The experiences in India show that widows are often capable of being more independent and militant than most married women. Freedom from conjugal control and the need to earn a living often impels them to be more assertive than their married sisters. They can be real agents of change. The driving force behind any change has, of course, to be the widows themselves. The means of action must involve proper knowledge of rights, legal battles, public lobbying and criticism of political parties, officials, traditional and religious leaders, and local village councils.
Success comes when collective action backs up specific demands.
There will be a widows' panel at this year's NGO Forum in Beijing. Hopefully, it will encourage more banding together of bereaved women who should never been seen only as vulnerable, but as people who have much to contribute and who bring about much needed social change. Margaret Owen's forthcoming book, The World of Widows , to be published spring 1996 by Zed Books, London, is being researched with a grant from Planet 21 and the Swedish International Development Authority.