This volume is a collection of selected papers of the First National Seminar on Widowhood in India, orgaised recently by the Trivandrum-based Centre for Gerontogical Studies. It gives a fair picture of India widows, cutting across ethnic and regional barriers. Some of the Papers trace the origin and development of widowhood practices in India, some of the papers trace the origin and development of widowhood practices in India, some deal with special categories of widows, like the Brindaban widows, war widows, elderly widows, etc., others deal with the loopholes in property rights of and other legal remedies for widows and yet others deal with the double standards of society in its attitude and behaviour towards widows. The point that in spite of several social reforms and legal enactments, the widows continue to suffer from social discrimination has been brought out in the book with authenticity as also the factors contributing to the malaise. The problem assumes significance since 8% of the total women and 15% of married women in India are widows and this will make the content of this book specially significant to all concerned. The selection of papers has been done with great care and as a result, the reader can have a full view of the different dimensions of widowhood and their socio-economic and psychological underpinnings. From several points of view the book will have strong appeal to the policy maker, social reformer and scholars of women’s studies besides social scientists and social activists indeed all those concerned with the lot of a significant segment of the population the widows-who suffer from socially instituted but invidious and avoidable sufferings.
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