Widow Remarriage Research Articles

Contribution Of Savitribai Phule to Women Empowerment, Education and Social Issues

This study aims to know about the feminist Savitribai Phule’s contribution towards women’s education and others social issues. Savitribai Jyotirao Phule was a renowned social activist, educationist and poet of India who did many drastic changes to society by her remarkable efforts. She had counted among well educated women and attributed for establishing the first girl’s school in Pune in Bhide Wada. This was the great step which was taken by her to educate women. Her motivational ideas should be combined in education because she started a revolutionary wave in the existing period of several parts of education. She also took effort towards many social issues by running drive against child marriage, sati pratha and promoting widow remarriage. She did not stop herself and keep doing campaigning against many other issues like untouchability and worked actively in stopping caste and gender-based discrimination. Savitribai Phule was the first lady teacher of India but along with this she was also known as the first Marathi poetess and inspirational to others.

ROLE OF INDIAN CONSTITUTION IN WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

The Indian Constitution is a beautiful blend of both federal and unitary systems. The Indian Constitution is called a federal constitution on the basis that it is a written constitution. It provides for a supreme and independent judiciary. The preamble of the Indian Constitution declares the goal of making India a democratic republic. Its head of state will be elected democratically. Being a republic means that any common person of India, whether a man or a woman, can reach the highest position in the country on the basis of his qualifications. India is a union of states. It is an independent sovereign socialist democratic republic with a parliamentary system of government. This republic is governed according to the Constitution of India which was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949 and which came into force on 26 January 1950. The Constitution of India is the supreme legal authority that links together the legislative, executive and judicial organs of the government. The Constitution provides fundamental rights to all citizens and gives the independent judiciary the right to declare invalid the laws or government actions that violate the Constitution. In the Vedic period, women had a very respectable position in India. But later in the medieval period, the status of women deteriorated a lot due to the arrival of foreigners. Due to illiteracy, bad customs and conservatism in the society, the status of women was greatly affected. But gradually in the first half of the nineteenth century, some social workers of India like Raja Ram Mahen Rai, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Ishwarchand Vidyasagar and Keshavchand Sen raised their voice against the oppressive social system. They raised their voice before the then British rulers for gender equality, women education, ban on Sati Pratha and ban on polygamy, as a result of which Sati Pratha Prohibition Act, 1829 and Hindu Widow Remarriage Act in 1856, Age of Constancy Bill in 1891 and Vative Marriage Act to stop polygamy were passed. By the twenty-first century, the condition of women started improving and the Indian Constitution implemented provisions to promote women's upliftment and empowerment and to improve their economic, social, educational and political status and to include them in the mainstream of development by running many welfare schemes and developmental works.

Growth of Women Education in Colonial India

This study delves into the history of women's education and social reform in colonial India, shedding light on the influential figures, movements, and societal changes that shaped the status of women during this transformative period. It explores the early advocates of women's education and reform, such as Mahadev Govind Ranade and R.G. Bhandarkar, and their contributions to the Prarthana Samaj movement. Widow remarriage, a pivotal social reform, is examined in detail, with a focus on Ranade's role in promoting it. The study also highlights the crucial roles played by women in these reform movements, including figures like Ramabai Ranade and Tarabai Shinde. Additionally, it delves into the evolution of women's education, challenges faced, and the changing attitudes toward women's rights. The study underscores the significant influence of nationalism on women's participation in the freedom struggle, with Mahatma Gandhi emerging as a champion of women's rights. It explores the emergence of feminist consciousness through women's journals and how education served as a catalyst for societal change. By examining these historical contexts, this study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the progression of women's education and empowerment in colonial India.

An equal death: Satyendranath Dutta’s poem on sati and widow remarriage

ABSTRACT The Bengali poet Satyendranath Dutta (1882–1922) is admired for his mastery of prosody and metre. “Sahamaran” – first published in 1906 and translated here into English – is one of his memorable poems centring on the themes of child marriage, sati (widow-burning), and widow remarriage, social issues that engaged the attention of the colonizers and Bengali intelligentsia alike in the heyday of British rule in India. Retaining much of 19th- and early-20th-century Bengali literature’s social reformist zeal, the poem spotlights the complicity of patriarchy and religion in the victimization of women and conveys the message that transgressing socio-religious codes is the only means of overcoming patriarchal oppression and violence. It further suggests that a woman’s financial independence is vital to supporting herself and her family and having equality in her relationship with her husband. The poem, however, falls short of envisaging a female subjectivity that is not male-defined.

Socio-Economic Structure of Widowhood in India: Past and Present

This paper is a historiographical review of selected significant scholarship on widowhood in India. Most important conclusion is that the difference in widowhood experiences in India is premised upon the fact that the high-caste customs and cultural codes has created a disadvantageous gender equation for women. Nineteenth century legal-reformist debates around sati, widow remarriage and the age of consent were templates on which deep anxieties over the Hindu female body were expressed. Widow remarriage was a way of bringing this body back into the arena of reproduction and motherhood. While the actual practice of sati (widow self - immolation) was declared unlawful, the cultural codes upholding a widow’s imagined renunciatory powers were also being rewritten throughout the anti-colonial movement. A strong notion of a possible ‘living’ sati was created. The attributes of self-discipline and perfect control over one’s sexual desires and impulses became the highest preferable form of Hindu womanhood (irrespective of the caste and class of women). Besides nation building, the patriarchal perceptions of the ‘self-controlled’ body of a Hindu widow also facilitated the ease with which modernity could be fused with ideas of honour and self-abnegation amongst Hindu women. These ideas coexisted with the Indian reformist demand for enhanced property rights for women (widows in particular) and women’s growing role in the anti-colonial movement as well as in the post-1947 Indian society and economy.

EXPLORING WIDOW REMARRIAGE: A STUDY OF VEDIC INDIA

The study revisits the contentious issue of widow remarriage in Vedic India through an in-depth analysis of various passages from Vedic texts and different interpretations posited by scholars. The findings suggest that, while it has been historically viewed marriage as an indissoluble sacrament in Hinduism, evidence regarding widow remarriage is not conclusive. Some scholars argue that widow remarriage, specifically to a deceased husband's brother, was practiced during the Vedic era. This assertion is supported by Rigvedic passages X.18.8 and X.40.2, which purportedly hint at the practice. However, this interpretation is disputed, with some arguing that these passages actually underscore practices of self-sacrifice or 'niyoga' (levirate marriage). The study further explores Atharvavedic verses suggesting the remarriage of a punarbhu or a betrothed woman, not a widow. The research therefore suggests that Vedic texts did not explicitly endorse widow remarriage. It argues for a nuanced understanding of ancient customs and societal norms, highlighting the need for more rigorous and context-sensitive interpretations of Vedic texts.

‘Half dead survivor’ (A debate on ‘Chand’ special issue: 1923)

This essay pertains to the plight of widows within Indian culture, as discussed by female intellectuals of a Hindi women’s magazine. Beginning with a survey of the prevailing condition of women in the early 20th century that was predominantly a continuation of the traditional social order with little changes, the essay situates this as the backdrop for the examination of widows’ position. This article sheds light on the various atrocities that were inflicted upon widows, who were subjected to a form of enslavement within their culture. In particular, this essay emphasizes the challenges that widows must had to overcome in order to reclaim their agency and dignity in the face of these oppressive circumstances. The present article posits that the struggle of widows is an issue of individual consciousness, and it aims to examine the everyday unease experienced by widows through a periodical lens. Throughout the 20th century, widows were considered an element of extreme dislike and a dependent community, rendering them an unsuspicious part of Indian society. The paper investigates into the anxiety and uneasiness experienced by widows with regard to their religious-cultural associates, practices, and the secluded pain they endure, which reinforces women’s identities as social threats. Furthermore, the article examines the criticism leveled by conservative groups at the editor of the journal “Chand”1 for advocating widow remarriage after introducing a special issue on widows.

Women in Manju Kapur’s Brothers

Despite cultural, moral, or geographical variations, women all around the world share a sisterhood that unites them in a perpetual relation. When it comes to their shared experiences as women, they are both unique and similar. Although it's titled Brothers, Manju Kapur's latest novel devotes significant attention to strong female bonds among sisters who persevere in the face of patriarchal oppression. Although women's rights are improving throughout time, they still have a long way to go before they reach the "promised land" of full equality with men. The tale follows two brothers as they pursue careers in politics in the city of pink, Jaipur. In addition, the book has female protagonists whose stories evolve in tandem with those of women's rights activists in India. The novel uses the characters' experiences to show how movements to empower women have helped reduce the negative effects of sati, widowhood, widow remarriage, and parenthood. However, patriarchal constraints on women's sexuality continue to be a problem that limits their agency. The novelist's reaction to women's movements in India, as shown via the actions of her characters, is what first captures the attention of a scholar. As a result, the novel raises a number of complex and nuanced questions about the status of women in contemporary India.a

Exploring the Subject of Hindu Widowhood in Koirala and Shah’s Short Stories

Nepali Hindu widows have been discriminated in social, cultural and religious activities that have affected the psyche of the widows. People debilitate widows and consider them vulnerable and insecure. The research paper has explored the portrayal of Nepali Hindu widows’ conditions in B. P. Koirala’s “To the Lowlands” and Prem Shah’s “A Husband” from the viewpoint of new criticism. The conflicts, tensions, symbols and meanings of the lives of the Hindu widows portrayed in the selected texts are analysed from a new critic’s perspective. The study has exploited exploratory qualitative method. Koirala has portrayed a Hindu widow who left the house because of abuses by her brother-in-law and tortured by in-laws. She moved to the plain (tarai) with four men including Gore for happy life. But Gore stole the widow’s gold and money despite her marriage proposal. Shah portrayed a widow Nirmala who was teased and abused by a driver and her sister’s probable husband. She wants to make up her face, but she was frightened with her elder brother, sister and mother because of restrictions imposed upon Hindu widows. Koirala and Shah have depicted miserable widowhood in the Nepali Hindu society. Although sati tradition has been abolished and remarriage of widows are encouraged in the present time, widows are psychologically shattered because of Hindu socio-cultural viewpoints on them, and Hindu widows still sacrifice their lives through psychological sati in Nepali society. The analysis of widowhood in the stories contributes to understanding the condition of widows in Hindu society.

Dravidian Ideology in the Poems of Bharathidasan

The progress of a country depends on the rationality of its people. Only rational people can stand against the superstitions that are ruining a country. Many writers and poets with such Dravidian ideology are promoting Dravidian ideology among the people by lashing the contradictory superstitions through their writings and speeches. They are struggling to break blind rituals, formalities, superstitions, and absurdities. They are inculcating beneficial ideas like Tamil language, anti-other language, women's education, women's rights, anti-child marriage, widow remarriage, abolition of untouchability. Among them, Pavendhar Bharathidasan's role was immeasurable. In this way, this article examines the Dravidian ideologies of Pavendhar Bharathidasan.

The Widow's Reincarnation bound in Revolutionary Poetic Writing

When Bharathiar sings about women and their problems, he sings that women should fight for the freedom of the country and fight for their freedom. He has also elevated women to motherhood as a symbol of power. But Bharathidasan looks closely at the problems of women's lives and analyses and sings the social problems of women, such as widowhood, superstition, child marriage, etc. Bharathidasan tried to eliminate the disadvantages faced by women in society. In general, he warns men that he does not want to justify everything that men do in society. The situation of women in our country is very deplorable. From the foot to the top, the whole body should be corrected. It must be said that the slavery of women is due to the superstitious practices of our country. Pavendar Bharathidasan can be regarded as someone who worked hard to change the situation of women by associating himself with Periyar's rationality and ideas. While women's society cannot be completely reformed, there is a sense of reform among semi-educated women. The remarriage of the widow can be specifically pointed out. Through his works, it can be said that Pavendar Bharathidasan was the one who sowed the seeds of widow remarriage.

Remarriage and Stepfamilies in the ‘Western Islands’ of Europe: the rural Azores of Portugal in the 18th and 19th centuries

ABSTRACT This article uses parish registers, libri status animarum, and notarial records from the 18th and 19th centuries to assess the extent to which the rates of remarriage of widows and widowers in the Azores were similar to those of mainland Portugal. We consider that, despite the clear obstacles to marriage on the islands (due especially to male emigration) remarriage was in fact frequent and created stepfamilies. Factors such as social tolerance, sexuality outside of marriage and the lack of stigmatization of remarriage may provide part of the explanation. The article shows that a high proportion of widows gave birth to children during their widowhood and out of wedlock. Further, widows frequently attracted men of a much younger age as spouses, which again was socially tolerated. After remarriage by a widowed parent, the general pattern was to raise stepchildren in the family home. Remarriage rarely led to the departure of a stepchild under 16 from the household. The article considers the life trajectories of children who suffered parental loss and the half-orphans whose parents subsequently remarried. Moreover, a significant number of stepfamilies were formed by single mothers, who later married a man who was not the biological father of their child(ren). Beyond the qualitative analysis of parental loss and remarriage, the article outlines the motives of the widowed parents who sought to remarry quickly and follows some stepfamily experiences to detail the moments of transition and living arrangements of stepfamilies. The parish records combined with documents from notaries allow a qualitative understanding of some of the remarried spousal partnerships as well as the stepparent-stepchild relationships developed over decades.

Widowhood revisited: Nature of landholding and women’s work in colonial agrarian Bengal

Despite major economic and political changes in the last two centuries, the incidence of underage marriage of girls as well as their widowhood is much higher in West Bengal than in any other parts of India. The incidence of widowhood was very high in Bengal among the major colonial provinces in the first half of the twentieth century. Many historians argue that marriage practices of the higher castes gradually percolated downwards, and many intermediary cultivating castes as well as lower castes started following the norms of child marriage and ban on widow remarriage as a means of attaining social respectability during the closing decades of the nineteenth and the early years of the twentieth century. This article tries to explore whether the very high incidence of widowhood in colonial Bengal in the first half of the twentieth century could also have been linked to the very nature of women’s labour force participation which in turn was largely determined by the nature of the agrarian economy.

COLONIAL RULE AND MUSLIM WOMEN

Relevant to any attempt for amelioration of woman’s conditions was the history of Muslim people in general and that of Muslims in the Indo-Pak Subcontinent in particular. This paper highlights Muslim women’s struggle for their rights movements in British India. Their continuous struggle altered educational and political institutions, allowing them to emerge from seclusion and participate more actively in the nation's public life.
 It is said that when women in the developed countries were agitating against their own male regarding their rights, a similar struggle had begun in the subcontinent where men started encouraging participation of women in education and politics, appreciated, and sometimes patronized it. The imperialists in India reversed the economic and social milieu. By strengthening system, British fortified the position of the feudal and tribal lords which not only contributed towards solidifying the struggle for Muslim Women’s Rights in the British India but also resulted in lowering the status of women. The British, on the other hand, did not believe it was necessary to extend their politics into all aspects of life. As a result, local laws continued to apply in family and personal matters like as marriage, guardianship, and inheritance, and the status quo between men and women was maintained. After a prolonged protests and struggle for women’s rights, the central legislature undertook legislation on issues relating to Muslim women such as child marriage, property rights, widow remarriage, divorce, etc. Muslim women had to resisted on the laws imposed by imperialists as most of it were the violation of their fundamental rights, and that they were mostly successful i.e., law of inheritance 1937. The paper shows that women's struggles for educational and political freedom had a significant impact in the British India Particularly in 1940s during Pakistan Movement. Everyone is aware of the social changes/developments that occurred at that time. However, few people acknowledge that women had a key role in bringing about these developments. It is hardly an exaggeration to say that women have achieved tremendous progress and have paved the way for more reforms in late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Two Distant Feminist Standpoints in Nineteenth-Century India: Case Studies of Savitribai Phule and Pandita Ramabai

Modern feminist theory endeavours to explain gender inequality in terms of gender politics, power hierarchies and sexuality. In this endeavour, it has come to the crossroads with a variety of theoretical and philosophical domains. It dynamically deals with multiple domains such as sociology, history, anthropology, economics, philosophy, psychoanalysis and literary criticism. Standpoint epistemology has been applied by gender scholars to highlight the intersectional issues in feminist theory. In the present article, two different feminist standpoints in the nineteenth-century India have been discussed. Feminist ideologies of Savitribai Phule, a low-caste Hindu woman, and Pandita Ramabai, a high-caste Hindu widow, have been compared. Their thoughts and writings on diverse gender issues such as education, self-reliance, child marriage, widow remarriage and choice marriage have been examined. Since both the leaders are from different backgrounds at the individual, interactional and macro levels, efforts have been made to understand their standpoints. By tackling two different standpoints, it has been embarked upon to contribute to a critical gender scholarship leading to a better social understanding.

AN ANALYSIS OF ISHWAR CHANDRA VIDYASAGAR AS PIONEER OF WOMAN EDUCATION

The eighteenth and nineteenth century are the most resplendent period in the history of India. During this time, India witnessed the holistic reawakening of the people in the world of new ideals, new thoughts and aspirations in every dimensions of life. The regeneration of India got its expression in Bengal and so this resurgence is called Bengal Renaissance Movement. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar played a prominent and vital role in Bengal Renaissance. He also advocated individual liberty and freedom of the press. He was a staunch fighter for the rights and honour of women .Vidyasagar realized a change may be said to have come over the spirit of the times and this may be reckoned as a new era in the history of education on Bengal. He also propagated the ideal from the Shastas ,KanyapyebamPalaniyasikshaniyaitayatnatah- Daughters also are to be reared up and educated with care together with sons. Vidyasagar left no stone unturned to unfetter women from the bondages. He also fought for widow remarriage, abolition of polygamy, child marriage and female education. Educated women are the weapons who yield positive impact on the Indian society through their contributions of home and professional fields. Education as means of empowerment of women can bring about a positive attitudinal change. Vidyasagar was pioneer in woman empowerment who realized way back in 18 th century that unless and until resurrection and empowerment of woman is done reform or renaissance was impossible to bear fruit in the society.

Focus on Women Education in Early Indian English Novels

The paper focuses on the works written by early Indian writers throwing light on the condition, need and concern for women’s education. Keeping the patriarchy as root, the Indian women novelists made a debut after independence and started producing novels dealing with themes of family, dowry, child marriage, superstitious practices, education, purdah system and widow remarriage. With their personal experiences and suffrage women novelists have paved down the path for modern writers of the time. They represented their vision of a ‘New Women’, a woman who is courageous, educated, independent and liberated.

Remarriage of elderly Widows: Widows’ attitude and fear regarding new romantic relationships

This study examines the fears, after the death of their partners, which elderly widows experience regarding a new romantic relationship, in other words the decision whether to stay single or remarry. Participants in the study were widows who provided information about their attitude and fears regarding remarriage. The study operationalizes the theory of marriage in order to understand the factors that influenced their decisions whether to remain single or opt for re-marriage. The study is anchored in a phenomenological approach. Semi-structured interviews with elderly widows who were not currently married were employed to collect data. The data were analyzed using thematic content analysis that defined the experiences and perceptions of elderly widows. The findings were categorized into five main themes: fear of being ostracised by in-laws and family pressure, poor previous marriages, the caregiver role, inheritance rights, and not being able to find a suitable partner. Their involvement in a remarried relationship is perceived as taboo by both family and family-in-law. Furthermore, they see a remarriage as compromising their inheritances rights and are aware of the difficulty of finding a partner who matches their preference.

SAVITRIBAI PHULE THE FIRST LADY TEACHER AND SOCIAL REFORMER IN NINETEENTH CENTURY OF INDIA

Savitribai Phule was an important social reformer and leading character of the then Maharashtra. She was the first lady teacher of first girl’s school in India. Not only a teacher she was a great social reformer. In nineteenth century she was a power source of woman education and woman empowerment. She was also a founder of modern Marathi poetry. At this crisis time she and Jyotirao Phule established a girl’s school with nine students in 1848 at Pune in Bhide Wada and she also taught in this school. She did not stop there, she raised her voice against the practice of child marrage, sati pratha and child widows for the betterment of the human race and society. At the same time, she promoted a positive attitude towards widow remarriage. She was an idol of Dalit and Mang community like Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. She also moved against untouchability and rule out the discrimination grounded on caste and gender.

Social Exclusion and the Runaway Couples: A Study of Their Hardships

In terms of marriage, an individual becomes excluded or attains a disadvantaged position when she/he deviates from the existing norms of society. In this sense, generally, three types of marriages become contentious: (a) widow remarriage, (b) inter-caste marriages and (c) runaway marriages. These types of marriages are treated as deviance from society’s normative guidelines, and such couples are vulnerable to various levels of exclusion and stigma. Against this backdrop, the present study was undertaken to explore the hardships of nine runaway couples (18 participants). The selection of participants was made through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The findings revealed that most runaway couples face extreme relationship breakdown, exclusion and stigma, along with a lack of basic amenities, including housing, household amenities, medical care and ownership rights. They mainly reside in the rented buildings and have achieved an outcast’s status even in Muslim-dominated society. Caste, economic background and social status barriers were three significant forces resulting in elopement that reinforce exclusion and violence against runaway couples.