The National Commission for Women (NCW) seems to have lost sight of a report by the Meghalaya State Commission for Women (MSCW) on the facts specific to single mothers’ struggle in Meghalaya, when its chairperson claimed that no study was conducted on the subject.
Sharma was replying to a question raised by reporters on how the commission would intervene on the prevalence of single mothers in Meghalaya. “How do I know I don’t have the data…We did one research in Kerala but in Meghalaya it was long back …” she claimed.
In 2022, a ‘Report of the Exploratory Study on the Socio Economic Status and Problems of Single Mothers (SM) in Meghalaya’ had uncovered interesting details into the background of most single mothers in the state, the number of whom is on the rise.
According to the report prepared by the MSCW in collaboration with the Department of Anthropology at NEHU and Department of Social Welfare at MLCU, there are 3,078 single mothers (SMs) in the seven districts of Meghalaya where the study was carried out.
Widowhood is the prime factor in being a single mother, with 65.2 per cent of them affected. Being deserted by their partner affects 28.6 per cent while adultery accounted for another 14.8 per cent.
The study also said that 46.2 per cent of single mums are illiterate, with 28.4 only having attended primary school; combined, this is nearly 75 percent of the total number of single mothers. It also found that 36.1 per cent are wage earners, 13.9 per cent are involved in agriculture but 24.5 per cent are unemployed.
Many of those who work still face hardships due to meagre earnings as they mainly work in the unorganised sector and have to balance employment with raising their children.
Sharma said the commission steps in when a woman becomes a single mum by accident or rape or forced and a research on such cases can be conducted.
She also spoke on the growing cases of crime against women and attributed this to women being aware of their rights. “I think Northeast is still very safe for women when compared to plains or North of India, where you find brutal cases of crime against women. But still we need to work more and there shouldn’t be any cases against women and they should feel safe and secure in any part of India and NCW is working to assure that,” she added.
Asked about women in the state who still hesitate to report domestic violence she said, “Many women don’t know that violence is committed against them because from generations they are being subdued to such violence and feel its part and parcel of life.”
She said the commission has been creating awareness and conducting legal awareness programs with the National Legal Service Authority all over the country for the last three years.
