Hindu Widows are the lowest of the low in India

Most of the population in India are Hindu and since India is a male dominated society widows are subjected to very harsh living conditions. Even young women are widows as arranged marriages of young women to old men are the norm in India. The conditions of widows include they can never remarry even though widowed men can, some of them have to shave their heads after their husband dies, they can not wear jewerly, and they fall deeper into proverty as they are viewed as a finicial burden to their families. Some centers have opened in India through the help of NGO's to offer sheter and health care for widows. But most widows travel to the city of Vrindavan to die because in the Hindu religion the city is thought to free them from the cycle of life and death. Click on this link to watch a video on Indian widows in Vrindavan or you can click on this link to read a full article!!!! If these women don't go to a program or Vrindavan they usually join the sex trade to make a living. Many of them make less then a dollar fifty because they are too old and they don't get very many customers.


Picture from CNN.COM