The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued an advisory to the Centre, the states and UT administrations to ensure widows’ welfare and protection of their human rights, including setting up a “widows’ cell” in each district that can serve as a single window for schemes for such women and encourage remarriages.

The NHRC felt the need to issue the advisory as it observed that widows, apart from the emotional distress of losing their spouse, are often faced with numerous other challenges including, but not limited to social exclusion, loss of income and even loss of residence.

“Widowed women are often left to fend for themselves after the demise of their spouse. Without adequate support from their families and lack of financial independence, they are subjected to isolation from the community, even forced to leave their homes and seek refuge at shelter homes/ashrams. The prevalence of illiteracy and the economics of ageing further worsen their condition,” the NHRC said on Wednesday.

Some of the recommendations of the NHRC include:

• Centralised database of all government-run homes for widows on the website of the Union ministry of women and child development (MoWCD) and the websites of all the state departments concerned

• MoWCD may deploy a team at the district level to visit these ashrams and homes quarterly to monitor their living conditions, including health, recreational and skill development facilities to help them get employment and financial independence

• The collector and district magistrate/deputy commissioner should be made accountable for the implementation of welfare schemes regarding food, shelter, dignity and protection of property

• All shelter homes should be registered with the widows’ cell

• Aadhaar cards of all widows residing in and around the allotted public and private shelter homes should be made to ensure monitoring of the benefits of the schemes

• Provide proper identity cards to the widows to enable them to access the benefits of social welfare schemes and ensure they are not denied these for want of marriage registration certificates

• Widows desiring to remarry or find partners should be linked to appropriate agencies/ NGOs