Intergenerational impacts of discrimination against Nepali widows of reproductive age

ABSTRACT

Discrimination that affects young widows in Nepal may carry over to impact their children’s mental health and well-being. We collected data in 2012, including 40 in-depth interviews (with 34 women) and five focus groups with widows in the Kathmandu Valley, Surkhet, Chitwan and Kavre districts of Nepal as well as three key-informant interviews. Thematic content analysis was applied, using an iterative approach that used both deductive and inductive coding. From data collected through in-depth interviews with widows, we found that nearly all participating widows reported experiencing discrimination because of their marital status, while many stated that their children experienced discrimination for this reason. This, along with repercussions from the father’s death itself, impacted children’s mental health. Participants described how the discrimination they faced also indirectly affected their children, as many widows described an inability to support their children’s basic needs, e.g. provide adequate food and education for their children. Results suggest that dependent children of widows of reproductive age in Nepal are marginalized and face consequences of discrimination directly as well as indirectly through hardships imposed on their mothers. Social programs to combat social stigma and to foster support for such vulnerable children should be prioritized.

KEYWORDS:

• Child mental health
• discrimination
• Nepal
• widows
• stigma

Notes on contributors

Dr. Pamela J. Surkan is an Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health in the Department of International Health, Social and Behavioral Interventions Program. Her work focuses primarily on social determinants of health and maternal child health, using mixed methods.

Ms. Megan Lydon is a senior program coordinator at Jhpiego. She recently completed a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health with a focus on maternal, infant and perinatal health. Megan has previously worked on international health programs and research in Haiti, Uganda and Panama.

Ms. Abina Shrestha earned a master’s degree from the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand, with a focus on gender studies. She has collaborated as a key team member on qualitative research projects with Johns Hopkins University and Women for Human Rights since 2011.

Ms Hari Maya Kafle has been a regional manager for Women for Human Rights, Single Women group (WHR) since 2010. She works at the national level to advocate for single women’s rights by organizing trainings, capacity building, and raising awareness of human rights issues. Ms Kafle holds a master’s degree in sociology.

Ms. Lily Thapa is the director and founder of Women for Human Rights, Single Women Group (WHR), a Nepali non-governmental organization that advocates for the rights of widows, brings them together, and is dedicated to improving their lives. She has received numerous international awards, for example for her efforts to achieve social change and as a social entrepreneur.

Acknowledgements

The authors are very grateful to and thank the participants for their time and willingness to participate in this study.

Financial disclosure

The authors have no financial relationships relevant to this article to disclose.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Informed consent statement

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

Funding

Financial support for this study was provided by the Center for Public Health and Human Rights at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Center for Global Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.