The CLPR presented the Draft Background Paper and Bill to Address Discrimination Against Widows and Single Women at a consultation held on 27th September 2025 at St. Joseph’s College, Trichy. The event was organised by the Kalangarai Social Animation Centre, Nagapattinam and Kaimpengal Matturum Atharavatra Pengal Nala Sangam- Tamil Nadu, and brought together widows’ groups, activists, academics, and legal experts to discuss the urgent need for dedicated legislation protecting widows and single women from systemic discrimination in Tamil Nadu.
The consultation began with local women singing a Tamil song demanding a separate law to address the discrimination and cultural exclusion faced by widows and single women. Ms. Anbuselvi delivered the welcome address, tracing the origins of the widows’ rights movement in Tamil Nadu to June 23, 2023 (Widows’ Day), when widows first began demanding a separate legislation to protect their rights. She presented findings from Kalangarai’s field survey, which documented widespread social exclusion, economic marginalisation, and emotional trauma among widows across the state. She concluded by outlining the objectives of the consultation. Following that, participants introduced themselves.
Senior Advocate Jayna Kothari, (Executive Director, CLPR) presented the Background Paper on the Need for Legislation to Address Discrimination Against Widows and Single Women and introduced the Draft Tamil Nadu Widows and Single Women (Equality and Non-Discrimination) Bill, 2025, both authored by CLPR.
She first provided the historical and demographic context of the issue, highlighting that Tamil Nadu has over 3.8 million widows which is higher than the national average. She attributed this to factors such as the 2004 tsunami, alcohol-related deaths, and road accidents, all of which have disproportionately impacted women. She stressed that while widows suffer severe cultural and social violence, single women, divorced, deserted, or never married also face discrimination due to the marital status.
She emphasised that the Bill seeks to protect both widows and single women from discrimination on the basis of marital status and to recognise the violation of the constitutional guarantee of equality. Drawing from international conventions, including CEDAW and the UN Resolution on the Situation of Widows (2022), she underlined India’s obligation to prohibit marital status-based discrimination and ensure substantive equality.
Discussion on the Draft Background Paper
Following the presentation, participants engaged in an open discussion on the Draft Background Paper offering recommendations for strengthening it.
Key suggestions included:
- Participants recommended integrating data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) to supplement Kalangarai’s field findings to strengthen empirical data.
- There was call to ensure that the intersectional experiences of Dalit, Adivasi, and Muslim widows.
- Attendees emphasised the need to expand the section on psychological distress, pointing out that cultural stigma contributes to chronic mental health challenges among widows and single women.
The discussion reaffirmed that the Background Paper effectively captured the lived realities of widows and single women and provided a strong foundation for the drafting of the proposed law.
Presentation and Discussion on the Draft Bill
After the discussion on the Draft Background Paper, Ms. Kothari presented the Tamil Nadu Widows and Single Women (Equality and Non-Discrimination) Bill, 2025. She explained that the Bill seeks to prohibit direct, indirect, and intersectional discrimination on the basis of marital status and aims to secure equality, dignity, and access to livelihood, housing, and justice for widows and single women. She then initiated a detailed clause-by-clause discussion on the draft.
Key points included:
- Participants raised questions about the definitions of “widow” and
single woman”, especially concerning women in long-term live-in relationships or those separated without judicial orders. Ms. Kothari clarified that live-in partners would fall under the category of “single women” but acknowledged the need for careful drafting. - Members suggested explicitly including social exclusion, such as denial of participation in community and cultural functions as a form of discrimination, drawing parallels to the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
- Participants debated whether non-discrimination in employment and promotion should be a matter of law or policy. Ms. Kothari noted that statutory enforcement is essential, referencing similar provisions in the Disability Rights and HIV and AIDS legislations.
- There was complete agreement that harmful widowhood practices, such as the forcible removal of thali, kumkum, and bangles should be recognised as criminal offences, not mere customs.
- Attendees supported establishing a single committee at the district level to handle both vigilance and grievance functions for efficiency and accountability.
- While some suggested that welfare provisions could be handled through policy, others insisted they remain in the Bill to make state obligations legally enforceable.
- Participants also emphasised including children of widows and single women under the Bill’s protections, recognising that discrimination often extends to them.
The consultation concluded on a consensus to incorporate the feedback into the next draft of the Bill. The organisers proposed a state-level consultation in Chennai with participation from government representatives, ministers, and retired judges to finalise the draft before its submission to the Tamil Nadu Government.
In conclusion, the consultation reflected that discrimination against widows and single women is not a personal misfortune but a systemic discrimination demanding legislative redressal. As discussions closed, participants recognised the proposed Bill as a transformative step towards recognising marital status-based discrimination within Tamil Nadu.
