3 Mental Struggles Faced by Widows in India

Is she that strong?

Facing societal discrimination, and seeing everyone leaving her, she still stands out but is she really well?

A girl lying on bed looking sad.

We are talking about widows in India.

They need mental support and guidance, or their life will just fade like their husband.

We are going to explore 3 Mental struggles explored by widows in India.

1. Grief and Loss

Losing a spouse is not easy, especially in a country like India where women are either their fathers' property or their husbands'.

A girl sitting on a bench and crying.

In marriage, a girl is given to a man who gives her a new reality of being his wife. When he dies, it's not easy for her to shift to a new reality given her grief and loss.

While she is already suffering from her loss, society wants her to wear a white saree, remove all jewelries, and eat plain food. Can you imagine how much pain she might be feeling given her situation? A woman who has lost her husband and wants this society to support her, but it is adding extra load to her grief.

Expressing pain openly is also stigmatized, particularly for widows.

Certain cultural norms dictate that they should not mourn openly. If they refrain from crying, the pain becomes internalized, increasing the mental burden on widows.

It is important to express your grief. I know I can't heal it but at least I can encourage you to not keep your emotions up to you. Sharing the pain can lessen it.

Coping with grief is not easy that's why we are here to support you all:

Here are some support groups for your help. Kindly recommend them to someone suffering from grief.

1. Vandrevala Foundation

2. Live Love Laugh Foundation

3. Tele-MANAS

Join these groups and engage with them. They will help one better cope with her loss.

2. Social Isolation

Social discrimination in India makes a widow isolate herself from everyone and everything.

A girl looking down seeming lonely.

Widows are believed to be a bad omen in society in India. They are restricted to being a part of marriages, births of babies, and other societal ceremonies.

Many widows find themselves ostracized from social circles due to their status. This isolation can lead to depression and anxiety in them. There is a high chance that widows may feel depressed and lonely.

With her husband gone, she might have minimal financial backing. The death of a male alters family dynamics, leading to discussions about property.

She has nothing and nobody in the family will dare to help her because she will be his/her responsibility.

Now, she has to beg her husband's family members and be their slave forever. Alright, I am talking in the extreme. But this is the condition of widows in India.

Widows should ignore societal norms and focus on their personal growth.

They should form mutual connections locally and should participate in online communities.

If a widow is reading this then I would personally recommend her to build new connections. Not all rocks are the same. We can start fresh.

3. Financial Insecurity

I already mentioned that widows have little to no financial support, especially in India.

A girl looking stressed about something

Some widows don't have the money to fill their tummies two times. This is a severe condition where they start performing unholy work to gain money.

The impact of financial stress is too much. They may be suffering from insomnia thinking, "What will I eat tomorrow?"

In India, women are meant to be at home and men will go outside and earn money. But a widow who has no money, and no company, would stay at home and die with hunger. This society won't allow them to go outside and earn money.

After the death of her husband, she has to face the property rights. Although Indian laws provide the property of a dead man to his wife, in rural areas widows don't even get a penny.

Even if there are laws, widows aren't aware of it. Let's assume most of them are illiterate.

Conclusion

Let's sum up. There are 3 key mental struggles, widows in India face: grief and loss, social isolation, and financial insecurity.

A girl applying kajal to her eyes and looking into the mirror.

It's important to share one's thoughts even when it's complex. Engage in communities and get better guidance.

I request all of my readers to support widows in India. They are part of our nation. I know my readers think one step ahead of this orthodox society. Please help them with whatever you have.

Widows can change their lives with education and courage. If they have these two things the game changes ultimately.

If you learned something new, share it with your friends and let them know about the fading picture of widows in India.

If you have your opinion here, comment down below!!!

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Loads of love!!!

Farhat Bano