Introduction
The phenomenon of forced disappearances in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) since 1989 has resulted in a new social category – the half widow – a woman whose husband has disappeared without any legal declaration of death. The number of these women is estimated at about 1,500[1] but they live in a condition of legal and existential vacuum, with no widow status, inability to inherit or remarry without legal prosecution and being deprived of state benefits. This is the most lasting gender-based consequence of the conflict in IIOJK. This issue brief analyses the impacts of this crisis in a legal, economic, psychological and political domain; outlines the shortcomings of various policies and structures of impunity contributing to this crisis; and presents specific recommendations for international players, regional actors and civil society.
