The Central Adoption Resource Agency has modified its rules to ensure that single women over the age of 45, wishing to adopt a child are given priority and allowed to jump the queue. Since this change 250 single women have adopted children. said Rakesh Shrivastava, Secretary WCD, speaking at a meeting of Single Women in Delhi. Shrivastava was speaking at a meeting of the National Forum for Single Women's Rights.
According to a release issued by National Forum for Single Women’s Right, over hundred Single Women leaders from 11 states have gathered in the national capital to raise their collective voice to ensure the right to live with dignity for all Single Women. Shrivastava also said, ''Please share proceedings of this meeting with us, we will certainly plan new schemes and ensure that not just widows, but all Single Women - separated, divorced etc. are also included.
"Parul Chaudhary speaking on behalf of the Forum said that the Ministry should study Rajasthan Government's Palanhaar Scheme, which provides DBT to households with children growing in vulnerable circumstances - including children of Single Women; and launch a similar scheme for the entire nation. Raising issues pertinent to low-income Single Women, Nirmal Chandel - Convener of the National Forum said, "Single Women are thought of as weak, and consequently are suppressed and harassed by family and society.
If we want to see change in the situation of Single Women we will have to change this perception. Single Women are not weak, they are Strong Women!"
Thought of as vulnerable and weak, Single Women have themselves come a great way forward. In the meeting it was reported that in Jharkhand Single Women leaders trained in filing RTI applications, have within a month filed 33 RTI applications seeking information from Panchayats and Block Development offices. In Gujarat, Single Women have collectively ensured land rights for 127 landless persons. In Rajasthan, Single Women leaders and local groups are vigilant towards community issues. They have worked to ensure drinking water and toilets in schools in remote locations and have established a new festival - "BehnaDooj" to celebrate Sisterhood. Mansa of Rajasthan reported that she and many other Single Women have received replies from the PMO, in response to over 8000 postcards that were sent by Single Women all over India relating their problems, on the occasion of International Widows Day in June 2018.
But the problems are caused by systemic issues and individual letters do not solve the problems of Single Women - like the central government allocation of only Rs.300 for widow pension and Rs. 200 for old age pension; or the widely prevalent practice of questioning the character of Single Women that women have to cope with every day."
She said that "The Prime Minister should come out in support of Single Women and include their problems in his 'MANN KI BAAT' programme, also he should make more resources available so that allSingle Women in need have access to social security, health and education."
