Abstract

A single mother is a parent who is not living with her husband but shoulders most of the day-to-day responsibilities in raising her children. A woman can become a single mother due to death of her husband; due to abandonment, divorce or separation; due to adoption; due to birth of a child without marriage. In western societies single mother is a common phenomenon. Estimates are that there are 11 million single parent households in USA of which 80 percent are headed by women.1 According to the Institute for the Study of Civil Society children of single parents face more difficulties. Studies in the west claim that children who do not have fathers in their lives are more likely to be unhappy; engage in anti-social behavior; get involved in substance abuse and juvenile delinquency. However the case has been different in India’s past. The stories of single mothers in Indian history show that they have succeeded in raising their sons to be achievers. Mothers like Sita, Shakuntala, Ganga, Satyavati, Kunti, Hidimba, Subhadra, Mura, Hemvati were able to raise brilliant and successful sons despite being single mothers.

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