NHRC Issues Advisory for Widows’ Welfare and Protection of Human Rights

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued an advisory to the Centre, states, and Union Territory administrations, urging them to ensure the welfare of widows and the protection of their human rights. This includes the establishment of a “widows’ cell” in each district, which would serve as a single window for schemes aimed at these women and promote remarriages.

The NHRC felt compelled to issue the advisory after observing that widows, in addition to the emotional distress of losing their spouse, often face numerous other challenges. These include, but are not limited to, social exclusion, loss of income, and even loss of residence.

“Widowed women are often left to fend for themselves after the demise of their spouse. Without adequate support from their families and lack of financial independence, they are subjected to isolation from the community, even forced to leave their homes and seek refuge at shelter homes/ashrams. The prevalence of illiteracy and the economics of ageing further worsen their condition,” the NHRC stated on Wednesday.

The NHRC has made several recommendations to improve the situation:

• A centralized database of all government-run homes for widows should be established on the website of the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) and the websites of all the state departments concerned.
• The MoWCD should deploy a team at the district level to visit these ashrams and homes quarterly to monitor their living conditions, including health, recreational, and skill development facilities to help them gain employment and financial independence.
• The collector and district magistrate/deputy commissioner should be held accountable for the implementation of welfare schemes regarding food, shelter, dignity, and protection of property.
• All shelter homes should be registered with the widows’ cell.
• Aadhaar cards of all widows residing in and around the allotted public and private shelter homes should be made to ensure monitoring of the benefits of the schemes.
• Proper identity cards should be provided to the widows to enable them to access the benefits of social welfare schemes and ensure they are not denied these for want of marriage registration certificates.
• Widows desiring to remarry or find partners should be linked to appropriate agencies/ NGOs.

The NHRC’s advisory is a significant step towards ensuring the welfare and protection of widows’ rights in India. It is hoped that the Centre, states, and UT administrations will take swift action to implement these recommendations.