Every year on June 23rd, International Widows’ Day gives special recognition to the situation of widows of all ages across the globe.
The situation for widows is especially dire in developing countries. Some of the problems widows face in these countries include poverty, violence, social stigmatization, and health issues. According to recent statistics, there are about 258 million widows in the world. Nearly one in 10 widows live in extreme poverty. This is because many widows don’t have access to credit or other economic resources, including work.
Widows in developing countries also face high instances of violence. This violence is especially prevalent in Africa and Asia. In these countries, widows are often victims of physical and mental violence. Widows are also forced to engage in life-threatening practices that are part of their husband’s burial rites.
The Loomba Foundation established International Widows Day in 2005. They chose the date June 23rd, as it was the date that the mother of the foundation’s founder, Lord Loomba, became a widow. In December 2010, the UN General Assembly formally adopted June 23rd as International Widows’ Day. The first official UN International Widows Day was held on June 23rd, 2011.
Theme 2022: "Invisible Women, Invisible Problems". The theme tends to highlight the fact that for many societies a woman’s identity is attached to her partner and after his death, the problems faced by her are ignored by policymakers who don’t give any special attention to the widowed woman.
Source: www.un.org
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