UN Women’s Regional Programme to address Needs of Widows

UN Women announced a new regional programme to address the needs of widows in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. The three year programme will be jointly funded by UN Women Swiss National Committee and Standard Chartered Bank. The programme to be implemented in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka is aimed at reducing social ostracism faced by widows. The programme will be executed by collecting data and evidence to highlight the stigma faced by them, by working with widows' coalitions so they can speak up and access public services, and finally by guaranteeing that discrimination and social practices against widows are reviewed and repealed.

According to surveys India has an estimated 40 million widows, and their lives are often mired in poverty, neglect, and deprivation. UN through the programme intends to create space for widows in mainstream policy and social welfare schemes.