ANGELS STREET

In the world, 115 million widows live in poverty and 81 million have suffered physical abuse. Some 40 million of the world's widows live in India. While 8 per cent of women in India are widows, only 2.5 per cent of men are widowers, due to the fact that men usually remarry. Many women suffer inequities and atrocities on day-to-day basis by once they lose their husbands.

Social reformer Dr Pathak with Sulabh International launched the fight for widows in 2012. He assigned a suitable monthly pension to thousands of women. To encourage them to no longer beg, he bought sewing machines to enable them to secure a share of their income themselves. He urged teachers to teach them to sew, make incense sticks, but also to read and write. Dr Pathak has also organised a series of welfare measures in the past two years. But first of all he listened to them with love and care, respect and dignity.

Widows have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to introduce and pass Widow Protection Bill. We must witness, encourage, and support them. "No woman should lose her rights when she loses her husband." (UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon)

The future of millions of girls depends on this rising awareness. They should no longer live the plight of these widows. It is not the widows who should live in shame, but the rest of us, for allowing this to happen.

Let’s help widows and Dr PATHAK with SULABH INTERNATIONAL
www.sulabhinternational.org