Socio-Economic Challenges Faced by Women from Broken Families: A Sociological Study Based in Liyanagemulla, Katana Divisional Secretariat

The study is focused on the Socio-economic problems of divorced women, women separated from their husbands, and widows, with a priority on those originating from dysfunctional families. The research was conducted at Seeduwa North Liyanagemulla Grama Niladhari Division within the Katana Divisional Secretariat, Gampaha. Information was obtained from ten participants selected by applying snowball sampling and analyzed using thematic analysis on their social and economic status. The findings show that women do not openly confess the absence of their husbands in public. Widows tend to be quite depressed, while childless women tend to be content with their fate. Some women are, however, distressed psychologically because their children remind them of their fathers. Initially, there were gossip and rumors, but they later became obsolete over time. Financially, the majority of the women work in the garment industry, and some take on overtime to make ends meet financially. However, those who are mothers struggle to earn enough to make ends meet. The study finds a stark need for being self-employed amongst these women, together with a likelihood of saving to act as financial security for future use by children. Entrepreneurship insurance in the family was also cited as required by the subjects. Overall, it is discovered in the research that widows lead melancholy lives when divorced and abandoned women without children indicate leading happier lives regardless of their lives as wives.