Young Widows Research Articles

Neglect of Young Widowed Women in Bojonegoro Regency

This research aimed to determine the neglect experienced by young widows in Bojonegoro Regency and the efforts needed to improve their circumstances. 80% of widows are young widows under 35 years old. In reality, Young widows in Bojonegoro are often ignored by their families, society and government. This research used Erich Fromm’s theory to find the realities of young widows and the forms of neglect they receive. This research used qualitative methods by collecting data using purposive sampling and interviewing widows aged 26-35. The results of the research are that young widows in Bojonegoro Regency experience neglect because society and the government are more focused on providing support and attention to their children, not to the widowed themselves. Community treatment is also different between widows because their husbands die and divorce. The biggest problem that burdens young widows is economic problems. Efforts to increase the government’s and society’s awareness of young widowed women can be made in three ways: providing financial assistance, emotional assistance and providing decent work opportunities. The hope of implementing this research is to reduce the neglect of women, especially young widows in Bojonegoro Regency, and increase concern for them so that they are able to be more economically independent and play a role in society. Keywords: Neglect; Young widow; Awareness

Young widowhood: A qualitative study of sexuality after partner loss

Partner loss deprives young widows of physical contact, emotional intimacy, and the fulfillment of sexual desire. Although disenfranchised and oppressed, sexuality is a core piece of women’s identity, and sexual bereavement may compel widows to reconstruct their sexual identities. This existential phenomenological study seeks to illuminate the sexual loss and coping of young widows aged 45 and under. Qualitative findings from 21 women indicated three findings: a) young widows felt profound loss regarding their sexual relationships, leading to deep physical loneliness and an initial disinterest in sex; b) some subsequently experienced widows’ fire, an involuntary and often distressing intense sexual desire marked by cravings, obsessive thoughts, and a longing for connection; c) widows’ fire complicated their struggle to understand their post-loss identities as sexual beings. These findings highlight the neglected and significant repercussions of sexual loss for young widows and point to a need for heightened support, psychoeducation, and research.

Factors Contributing to the Resilience of Sub-Saharan African Widows: A Scoping Review.

This scoping review aims to synthesize the factors contributing to the resilience of African widows, a topic that has been overlooked. This oversight is concerning, considering the substantial population of African widows, as well as the increasing number of young widows in Africa. We conducted a comprehensive search across various databases (including Academic Search Complete, Africa-wide, PsycARTICLES, PsychINFO, Humanities Sources Worldwide, Proquest, Pubmed, Scopus, Wiley Online, and Taylor & Francis) to identify studies of the resilience of widows living in Africa. From an initial pool of 124 records, we carefully evaluated 19 papers for inclusion. Employing a narrative synthesis approach, we synthesized the findings from the eight selected studies. This analysis revealed that the resilience of African widows is a multifaceted socio-ecological process, primarily facilitated by personal and relational resilience factors. Notably, there is a limited emphasis on the role of cultural resources, which may be attributed to the prevalence of dehumanizing cultural practices experienced by African widows. In conclusion, our findings underscore the need for greater attention to macrosystemic resources, including culturally supportive practices, to bolster the resilience of African widows.

A Socioecological Examination of the Challenges Associated With Young Widowhood: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review employs a socio-ecological framework to investigate the challenges that arise due to early spousal loss. The research team conducted a systematic review of studies published between 2013 and 2023 to uncover factors that influence the grieving process in bereaved spouses. The results reveal that concurrent with the grief and devastation associated with partner loss, young widows and widowers also face a harsh reality filled with secondary losses, financial difficulty, mental health distress, emotional anguish, and identity crises. These hardships are exacerbated by social norms that disenfranchise the grief of young widows and widowers. These norms are then enacted interpersonally and codified in policy. The review's findings underscore the necessity for increased community grief education and support, focused clinical attention, and policy advocacy.

“Grief Lasts Longer Than Sympathy”: Qualitatively Examining Disenfranchised Grief in Young Widowhood

Because widowhood at a young age occurs outside of the expected life stage, it is not a very well-understood experience, and it can lead to a lack of understanding, validation, or support for young widows and widowers. This paper presents a secondary data analysis of a qualitative research study focused on twenty-one women who became widowed before the age of 45. At the time of the study, the average participant age was 36.6. This study used Braun & Clark’s semantic, deductive, thematic analysis to apply the conceptual framework of disenfranchized grief to examine the experiences of invalidation and judgment among young widows and found three key themes. First, young widows perceived that the profound nature of their loss was frequently unrecognized and trivialized. Second, they faced criticism for how they expressed and coped with their loneliness and grief. Third, arbitrary societal norms pressured young widows to adhere to timelines after their partner’s loss. These findings underscore the importance of addressing disenfranchisement in mental health support for young, widowed clients. Furthermore, the study highlights the need for community-level grief awareness campaigns and psychoeducation to educate the community about the difficulties of navigating life after partner loss.

Journey Towards a Meaningful Life: Adaptation and Resilience in the Lives of Young Hindu Widows.

Spousal death is a life-altering and traumatic life event in married life, compelling the surviving partner to transition and make substantial adjustments to their new life situation. Losing a spouse can affect individuals differently based on gender, impacting their psychological, social, and economic well-being. This article describes adaptation to a new life condition as widows strive to reconcile their roles, status, and identity while binding their resilience to direct their lives. This study explored the lives of 17 young Hindu widows in rural and semi-urban areas of Haryana, India. Using personal face-to-face interviews and purposive sampling, it captured their unique life stories. After losing their spouses, participants showed impressive resilience, reshaping their lives and identities. They navigated challenges firmly, emphasising personal commitment over social support for effective adaptation. It highlights a need for better support systems for widows, offering potential pathways to enhance their post-loss well-being.

The struggle of young widows in the tea estates of Bangladesh: a qualitative inquiry

ABSTRACT This study aims to investigate the predicament of young widows residing in the tea estates of Bangladesh. The study used qualitative methods to understand how young widows perceive and interpret their experiences of widowhood. Nine young widows were chosen for the in-depth semi-structured interviews using referral sampling. Data were analysed thematically, which was then critically explored and contrasted with the previous literature. The results demonstrated that young widows in the tea gardens struggled to address the psychological, economic, health care, educational, and recreational demands of their children due to declining resource bases. Additionally, young widows face sexual harassment, emotional disturbances, financial insecurity, and gender-sensitive discriminatory cultural practices. The paper advocated for expanding the social safety net in the tea gardens and ensuring land ownership among the tea gardeners.

Economics of widowhood mortality in adult women in India

The economic consequence of widowhood on health is well-established, demonstrating that economic factors can significantly link with health outcomes, even the risk of mortality for widows. However, empirical evidence is restricted only to developed countries. Thus, this study assesses the role of economic factors (paid work, pension and household economic status) on the mortality of widows in broad age groups in India. We used two waves of the India Human Development Survey (IHDS), a nationally representative prospective dataset in India for 42,009 women (married and widows) aged 25 years and above at IHDS wave 1 whose survival status was observed between two waves. Further, 6,953 widows were considered for sub-sample analysis in this study. Logistic regression and propensity score matching (PSM) were applied to understand the association and causality between economic factors and mortality for widows. Poor household economic status, paid regular work, and receiving a widowed pension were significantly associated with lower mortality risk for young widows. In comparison, unpaid and paid regular work was linked with lower mortality risk for old widows. The result of causal analysis suggests that receiving a widows' pension had a slight impact on mortality reduction for young widows while engaging in paid regular work significantly reduced the mortality of old widows. This research confirms that the link between economic factors and mortality among widows is age dependent in the Indian context.

Widowhood status, morbidity, and mortality in India: evidence from a follow-up survey.

A known health effect of widowhood is an increased mortality risk among surviving spouses, with gender- and age-specific observations. While morbidity conditions with socio-economic factors may exacerbate the effect of widowhood on mortality, no research has attempted to predict mortality among the widowed over the married population with the presence of morbidity in India. Thus, the present study concurrently examines marital status and health in the Indian setting, bringing substantial empirical evidence to explore the link between marital status, morbidity, and mortality. The study used prospective data from India Human Development Survey (IHDS) wave 1 (2004-2005) and wave 2 (2011-2012). In total, 82,607 individuals aged 25 years and above were considered for the analysis. To present the preliminary findings, descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis were used. Using multivariable logistic regression, the interaction effect of marital status and morbidity status was estimated to predict the likelihood of mortality. Across all socio-economic groups, widowed individuals reporting any morbidity had a higher mortality proportion than married people. Young widowers with any morbidity are more susceptible to increased mortality. Asthma among young widowers and cardiovascular diseases among elderly widowers significantly elevate the probability of mortality. However, older widowed women with diabetes had a lower probability of mortality than older married women with diabetes. The widowers' disadvantage in mortality and morbidity may be attributable to less care-receiving and the greater incidence of unhealthy lifestyle practices during the post-widowhood period, indicating the need for more research.

Acheflour and Blauncheflour: Mothers and Wives in Sir Percyvell of Galles and Sir Tristrem

Abstract The Middle English characters of Acheflour, the hero’s mother in Sir Percyvell of Galles, and Blauncheflour, the hero’s mother in Sir Tristrem, share their actively voiced concern for their sons. In doing so, they are granted greater prominence in these Middle English narrative contexts than their counterparts in other linguistic traditions. In this article, I argue that the figure of Acheflour, whose agency has been acknowledged in scholarship, sets up a standard for Blauncheflour, whose role in the story has been, on the contrary, rather overlooked. Acheflour and Blauncheflour have in common that they are sisters to a king – Arthur and Mark respectively – and young widows. I argue that the strategies that they develop in order to protect their sons from the dangers of knighthood are comparable and create stronger relationships with these young knights.

Grief Process and Support Systems for Military Widows

ABSTRACT This qualitative study aimed to give voice to young military widows through a phenomenological approach using a feminist lens. The researchers interviewed four young military widows and explored how they experienced the sudden traumatic loss of their spouse, the supports they utilized to cope with their loss, and their perception of the supports they used. There were four major themes that emerged through participant interviews: 1) notification process; 2) response to the notification of the sudden traumatic loss of their husband; 3) finding own path from grief to healing; and 4) support systems utilized during the healing process. Some supports were perceived as effective, and others were perceived as ineffective. All the military widows who participated in this study went through a very individualized healing process after the loss of their spouse and utilized a variety of supports to heal. Findings from this study have clinical implications unique to military widows and families regarding life transitions following the loss of their partner and factors that can impact their mental health.

Grief Process and Support Systems for Military Widows

ABSTRACT This qualitative study aimed to give voice to young military widows through a phenomenological approach using a feminist lens. The researchers interviewed four young military widows and explored how they experienced the sudden traumatic loss of their spouse, the supports they utilized to cope with their loss, and their perception of the supports they used. There were four major themes that emerged through participant interviews: 1) notification process; 2) response to the notification of the sudden traumatic loss of their husband; 3) finding own path from grief to healing; and 4) support systems utilized during the healing process. Some supports were perceived as effective, and others were perceived as ineffective. All the military widows who participated in this study went through a very individualized healing process after the loss of their spouse and utilized a variety of supports to heal. Findings from this study have clinical implications unique to military widows and families regarding life transitions following the loss of their partner and factors that can impact their mental health.

Inter-Ethnic Conflicts, Counter Raids and Widowhood in North-Eastern Uganda

North-Eastern Uganda is a semi-arid region where inter-ethnic conflicts, cattle raids and violence are common. The nomadic Karamojong are the inhabitants of this region. A typical Karamojong man is socially defined by the number of his wives and cattle. As cattle, sheep, goats and camels are required for the payment of the bridal price, a Karamojong man spends most of his time raiding them in order to acquire more wives. Often, many warriors die in those raids, leaving behind young widows who, by age-old tradition, have to be inherited by the husband’s brother or clan mate. This article discusses the centrality of women, widows and widowhood in the inter-ethnic conflicts, raids and counter- raids that have characterized north-eastern Uganda for centuries. Using a qualitative approach involving key informant’s interviews, we analyzed the series of socio-cultural practices and customary laws that many Karamojong women and widows are subjected to during their struggles for basic needs, human rights, and dignity. The interviews were conducted from March to August 2021 in Karenga, Nakapiripirit and Amudat Districts of Karamoja, and in the suburbs of Mbale and Kampala Cities where a number of Karamojong women now live.

“Life after him was just hell”: Young rural women’s lived experiences of widowhood in Rajasthan, India

This phenomenological study was conducted in rural Rajasthan, India, to explore young widows’ lived experiences. On receipt of written informed consent, we interviewed 14 young widows. The data were analyzed in an idiographic style using the interpretive phenomenological approach. The perspective of loss and sociocultural contexts grounded the analysis. Six themes emerged corresponding to the women’s widowhood experiences: becoming a widow; entangled by customs; stigmatization; the impossible marriage; hope in widowhood; and economic deprivation. The results underline the predicaments of young widows, and these experiences are largely framed by the sociocultural and gender norms prevailing in rural communities. The study’s findings imply the need for strengthening social and legislative measures for young widows.

Without Spouse: Phenomenology of Widowhood among Hindu Young Widows.

When a woman is widowed, it is a traumatic moment in her life. The pain would aggravate a widowed woman whose husband died at a younger age. This paper attempts to depict the lived experience of widowhood from the perspective of young Hindu widows by using a descriptive phenomenological approach guided by Husserlian philosophy. The selected widows for this study were under 45years old when they had lost their husbands. This paper excerpts from the author's empirical study for his doctoral thesis. The article will focus on four major themes that emerged from analysing the transcribed data collected from seventieth widows through personal face-to-face interviews. These themes are grief, restrictiveness, suspiciousness, and loneliness, which will discuss elaborately throughout this article. The article advocates that researching the lived experience through a phenomenological approach can enhance understanding of any traumatic phenomenon humans encounter. This way, specific initiatives can be taken by the community, non-governmental organisations, etc., for better counselling and redressing widows' mental issues.

Parenting While Grieving: The Experience of Widows with Young Children

The death of a spouse while parenting young children brings unique challenges for the widow who must not only grieve the loss of a partner but also navigate the demands of solo parenting and help their children through the grieving process. The multiple layers of losses place young widows at risk for the development of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety and negative health trajectories. Bereavement outcomes are influenced by the practical and emotional resources that a widow has available to them as well as the strength of their social support network. This qualitative study explored the grief experiences of widows with young children and the factors that influenced adaptation post-loss. Open ended survey questions were used to gather data from 232 widows and thematic analysis was used to identify themes in the data. All of the themes centered on the multiple layers of grief that must be navigated as widows adapt to being a solo parent and the practical and emotional challenges that they experienced. The widows identified that they were simultaneously grieving the loss of their spouse, while helping their children manage the grieving process, and grieving the life, plans, and opportunities that the death of their spouse had taken from them. While the demands of parenting increased challenges to adaptation and increased experiences of self-doubt, parenting was also identified as a role that had a positive impact on bereavement, helping the widows to remain engaged in their lives as they navigated this difficult journey.

Women in Conflict and Post-conflict Situations: An Anthology of Cases from Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Other Countries

Women in Conflict and Post-conflict Situations: An Anthology of Cases from Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Other Countries

In search for a new identity after spousal death: the desire to remarry among young widows in South Africa

The study aims to understand the desire of young widows in South Africa to remarry again after the loss of their spouse. These young widows lose their husband at very early stage of their lives and are faced with the challenges of raising their children alone. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 young widows, no more than a year after their husbands’ deaths. They participate in the interview process to share the search for an identity after the spousal death. Data was analysed by using thematic content analysis. Their responses mainly highlighted their desire to remarry and escape poverty. The thematic analysis indicated that remarrying was influenced by age, sexual desire, financial pressure, companionship, and community pressure. The widows find it very difficult to find a perfect match, as many men of their age group are already married. They find themselves dating married men. This is as a result of the shortage of men of their age group. Four major themes emerged from the interviews, namely age of the widow, financial support, ccompanionship, and if ostracised by the community. The findings of the study revealed that there is a strong desire for young widows to remarry, and this desire is met with many obstacles they must overcome along the way. The study recommends that men must be gender sensitive when dating widows; they are human too and need to be treated with respect.

Guest House for Young Widows: Among the Women of ISIS. By Azadeh Moaveni. Random House, 2019, 338 pp.

book review

Young Single Widow, Dynamics of In-Laws Interference and Coping Mechanisms: Simplicity-Parsimony Approach.

The incidence of short marital duration due to the demise of a husband that often exposes young widows to in-laws’ exploitation of the asset of the deceased spouses, without regard for negative health consequences and potential vulnerability to poverty has not been exhaustively investigated, especially in sub-Saharan Africa where 16% of adult women are widows. The study examined the coping mechanisms among the young widow (aged ≤ 40) who have experienced short conjugal relationships (≤5 years) and burdensome from in-laws. The research design followed a qualitative approach with the aid of semi-structured in-depth interviews among 13 young widows selected through snowballing and informant-led approaches in the purposively selected communities. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics and a thematic approach. The findings, among others, shows the median age of young widow as 29 years. All participants, except one, have faced exploitation from their in-laws over their husbands’ assets. All the participants desired to re-marry in order to: have a father figure for their children, have their own children or have more children. There is an absence of government support, but a few have received support from religious organisations. The author proposed attitudinal-change campaigns targeting the in-laws through accessible media and legislature that could challenge the exploitation of widows and unhealthy widowhood rites.