Trapped Between Life and Loss: The Human Rights Struggle of Half Widows

  • Unique Paper ID: 202927
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue: 12
  • PageNo: 7901-7903
  • Abstract:
  • The phenomenon of “half widows”—women whose spouses have disappeared in conflict situations without confirmation of death—represents a deeply under-examined dimension of contemporary human rights discourse. Situated at the intersection of gender, conflict, and legal invisibility, these women endure prolonged uncertainty that deprives them of both social recognition and legal protection. This article critically examines the human rights implications of enforced disappearances through the lived realities of half widows, with particular reference to conflict-affected regions such as Kashmir. Drawing upon feminist legal theory and the framework of transitional justice, the paper argues that existing international and domestic legal regimes inadequately address the structural and gendered vulnerabilities of half widows. It concludes by proposing a rights-based approach that emphasizes legal recognition, accountability, and reparative justice.

Copyright & License

Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BibTeX

@article{202927,
        author = {Sweksha Yadav},
        title = {Trapped Between Life and Loss: The Human Rights Struggle of Half Widows},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {12},
        pages = {7901-7903},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=202927},
        abstract = {The phenomenon of “half widows”—women whose spouses have disappeared in conflict situations without confirmation of death—represents a deeply under-examined dimension of contemporary human rights discourse. Situated at the intersection of gender, conflict, and legal invisibility, these women endure prolonged uncertainty that deprives them of both social recognition and legal protection. This article critically examines the human rights implications of enforced disappearances through the lived realities of half widows, with particular reference to conflict-affected regions such as Kashmir. Drawing upon feminist legal theory and the framework of transitional justice, the paper argues that existing international and domestic legal regimes inadequately address the structural and gendered vulnerabilities of half widows. It concludes by proposing a rights-based approach that emphasizes legal recognition, accountability, and reparative justice.},
        keywords = {},
        month = {May},
        }

Cite This Article

Yadav, S. (2026). Trapped Between Life and Loss: The Human Rights Struggle of Half Widows. International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology (IJIRT), 12(12), 7901–7903.

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