#JuntasSomosMásFuertes is the campaign of the Vicente Ferrer Foundation in which we participate to support widowed women in India, on a special day like International Women’s Day.
There are 46 million widowed women in India. They are left without economic sustenance for them and their children, and the economic contributions to this project will help them to get their families ahead. Through this project, 2,000 women will be able to receive nutritional packs and pass the ANEMIA.
One of the main indicators showing gender inequality is health discrimination. In the case of widowed women, the stigma is compounded by malnutrition.
Also, when they are widowed:
They lose their property: In case their husband owned land, the custom is maintained that any male relative has priority over inheritance. In rural areas, a high percentage of widows have lost their husbands to suicide for financial reasons and accumulated debt. Lenders will continue to claim these defaults from widows.
They are marginalized: Women who are widows have to endure stigmas such as not knowing how to care for their husbands or being unlucky. Their neighbours keep them from speaking out because of superstition or fear of being asked for financial help. It is difficult for them to get a job. No one employs a widowed woman because they fear she will “ruin” their business.
Gender, health and poverty: Every member of the family has priority in the order of feeding and there is not always food left for them. This leads to serious problems of malnutrition, weakness, and susceptibility to disease because they have a very weak immune system.
Children stop going to school: Many widows are forced to take their children out of school to work and support the family economy.
