Health Status and Related Capabilities Among Widows in Gujarat: Evidence from the Beneficiaries and Non-beneficiaries of Ganga Swaroopa Aarthik Sahay Yojana

Abstract

Using data collected through a primary survey of 1,659 widows belonging to 6 selected districts in Gujarat in 2021, this article analyses the status of health and its implications on the economic well-being among widows in Gujarat. By considering both beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries, this article further makes an attempt to ascertain how the Ganga Swaroopa Aarthik Sahay Yojana (GSASY henceforth), a widows’ pension scheme in Gujarat, contributes to (a) the health status and (b) the health-related capabilities of widows in this state. Since widowhood is not a homogeneous identity, the health outcomes and health-related capabilities are found to vary between younger widows and older widows across the rural and urban areas in Gujarat. The results highlight the evidence of disabilities, morbidities, chronic ailments and high burden of loss of wages due to ailment, as well as the burden of health expenditure among the respondents. The results also show a positive contribution of GSASY in enhancing the health capabilities of widows in Gujarat.