Nepal: Price Tag on Widows

Discrimination against widows in Nepal is nothing new. It has been going on for generations and will likely go on-thanks to the myopic Nepalese government.

A Hindu wedding ceremony Image via Wikipedia

Last week Nepal’s new government introduced budget for fiscal year 2009/10 in the parliament. They have proposed a program to give about USD 625 to anyone who marries a widow. Widows and women’s rights groups are angry at the government’s approach to fight discrimination against widows.

Widows in Nepal are forced to wear white, forgo colored clothing-especially red(red symbolizes prosperity in Nepalese culture) and makeup. They are also forced to go vegetarian and have to mourn their entire life for their husband while the men are free to marry within 45 days of their wife’s death.

Widows also face discrimination in economy front, it is harder for them to find a job.Workplace harassment is common, often they are sexually harassed by co-workers and it is taken casually because widows have no one standing behind them.

Children are also the victims of society’s attitude towards widows. They face economic hardship and social stigma of being without a father. And the Nepalese government’s plan to combat this mountain of odds against widows? bribe men to marry them!

No wonder Nepalese women are mad at the government attitude towards widow. They are being treated as helpless beings who cannot survive without a man. How about investing in empowering widows and their children?

Unless Nepalese government realizes that bribing men to marry widows is not going to help, and does not introduce education and employment to help them sorry situation of widows in the country is likely to stay as it is.