The long neglected issue of single women gained some currency in South Asia after the first ever International Single Women’s Day held in Kathmandu last month when the participants urged the national and international communities to incorporate this issue in all human rights instruments. The single women, especially the widows, are often symbolised as inauspicious and held responsible for their husbands’ deaths by the orthodox societies like the one that still exists in Nepal. The divorcees, widows and single mothers are compelled to lead miserable lives as they are often subjected to harsh punishment and humiliation. In Nepal the plight of the single women is still worse, thanks to the insurgency that has left a huge number of women as widows. Over 10,000 widows are registered with the Human Rights Single Women Group (WHR), an NGO working for the prot-ection of human rights of the single women at home. Among them, 3,000 women lost their husbands in the armed conflict. However, the exact figure of single women is yet to be determined, not to talk of the number of those deserted by their husbands.

Though the state has failed to fully ensure security to single women, the 11th amendment of the Civil Act legalised remarriage for them. If a woman wants, she can have full rights over her deceased husband’s property. Earlier, she had to attain 36 years of age or married for 16 years in order to be eligible for her husband’s property. But these provisions are far from satisfactory to meaningfully help the women. Since the majority of them are illiterate, they are ignorant about the legal provisions of the land. Therefore, while it is equally important to provide legal protection to single women by allowing their names to be in their children’s citizenship certificate, and take pun-itive actions against those disregarding the laws, it is essential to educate the women first so that they become fully aware of all legal implications. In the ten years since the UN summit established a set of goals for ending discrimination against women around the world, it is unfortunate that single women’s voice has not yet been amply heard. Nepal is a signatory to a number of international conventions on protection of women’s rights. It is time for the NGOs and the government to put in a concerted effort and help transform the lives of this vulnerable lot.