List of Countries with the Most Widows
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Jakarta – For many women around the world, the devastating loss of a spouse is often followed by a long struggle to gain basic rights and gain proper respect.
As reported from the United Nations (UN) on Monday, said the number of widows worldwide reached more than 258 million, widows are often unsupported, and ignored in social structures.
History has shown that widows often lose their inheritance rights and assets. In addition, they are treated unfairly after the death of their spouse, often displaced from their position and faced with extreme stigma and discrimination for being perceived as disease 'carriers'.
Around the world, women are far less likely to receive old-age pensions than men, so the death of a spouse can lead to poverty for elderly women.
Ilustrasi bayangan perempuan. Photo by tree lee from Pexels
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Since 2011, the UN has celebrated June 23 as International Widows' Day (Resolution A/RES/65/189) to highlight the voices and experiences of widows and provide the unique support they need.
There are more opportunities than ever to act for the full rights and recognition of widows. This includes providing them with information on the fair distribution of inheritance, land and productive resources; pensions and social security that are not based solely on marital status; decent work and equal pay; and education and training opportunities.
Empowering widows to support themselves and their families also means overcoming social stigma that creates exclusion and discriminatory or harmful practices. Well, here are 5 countries according to various sources:
India
India has the highest number of widows not only in Asia but also in the world. In 2010, the Loomba Foundation reported that there were 42.4 million widows in India.
Then in 2015, the number of widows in India increased to 46.4 million. Thanks to this indicator, India managed to surpass China, which used to be ranked first.
One Indian city, Vrindavan, is even known as the city of widows. This nickname was given to the city, which is considered holy by Hindus, because there are more than 20,000 widows living in Vrindavan.
