1. Secondary data analysis of the
National Family Health Survey 2005-06 (NFHS-3)
Ann Wilder, PhD, LCSW, MSSW
The Living Arrangements of
Elderly Widows in India:

2. Statement of Purpose
The purpose of this study is to dive further into the
NFHS-3 (2005) data set and explore the relationships
between variables that are related to living arrangements
for elderly widows. These variables relate to older age of
widows, family, living arrangements, education, religion,
geographical region, socio-economic stratification and
caste. Implications for sociological understanding and
social work practice will be drawn based on the findings
from this exploratory study. A potential result would be
information that can help guide efforts of caregiving for
elderly widows.
Introduction

3. Elderly in India
• India, with a current population of 1.2 billion, is
projected to surpass China by 2020 and become
the world’s most populous country
• India’s elderly are projected to become an even
larger share of the population.
Vrindavan, population 60,000 is
thought to have close to 10,000
widows in population.
Demographics

4. Elderly in India
• For the elderly population of India in general,
the 60+ cohort currently has a census of 100 million
• This is expected to rise to 300 million by 2050
• The number of older adults > 80 is expected to
increase 7 fold
Source: United Nations Population Division, World Population
Prospects: The 2010 Revision (New York: United Nations 2011)
Demographics

5. Subsequent rounds of the NFHS show marginal increases,
up to 1%, with quantum of increase being similar in rural
and urban areas.
Men
1992-1993 (N= 20,662) 2005-2006 (N= 22,770)
% elderly 60+ 8.0 % 8.7 %
Rural 8.5 % 9.3 %
Urban 6.7 % 7.4 %
Source: National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) 2005-2006
Demographics

6. Subsequent rounds of the NFHS show marginal increases,
up to 1%, with quantum of increase being similar in rural
and urban areas.
Women
1992-1993 (N= 18,089) 2005-2006 (N= 22,027)
% elderly 60+ 7.4 % 8.5 %
Rural 7.6 % 8.7 %
Urban 7.0 % 8.0 %
Source: National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) 2005-2006
Demographics

7. Widowhood
% of those 60+ and
widowed
Women Men
Africa
Northern Africa 59% 8%
Sub-Saharan Africa 44% 7%
Latin America
Central America 36% 12%
South America 37% 13%
Asia
Southern Asia 51% 11%
Central Asia 58% 13%
Western Asia 48% 8%
Developed Regions
Eastern Europe 48% 14%
Western Europe 40% 12%
United States 39% 11%
• Older women are far more
likely than older men to be
widowed worldwide.
• This exists because women
around the world have a
life expectancy that
surpasses men in almost
every culture.
• Why are trends indicating
change in India?
Source: The World’s Women 2000, Trends and
Statistics (United Nations publication, Sales No.
E.OO.XVII. 14)

8. Elderly Widows in India
Winnie Singh of Maitri (right) founded
Maitri to help widows with their finances

9. Urbanization/
Globalization
Poverty &
QOL
Attitudes &
Social
Justice
Gender
Discrimination
Conceptual Model
Caregiving and Living Arrangements of
Elderly Widows in India
Social Network
Theory
Modernization
Theory
Ecological Systems
Theory
Feminist Theory

10. Current Social Problem
• Culturally having an elderly widow as a family member is
often viewed as “bad luck”
• Typically a woman only has status in society if attached to
a husband. After a husband dies, family members will
often take her property and abandon her
• While laws are changing some, gender discrimination still
exists for this elderly generation of women in India
http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2007/07/02/
damon.india.widows.cnn
Gender Discrimination

11. Quotes from the United Nations Widowhood: invisible
women, secluded or excluded report (2001)
• “We are considered bad omens. We are excluded from all
events” (Lakshmi, Rajasthan, India, Aparajita Newsletter)
• “As soon as my husband had died, they took everything
away, even the pots, blankets and sacks of maize.”
(Renana, Gujerat, India)
• “We have no shelter, my children can no longer go to
school.” (Ishrat, Bangladesh)
Gender Discrimination

12. How far has India progressed toward the goals of
gender equality and women’s empowerment?
Access to resources:
Source: National Family Health Survey-3 (2005-2006)
• Women have lower access to media than men in every
age group.
• Women’s freedom of movement is severely curtailed: only
one in three are allowed to go alone to the market, the
health centre, and outside the community.
• A majority of women do not have any money of their own
that they can use as they wish.
• Less than one in six women have a bank or savings
account that they use.

13. Trends in the percentage of households headed by females
Source: National Family Health Survey-3 (2005-2006
9 10
14
NFHS-1 NFHS-2 NFHS-3
In the 13 years between NFHS-1 and NFHS-3, the proportion of
households with a woman designated as the household head
has risen by more than half, from 9% to 14%.

14. 20 20 20
20 21
25
22
20
18
16
15
20
25
30
Lowest Second Middle Fourth Highest
Percent
Wealth quintile
Male Female
Percent distribution of households headed by males and households
headed by females by wealth quintile
• Female-headed households are over-represented in the lower wealth
quintiles and under-represented in the highest wealth quintiles.
• The findings suggest that female-headed households are more economically
vulnerable than male-headed households.

15. Elderly Widows in India
Maitri provides daily meals and
educational programs to help
empower the widows

16. Widows in India
• Currently India is a country without SS. Accesibility to
resources and attempts at establishing more formal
welfare programs are being explored for widows.
• Examples include an intermediary NGO that has
adopted150 neglected widows of Varasni assuring
them Rs2000 monthly in addition to a series of welfare
measures that have been planned for them.
• A widows pension exists but many do not know how
to apply for this benefit. It is the equivalent of $5 US a
month.
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-24490252
Poverty

17. • Holy city of Vrindavan known as the “city of widows”
where reports indicate up to 10,000 widows are
currently known to be living
• Families will often travel to the holy city with their elderly
widow and abandon her after religious festivals leaving
her on the streets to beg and wait for death
• Often rejected by their families as being inauspicious
and a burden, they find a sense of solidarity living a
simple and poverty-stricken lifestyle with other widows
but with dignity and some purpose
Current Social Problem

18. Elderly Widows in India
Indian NGO Sulagh provides
opportunities for widows to work on
textiles to be sold on local markets.
Kopal, a New York-based fashion
designer is also providing training.

19. Primary : Who are the caregivers of elderly widowed
women in India?
Secondary: In regards to elderly widows…
• How do Indian families report living arrangements ?
• How does age affect living arrangements ?
• How does education affect living arrangements ?
• How does caste affect living arrangements ?
• How does socio-economic stratification impact living
arrangements ?
• How does religion effect living arrangements ?
• How does geographical region effect living arrangements ?
Research Questions

20. • This has become a significant social problem that has
gained increased media attention in the last five to ten
years (i.e. Blair proclaiming this as a state of emergency)
• Care of elderly widows becomes an issue of societal
concern when families are no longer willing or able to
support them
• India is a nation without social security and state health
care so the question is asked, “how will society offer to take
care these women?”
Literature Review

21. Mediated Search
Keywords: India, women, elderly, widows, living arrangements, family care
giving, poverty, effects of immigration, social conditions, elder abuse,
domestic violence
• There has been an increase in journalism reports over the last five
years that are tracking this problem. There is, however, what appears
to be a significant lag in the current scholarly research related to this
social problem as evidenced by the limited amount of information
published within the last ten years
• Results of mitigated search with subject librarian and graduate
research assistant revealed limited scholarly peer reviewed articles
addressing this social problem (<30)
• National public health data exists, similar to census data in the United
States, which tracks the living arrangements of individuals and families
(NFHS-3)
Literature Review

22. Sampling
• National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3)
• Quantitative secondary data analysis
Data
• Secondary Indian public health data gathered
and reported in the NFHS-3 (2005-06)
Analysis
• Systematic Review of Literature with mediated
searching
• Descriptive data analysis
• Binary Logistical Regeession
Methodology

23. • Older widows aged 45-49 in data used continue to
report a higher percentage living with family than
younger widows aged 40-44.
• Widows in the Northern regions self report living with
family members more so than Himal and Deccan
areas
• Muslim widows self report living with family members
more so than Budhist, Hindu, Christian, Seikh, Jain
and other religions
Summary of Findings

24. Policy
• Some policies exist regarding widow remarriage,
the practice of sati and abandonment of aging
parents in India
• Information about these policies needs to be
made more accessible to the public and the
vulnerable populations that are most affected
• Opportunities for preventative education exist to
inform widows and family members what
resources are available and what laws are in
place to provide some protection
Implications

25. Practice
• There is a need for supportive services to help empower
widows within all aspects of Indian society
• Developing programs that will help empower, educate
and sustain would most likely be beneficial
Research
• As this population steadily increases, opportunities for
research need to be explored
• Engaging staff within the Non-GMO’s to assist in collection
and dissemination of data would help with development
of services
• Expanding rounds of NFHS to collect data more data on
older adults would seem like a logical place to start for
the population overall
Implications

26. As with any research study there are always limitations.
Limited data exists on this unique and marginalized sub group of
the population in India.
The NFHS-3 (2005-6) has a limited data set of widowed women only
going up to age 49. Soft data, journalistic reports and increase in
number of NGO’s suggest this problem is steadlily worsening.
Additional studies would need to be done to explore further the
needs of widowed women over age 49 in order to gain more
information about caregiving relationships and living arrangements.
Limitations/Conclusions

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