"There are more than 33 million widows in India, comprising about 8 per cent of the total female population of the country. Despite this, little is known about the actual living conditions of widows, about the quiet deprivations they experience on a daily basis. They are rarely mentioned in the literature on poverty, in public debates on social policy or even by the women′s movement. Weaving together analytic essays, hard data and poignant case studies, this important volume is aimed at bringing about a better understanding of the social and economic conditions of widows, to focus attention on widowhood as a social problem and to promote public action and policies in support of widows in India."