Social Isolation and the Marginalization of Destitute Women in Vrindavan

This qualitative study investigates the social isolation and marginalization of destitute women, predominantly widows, in Vrindavan, India. Focusing on socio-cultural, economic, and psychological dimensions. Through in-depth interviews with 50 women, we employed Thematic Analysis to uncover six primary themes: Left Alone by Family and Society, Faith as Comfort or Cage, Unseen in Public, Charity as Help and Humiliation, Broken Identities, and Stuck in Time. The findings reveal how cultural stigmas that label destitute women as inauspicious drive their exclusion from familial and social networks, while religious institutions, though providing shelter, often reinforce restrictive gender norms. Economic precarity and limited access to effective support systems exacerbate their marginalization, with charitable and non-governmental interventions frequently undermining their autonomy and dignity. Nevertheless, subtle acts of resistance demonstrate the women’s resilience. The study advocates for culturally sensitive interventions, including economic empowerment, community-based inclusion programs, and context-appropriate mental health support, to restore agency and dignity. By extending theoretical constructs such as symbolic violence and precarity, this research enhances understanding of gendered exclusion in religious contexts and urges the adoption of participatory policy frameworks to address systemic inequities.