The Social status of widows has been an important social issue, particularly in the past. In families in which the husband was the sole provider, widowhood could plunge the family into poverty, and many charities had as a goal the aid of widows and orphans (Often, not children without parents, but children without a contributing father). This was aggravated by women’s longer life spans, and the men generally marry women younger than themselves and by the greater ease with which men remarried. However. In some patriarchal ease with which men remarried. However, in some patriarchal societies, widows were among the most independent women. A widow sometimes carried on her late husband’s business and consequently accorded certain rights, such as the right to enter guilds. More recently, widows of elected officials have been among the fist women elected to office in many countries. In India there is often an elaborate ceremony during the funeral of a widow’s husband, including smashing the bangles, removing the bindi as well as any colourful attire, and requiring the woman to wear white clothes, the colour to mourning. Earlier it was compulsory to wear all white after the husband was dead, and even Widow burning (sati or Suttee) was practices sometimes. However in modern day culture this has gradually given way to wearing colored clothing. In other cultures, widows are required o remarry within the family of their late husband.
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