“Pushed Off to the Side”: A Study on the Socio-Economic Dynamics of Marginalization and the Elderly Women

Abstract

Ageing is an inevitable and inexorable process in life. In India, the population of the elderly is growing rapidly and is emerging as a serious area of concern for the government and the policy planners. Now a days with changing social structure and values, elderly in general and the elderly women in particular experience difficulty in their everyday life. Growing social complexities and the structural discrimination against these people is resulting in their vulnerability to physical, economic, psychological, and emotional abuse. Physical segregation of their settlements is common in many cases forcing them to live in the most unhygienic and inhabitable conditions. All these factors affect their social and health status, access to healthcare and finally their quality of life.  Presence of powerful social differentiation, absence of social safety net and the community support system for these women pervade them into vulnerability and further marginality. Studies of showed elderly women, especially widows are more likely than elderly men to live alone, more likely not to have source of income, more likely not to be in contact with children and close members of the family, and more vulnerable financially, socially and culturally. Moreover, they live a life of isolation and trauma.

 The present paper aims to put some light on various dimensions of marginality & vulnerability of the elderly women, its socio-economic dynamism and at the end it tries to suggest some remedial measures against the discussed issues. Data for the study has been collected from the older women of Budharaja, Danipali, Fatak, Mudipada, Sakhipada, and Khetrajpur areas of Sambalpur town through formal & informal interviews, case studies, and observation methods.