3. November 2022

 

Die folgenden Ausschnitte aus ausgewählten Quellen enthalten Informationen zu oben genannter Fragestellung (Zugriff auf alle Quellen am 3. November 2022):

Situation mittelloser, alleinstehender Frauen ohne familiäre Unterstützung

Eine Anfragebeantwortung aus dem Jahr 2019 des Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), einem unabhängigen Verwaltungstribunal, das für Entscheidungen in Asyl- und Einwanderungsverfahren zuständig ist, berichtet unter Bezug auf diverse Quellen von der Situation alleinstehender Frauen in Indien.

·      IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada: India: Situation of single women and of women who head their own households without male support, including access to employment, housing and support services, particularly in Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Bengaluru; women's housing, land, property and inheritance rights (2017-April 2019) [IND106275.E], 3. Mai 2019
https://www.ecoi.net/de/dokument/2010384.html

„IndiaSpend [eine Non-Profit-Organisation mit Sitz in Mumbai, Anm. ACCORD] reports that single women have to ‘depend [on] somebody's goodwill - in-laws, parents, brothers and sisters-in-law’ in order to provide for them and their children (IndiaSpend 23 June 2018). In an article in the Hindu, an Indian daily newspaper, Sreemoyee Piu Kundu, [a columnist on sexuality and gender (IndiaSpend 23 June 2018)] who interviewed 3,000 single urban women in India, states that single women encounter ‘serious struggles with basic life issues such as getting a flat on rent or being taken seriously as a start-up entrepreneur or getting a business loan or even getting an abortion’ (The Hindu 29 Jan. 2018). However, the Economic Times, an Indian English-language newspaper, states that ‘[t]he single working woman in Indian cities is less and less constrained by prejudices of the past,’ giving examples of women who have started their own businesses in various sectors such as aviation or waste management, or who are employed in the IT or banking sectors (The Economic Times 4 Mar. 2018). The same source adds that in Indian cities, there is an increasing number of single, working women who can support themselves with the salary they earn (The Economic Times 4 Mar. 2018).” (IRB, 3. Mai 2019)

Im Länderbericht zu Indien des britischen Innenministeriums, UK Home Office, findet man einen Absatz unter der Überschrift „Single Women“, der auf Witwen aber auch auf Opfer familiärer Gewalt Bezug nimmt.

·      UK Home Office: Country Policy and Information Note India: Women fearing gender-based violence, Juli 2018
https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1439665/1226_1533115747_india-women-fearing-gbv-cpin-v2-0-july-2018.pdf

„Widows comprised the largest category of single women and faced high levels of deprivation, social taboos, limited freedom to remarry, insecure property rights, social restrictions on living arrangements, restricted employment opportunities, emotional and other forms of violence, and a lack of social support. Widows frequently experienced tensions with their families for economic reasons, as they were another mouth to feed and could lay claim to a portion of the family property. They were also often denied or dispossessed of property by their in-laws after the death of their spouse.

Relocation within India of single women, women with children or victims of familial crime was reported to be difficult because of the need to provide details of their husband’s or father’s name to access government services and accommodation. Single women faced difficulties in accessing housing.“ (UK Home Office, Juli 2018, S. 20)

Odisha Bytes, ein Online-Nachrichtenmedium mit Fokus auf den ostindischen Bundesstaat Odisha, veröffentlicht am 4. Jänner 2022 einen Beitrag über das Leben als alleinstehende Frau in Bhubaneswar, der Hauptstadt des Bundesstaates Odisha. Darin beschreibt die Autorin Hürden mit denen alleinstehende Frauen im Alltag konfrontiert sind.

·      Odisha Bytes: Being a single Woman in India, 4. Jänner 2022
https://odishabytes.com/being-a-single-woman/

“The challenges are not just limited to accommodation, single women in India, face multiple hurdles and gender bias in every sphere of their personal and professional lives. Unmarried, divorced, widowed women are judged, humiliated, harassed and questioned about their lives and choices and their privacy constantly intruded upon. They are more or less objects of interest, pity, or gossip. […] Remaining single is still a taboo in the Indian society and culture and is generally looked down upon. Single women often face a lot of discrimination, social stigma and are stereotyped, sometimes leading to social marginalisation.” (Odisha Bytes, 4. Jänner 2022)

Einige Quellen berichten von großen Schwierigkeiten für alleinstehende Frauen bei der Suche nach Wohnraum. Darunter das oben zitierte Nachrichtenmedium Odisha Bytes, The Globalist, ein Online-Magazin mit den Schwerpunkten globalisierte Wirtschaft, Politik und Kultur mit Sitz in Washington D.C. und Feminism in India, eine feministische, indische Plattform:

·      The Globalist: India’s Single Women, 15. Jänner 2022
https://www.theglobalist.com/indias-single-women/

„Currently, women are not safe when they are out and about on their own, on the streets or on public transport. It is also difficult for single women to rent accommodation without being subject to extensive intrusive questioning.” (The Globalist, 15. Jänner 2022)

·      Odisha Bytes: Being a single Woman in India, 4. Jänner 2022
https://odishabytes.com/being-a-single-woman/

„A single female colleague of mine in her early 30s, who had recently shifted to Bhubaneswar, was frantically looking for a house. She soon started panicking when she was unable to find a house despite scouting rigorously for over a month. The houses or the apartments of her choice and suitability were either reserved for only families or married couples or came with an impossible set of rules laid down by the house owners. Dejected and exhausted at her house hunting experience, she finally settled for a house closer to office which suited her budget, but nevertheless came with a list of caveats from the house owner who resided on the ground floor. The list included conditions such as – No male visitors except father or ‘real’ brother, to be in by 8 pm unless in an emergency situation, present the names of three friends who would be visiting her and big ‘No’ for parties. She was even made to sign the list along with the agreement! Another female friend who got separated from her husband after 15 years of marriage was not able to find an apartment for her and her son in the same city that she had stayed in for more than a decade. As soon as she would finalise a house, the house owner would be curious about her ex-husband, the reason for their divorce and whether she would be able to pay the rent despite my friend assuring that she had a stable job in hand. She finally had to settle in for a common friend’s apartment who knew her personally.” (Odisha Bytes, 4. Jänner 2022)

·      Feminism in India: Single Woman In The City: Of Living Alone, Fear & Freedom, 26. März 2021
https://feminisminindia.com/2021/03/26/living-alone-single-woman-independent/

„At the ripe old age of 24, I moved to Hyderabad [Hauptstadt des Bundesstaates Telangana, Anmerkung ACCORD]. Finding an apartment as a single woman was probably the only part of the process that was quite difficult. Despite the fact that I was willing to pay market rates, most apartment brokers and owners were unwilling to let out an apartment to a single woman. Their criteria for acceptable tenants were ‘male bachelor or family’, […]” (Feminism in India, 26. März 2021)

Das australische Außenministerium (DFAT) schreibt in seinem Länderbericht vom Dezember 2020 über Schwierigkeiten alleinstehender Frauen Zugang zu staatlicher Unterstützung zu erhalten. Außerdem hätten nach Einschätzung des DFAT insbesondere Frauen, einschließlich alleinstehender Frauen mit Kindern oder Frauen, die vor familiärer Gewalt fliehen, nur begrenzt die Möglichkeit innerhalb Indiens umzuziehen.

·      DFAT – Australian Government - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: DFAT Country Information Report India, 10. Dezember 2020
https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/2043026/country-information-report-india.pdf

„The Aadhaar Card provides access to government social welfare services, benefits and subsidies (see Unique Identification Numbers (UID) / Aadhaar) and its introduction may assist entitlement portability. However, requirements to provide details of a husband’s or father’s name can exclude single women, single women with children, and domestic violence survivors from government services and accommodation. While income tax provisions do not directly require women to use their husbands’ or fathers’ names, the Aadhaar card and passport both have this requirement.

Local sources told DFAT safe relocation for women and girls fleeing domestic or family violence within Indian states or elsewhere in India is practically impossible. There is limited availability of shelters/centres and, even where they are available, it is important to consider the situation a woman will face upon leaving such centres, where social support networks are unlikely. According to local sources, some women fleeing domestic violence stay in shelters for more than 10 years. There is little ability of state and NGO resources to reintegrate these women into the community. Sources in West Bengal told DFAT that, due to a shortage of women’s shelters, women from other states seeking accommodation in shelters were repatriated to their home states. […]

DFAT assesses individuals seeking protection from discrimination or violence may be able to access internal relocation options, although these may be more limited for some individuals depending on their personal circumstances. In particular, DFAT assesses women, including single women with children or those fleeing family violence, have limited access to internal relocation options.” (DFAT, 10. Dezember 2020, S. 65)

The Swaddle, ein digitales Magazin eines unabhängigen Medienunternehmens mit Sitz in Mumbai (Hauptstadt des Bundesstaats Maharashtra), veröffentlicht im November 2021 einen Beitrag über Schwierigkeiten beim Zugang zu staatlichen Leistungen oder Bankkrediten, mit denen alleinstehende Frauen zu kämpfen haben.

·      The Swaddle: How the Indian System Keeps ‘Single’ Women Dependent on Others, 19. November 2021
https://theswaddle.com/how-the-indian-system-keeps-single-women-dependent-on-others/

„Fathima finds herself stuck in a loop. For almost eight years now, she has struggled to get a physical copy of her PAN card [permanent account number card, die von der Einkommensteuerbehörde an Steuerzahler·innen ausgestellt wird, Anmerkung ACCORD]. Like an access key, the PAN number is necessary for opening bank accounts and proving identity. But each time she tries, the 36-year-old is told that her PAN card will be delivered to her parent’s address — an option not available to her. ‘I’ve been estranged from my parents,’ she says. ‘We do not see eye to eye, and I cannot reach out to them for help.’ As an unmarried, independent working woman, the ‘address proof’ problem keeps recurring. It’s the same reason she hasn’t even tried to get a ration card or a gas connection; anything feels easier than navigating the bureaucratic maze laid out for single women. The system wasn’t designed for single women like Fathima. It is as if they are morally condemned for deriving their worth outside patriarchal institutions. The cost? They are denied access to social security and rights — complicating their individual and legal identity. […]

In the case of unmarried women without family support, officially proving identity is difficult. Rental agreements are not accepted as valid identity proofs in some scenarios (for instance, banks); and passports carry parents’ home address. For example, when Fathima tried using her Voter ID card, the bank did not accept that as legitimate identity proof.

For many underprivileged women, ration cards double as identity proof and help them access subsidized food. But women who are separated from their husbands or parents aren’t entitled to the cards anymore, and they struggle to remove their parents’ or former partners’ names. In Odisha, for instance, more than 10 lakh women are estimated to be left out of the food distribution scheme.

Anecdotal evidence also suggests unmarried women face discrimination when applying for loans. According to reports, the probability that they will be asked to have a co-applicant is much higher than a married woman. Although there is no official policy in this regard, the prevailing idea is single women are more likely to default. ‘Whenever I look for investment options or even a PF [provident fund, Vorsorgekasse, Anmerkung ACCORD] withdrawal, it needs a nominee who is a spouse or parents,’ says Chittra, 36. ‘One day, I am not going to have parents too. What happens then? Whose ID am I to submit?’ […]

Poonam Muttreja, executive director of the Population Foundation of India, also notes how single women face biases and discrimination at all fronts: at home, in the community, and in government policy – by virtue of existing in a society ‘where marriage and motherhood are considered essential for women to gain societal respect.’ […]

‘Singleness is a socially and culturally constructed category…In the way that gender is done to people, so is singleness,’ researchers have argued. For women, their identity relies on their relationship status. Where access to government schemes and entitlements (land rights, child care, pension, etc.) is concerned, the bureaucracy shows a bias towards ‘conventional families.’ […]” (The Swaddle, 19. November 2021)

The Hindu, eine englischsprachige indische Tageszeitung und Webseite, berichtet in einem Artikel vom November 2021 über eine Studie zum Status von alleinstehenden Frauen mit geringem Einkommen.

·      The Hindu: Low income single women demand public funds to live with dignity, 17. November 2021
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/low-income-single-women-demand-public-funds-to-live-with-dignity/article2528926.ece

 

„The number of Single Women in India is very large — 39.8 million as per 2002 Census. The Central and the State governments need to make adequate budgetary provisions to reach out to this large number of women. Insufficient provisions at the top, lead to single women in need being turned away, at the bottom, according to a survey ‘Are We Forgotten Women? A study on the status of low-income single women in India’ released by the National Forum for Single Women’s Rights here on Tuesday.

 

Seeking to debunk the general belief that all single women are old women at the last stage of their life, the survey points out there are many young single women in extremely challenging circumstances. Many have much to cope with — broken marriage, widowhood, disease, raising children alone, no place to go, violence, harassment, exploitation, little formal education, lack of employment, loneliness, social restrictions, and more. […]

The data of this study has been collected from single women in Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Rajasthan with about 386 respondents. More than half the respondents are below the age of 45 years, while only 7.3 per cent are more than 60 years old. Even though the group is relatively young, only less than half the women are literate. […] Over 65 per cent of the widowed women live in the marital village, while 75 per cent of the separated and divorced women live in their natal village. Even though many single women share or live in the same house as extended family members, they take responsibility for themselves and their children. Single women are clearly the heads of their households, but they are not recognised as such by the government with only around 40 per cent listed as ‘head of household’ on their Ration Card. Of the total respondents, 15.5 per cent lived alone. Housing and shelter needs of single women are not adequately met. Most respondents live in 1 to 2 room kutcha houses, lacking in basic amenities such as water, electricity and sanitation. While at least around 60 per cent of the widowed women are able to retain control of the home that they built during the years of their marriage, while separated and divorced women are instantly dispossessed when the marriage breaks up. Ever-married women living in their natal homes often face abuse and are made to feel like a burden. Unmarried women also do not have security of shelter after the death of the parents. ‘Single women are harassed by family members and neighbours; they are viewed with suspicion and are often accused of immoral behaviour. Many of them do not have a secure roof over their heads; they live with the fear of being thrown out by landlords. Only 12.7 per cent of the respondents could benefit from Government housing schemes […]’” (The Hindu, 17. November 2021)

 

 

 

In einer bereits älteren Anfragebeantwortung des kanadischen Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada aus dem Jahr 2015 finden sich noch Informationen zum Zugang zum Arbeitsmarkt für alleinstehende Frauen.

· IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada: India: Whether single women and women who head their own households without male support can obtain housing and employment, including in Delhi, Mumbai and Chandigarh; women's housing, land, property and inheritance rights; government support services available to single women and female-headed households, including working women hostels in Delhi, Mumbai and Chandigarh, and shelters and support programs in the country (2014-March 2015) [IND105109.E], 26. Mai 2015
https://www.ecoi.net/de/dokument/1007578.html

„The Associate Professor [Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Carleton University] stated that, in general, ‘single women's access to employment would depend on their training, their previous work experience, the duration of their absence from labour markets, their embeddedness in social networks, and the most important factor would be the support of their natal families, and their access to government or women's organisations.’ (Associate Professor 10 Apr. 2015)

With regard to access to women's organizations in the city of Chandigarh [die gemeinsame Hauptstadt der Bundesstaaten Punjab und Haryana, Anm. ACCORD], the Associate Professor noted that ‘women in Chandigarh may have lower access to women's groups than women in Delhi or Mumbai’ […]” (IRB, 26. Mai 2015)