point for trade from the sea. Both national and international traders use Aceh as a transportation route. The maritime history of the Kingdom of Aceh can be preserved and published, such as the story of Admiral Keumalahayati. The purpose of this research is to take lessons from the story of Admiral Keumalahayati's leadership for the development of a maritime defense strategy. This study uses qualitative methods and uses a socio-political approach to determine the character of leadership and historical methods to determine the journey of Admiral Keumalahayati's leadership. The results showed that Admiral Keumalahayati had been the leader of the Inong Bale Troop (widow woman), conducting diplomacy with countries that wanted to cooperate with the Kingdom of Aceh. Admiral Keumalahayati was the first female warlord to become the navy leader of the Kingdom of Aceh. This maritime history ultimately has a significant role in overcoming several problems related to Indonesia's position as the world's maritime axis country.

Socio-Economic Challenges Experienced by Widows and Support Provided by Social Workers in Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality in Eastern Cape, South Africa

Widowed women, or widows, across the globe share common experiences which relate to social and economic challenges. For example, in some parts of Africa, widowhood comes as an elevated experience of deprivation, subjugation and humiliation. Widows are not only viewed with suspicion, but are also regarded as an economic burden on their relatives, especially if they are not working. This article reports on a study that aimed to investigate the impact of socio-economic support provided by social workers to widows in mitigating social and economic challenges. A qualitative approach was adopted for the study. The study sample comprised 20 widows and 15 social workers. The findings revealed that widows experience various socio-economic challenges. The study also found that while social workers provide services that are necessary for all South Africans, they do not offer any specific services directed to widows. In conclusion, the situation in which widows find themselves calls for more holistic interventions from social workers as they respond to the challenges that affect widows’ well-being and functioning.

When Marriage Ends: Differences in Affluence and Poverty Among Older Adults in Israel

Studies show that the economic benefits of marriage carry over into old age and that widowhood and divorce have detrimental economic consequences, especially for women. This study asks how affluence and poverty are affected by the timing of widowhood and divorce and tests whether they operate in symmetry. The study draws on Israel’s annual Social Survey from multiple years (2013–2017), conducted by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics. The sample is limited to older individuals, aged 55+ (n = 4824 men, 5643 women). The findings show that married people are less likely to be poor than unmarried people, but they are not always more likely to be affluent. Widowed men and women, and divorced men are more likely to achieve affluence than continuously married couples. The explanation may be that, in the Israeli context, the widowed tend to inherit benefits accumulated by their late spouse, whereas the divorced tend to divide resources when the marriage dissolves. Women incur higher and longer-term penalties for their change in marital status than do men, so that previously married women tend to have higher rates of poverty and lower rates of affluence than previously married men. The findings show that affluence and poverty do not operate in symmetry and that affluence does not simply mirror poverty, especially among men. For example, early widowed and late divorced men have higher odds of both poverty and affluence than married men. These findings demonstrate that poverty and affluence operate differently and examining both leads to new insights.

Differential sensitivity to adversity by income: Evidence from a study of Bereavement

Adverse life events are often understood as having negative consequences for mental health via objective hardships, which are worse for persons with less income. But adversity can also affect mental health via more subjective mechanisms, and here, it is possible that persons with higher income will exhibit greater psychological sensitivity to negative events, for various reasons. Drawing on multiple sociological literatures, this article theorizes potential mechanisms of increasing sensitivity with income. The proposition of differential sensitivity is tested using the strategic case of spousal and parental bereavement among older US adults. The analyses find consistent evidence of increasing sensitivity of depressive symptoms with income. A series of robustness checks indicate that findings are not due to endogenous or antecedent selection. Further, exploratory analyses of mechanisms suggest that higher sensitivity among the affluent was driven by greater expectations and better relationship quality with the deceased. These findings problematize the conceptualization and assessment of human suffering in economically stratified societies.

Socio-Economic and Cultural Transformation of Women after Establishment of Educational Institutions: A Case Study of Diamond Harbour Blocks-I &amp; II

Contemporary societies of Diamond Harbour two Community Development (CD) blocks are changing rapidly. The Diamond Harbour subdivision has nine CD blocks. Among them the block-I has one municipality (16 ward) and eight gram panchayets. The block-II has only eight gram panchayet. It is situated on the eastern banks of the Hooghly River where the river meets the Bay of Bengal and the NH-12 highway and Diamond Harbour-Sealdah railway in the vicinity of Kolkata. These two CD blocks is large with an area of 164.02 sq.km. There are population of 346967 including male (177502) and female (169445) (according to 2011census). In the past (before 20 years) time, the two CD blocks was fully dependent on agriculture, brick field and fishery. But after establishment of the educational institutions, the two CD blocks become a developed blocks. Here the study mainly focuses on the identification of Socio-Economic and Cultural transformation of Women of the two CD blocks due to establishment of educational institutions as Neotia Institute of Technology management and Science (2002), Diamond Harbour Women university (2013), Neotia University (2014), Fakir Chand College (1948), Shishuram Das college (2010), Sadhan Chandra Mohavidyalaya (2007), Jyotirmoy Basu Vocational Training Centre (2001), Diamond Harbour Government Medical College and hospital (2019), Ramkrishna Mission Ashram (boys and girls), English Medium School, IIT Engineering College and various Schools and Madrasahs. When the Educational institutions was set up in 2000 the transformation started and then after 2013 when the Dimond Harbour Women University and Neotio University (2014) were established a huge changes is seen in change in language pattern, dress style, traditional customs, mentality of women, women's live, traditional custom disturbed, old ideas and superstitions, view point of women, literacy rate of women, attitude of men, inspire for education, daughter will go to university, try to get govt. job, moving out from house, laws and customs, divorce rate, status of women, dowry system, status of widow women, conservative minds in the women so on. It also incorporates development of music, dance, sports, art belief, morals, and knowledge, and any other capabilities of women etc. Therefore an attempt has been made here to identify the Socio-economic and Cultural transformation of two CD the blocks and its benefit of Women’s Society.

Impact of visual multimedia in improving entrepreneurial competence and economic self-efficacy among widowed women farmers

PurposeThis study aims to assess the impact of visual multimedia in improving entrepreneurial competence and economic self-efficacy among widowed women farmers.Design/methodology/approachThe participants received entrepreneurial training through visual multimedia package. The sample size was made up of 540 widowed women farmers. The entrepreneurship competence and economic self-efficacy scales were used as the instruments for data collection. The purpose of the entrepreneurial competence scale was to measure the mental competence of the participants to engage in entrepreneurial ventures. On the other hand, the economic self-efficacy scale measured the ability of the women to solve their financial problems, thus, meeting their financial needs. Both scales were administered face-to-face to the participants before, and after the training and during follow-up assessment after three years.FindingsThe result of the study showed that the women farmers reported low entrepreneurship competence and economic self-efficacy before the training. After the training, the women farmers who received the multimedia training reported an improvement, but those who did not receive the training did not show an improvement. A follow-up assessment after three years revealed stability in the improvement among women farmers who received the training. It was also indicated that interactive visual multimedia was found to be more effective than noninteractive visual multimedia.Originality/valueThis study has provided empirical evidence on how best to empower widowed women farmers by improving their entrepreneurial competence and economic self-efficacy. This information could be useful for policy formulation and advocacy in relation to women’s empowerment.

Fluid motherhood: gender, Chinese religions, and kinship maneuvers in the Buddhist women’s Southern Sea diaspora (1880–1960)

ABSTRACT Chinese kinship, the basis and vital force of Chinese societies, is defined by patrilineal descent; thus, it has an agnatic character. The Chinese kinship system was brought to Southeast Asia by Chinese communities in their various diasporic trajectories. Its patriarchal norms have been maintained through various social institutions, under which women were generally peripheral. This article utilizes new materials garnered from fieldwork on women’s temples in Singapore to demonstrate how unmarried, widowed, and unattached Chinese women organized themselves and their networks through matricentric religious establishments. Further, they reconfigured, rebuilt, and reorganized their kinships based on religious lineages, dialect groups, and mutual interests rather than blood. Through providing empirical insights into the gendering and religionizing of Chinese kinships in Southeast Asia, this article seeks to address the persistent male bias in studies of Chinese kinship, arguing for the need to consider non-normative family units that center around women and female religious leadership. Many of the religious women concerned were associated with Buddhism in some way; therefore, this article suggests that Buddhist “families” on the ground do not necessarily comply with traditional Buddhist monastic orders. Rather, they have fluid dispositions and diversified natures. The ambivalence that characterized these local forms of Chinese Buddhism enabled women to navigate and negotiate their multiple socioreligious identities and create their own spiritual homes in male-centered Chinese diaspora communities in Southeast Asia.

Comparing the effect of a multisectoral agricultural intervention on HIV-related health outcomes between widowed and married women

IntroductionWidowed women make up 18–40% of the 12 million women living with HIV in eastern and southern Africa. Widowhood has also been associated with greater HIV morbidity and mortality. We compared the effectiveness of a multisectoral climate adaptive agricultural livelihood intervention (called Shamba Maisha) on food insecurity, and HIV related health outcomes among widowed and married women living with HIV in western Kenya. MethodsWe implemented Shamba Maisha (NCT02815579) using a cluster-randomized control trial design. The intervention arm received an US$175 in-kind loan to purchase a micro-irrigation pump, seeds, and fertilizer, and received eight training sessions on sustainable agriculture and financial management. Study outcomes were measured every 6 months over a 24-month follow-up period and trends in outcomes assessed using multilevel mixed-effects models. ResultsThe trial enrolled 232 (61.5%) married and 145 (38.5%) widowed women. Widowed women (mean age 42.8 ± 8.4 years) were older than married women (35.8 ± 9.0 years) (p < 0.01). Almost all widowed women (97.2%) self-identified as household heads compared to 10.8% of married women. Comparing widowed vs married women, reduction in food insecurity (−3.13, 95%CI -4.42, −1.84 vs. −3.08, 95%CI -4.15, −2.02), depressive symptoms (−0.21, 95%CI -0.36, −0.07 vs. −0.19, 95%CI -0.29, −0.08), internalized stigma (−0.33, 95%CI -0.55, −0.11 vs. −0.38, 95%CI -0.57, −0.19), and anticipated stigma (−0.46 95%CI -0.65, −0.28 vs. −0.35, 95%CI -0.50, −0.21) was similar for both groups. In contrast, improvements in social support (−2.22, 95%CI -3.85, −0.59 vs. −4.00, 95%CI -5.16, −2.84; p = 0.08) and reduction in enacted stigma (0.01, 95%CI -0.06, 0.08 vs. −0.14, 95%CI -0.20, −0.09; p < 0.01) were weaker for widowed than married women. ConclusionsOur study is among the first comparing the effect of a livelihood intervention on HIV health outcomes among widowed and married women. Widowed women experienced similar benefits as married women on individual-level outcomes, but weaker benefit on outcomes dependent on their external environment like enacted stigma and social support. Future trials and programs targeting widowed women should bolster stigma reduction and social support.