On June 23, on the occasion of International Widows’ Day, ActionAid Association organized a national consultation on single women and property rights in Amravati, Maharashtra. The objective of the meeting was to build a consensus on the issue of property rights of widows and other single women and the need for a comprehensive national policy on single women, including their access to land and other resources; social security; access to basic services; and assurance of livelihood.

The more than 1,400 participants from across six states included several policy-makers, activists, journalists and representatives from women’s rights groups and widows of farmers who had committed suicide. Representatives from national as well as state-level movements joined the consultation including Mahila Kisan Adhikaar Manch (MAKAAM), Working Group of Women for Land Ownership (WGWLO) and National Forum for Single Women’s Rights, and shared their experiences and learnings at the meeting.

Ms. Vijaya Rahatkar, Chairperson, Maharashtra State Commission for Women, Ms. Navneet Rana, MP, Amravati and Ms. Yashomati Thakur, MLA, Teosa, Maharashtra, also participated in the consultation, and listened to and spoke about the issues of single women. A document incorporating all major issues concerning single women was presented to them during the meeting.

ActionAid Association has been working with single women in diverse contexts for around two decades now. To know more, read our publication, Single, Yes… But Not Alone.