According to a survey conducted by the National Forum for Single Women’s Rights, the first such exercise of its kind, 86.4 per cent of single women in Bihar were found to be living below the state’s minimum wage of Rs 120 a day.

The figure for neighbouring Jharkhand–– where the minimum wage is Rs 127 per day––is 80 per cent. In Himachal Pradesh, where the minimum wage is Rs 120, the percentage is 79.4.

In Rajasthan 78.9 per cent do not get the minimum wage which is Rs 135 per day.

In Maharashtra where minimum wage is Rs 120 the percentage is 64.3. Though the figure for Gujarat is only 58.8 per cent yet it needs to be mentioned that the state has fixed the minimum wage at Rs 100 per day.

The survey found that 75 per cent of the sampled 386 women (177 widows, 101 separated, 61 unmarried and 47 divorcees) lived on less than the minimum daily wage in their states. Yet, only 21 per cent of them were actually recognized as “poor” by the government.

Almost 32 per cent respondents reported a family income ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 10,000 a year.
The study shows that the government’s social security schemes are hardly helping these women. Several widows reported having bribed public officials to get access to pensions.

The study found that only a quarter of respondents received social security benefits. Just 12.7 per cent single women said they had benefited from schemes like Indira AwasYojana. Pension went to just 26 per cent of those actually eligible under programmes like Indira Gandhi Old Age Pension Scheme, Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme and Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme.

Though they technically head the households and provide for their children and ageing parents, they are hardly named as heads of families in ration cards. Just 40 per cent of the respondents were listed as heads of households in ration cards while a quarter had no card, denying them access to social security schemes including public distribution system.

As high as 90 per cent single women admitted they often borrow money to survive while only 21 per cent said their children supported them.

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