On the occasion of International Widows Day, 119 women took part in a rally organized by the single Women in Dharamsala Their aim was to raise awareness about the challenges faced by widows and single women and to submit a letter to the District Commissioner (DC) seeking immediate attention to their concerns. These include an increase in pensions for widows, swift implementation of Government schemes for the welfare single women’s families, inclusion of Single Women in the BPL (Below Poverty Line) Category, elimination of caste certificate requirement for accessing welfare schemes and simplification of documentation procedures which are very difficult for most poor, vulnerable women to submit. They also ask for recognition of the very diverse needs and situations of widowed and abandoned women who cannot be regarded as a homogenous group as they have different needs based on age, location, health, and family responsibilities. The women marched carrying pink banners, slogans and bags from the Post Office to the DCs office where seven individual applications were submitted to the DC.
