June 23 has been observed as International Widows Day since 2011 to draw attention to the voices of widows, highlight the problems they face and galvanize the support that they need.
Significance
The Widow’s Day page on the United Nations website states that the Covid-19 pandemic, armed conflicts, migration, and displacement left tens of thousands of women newly widowed. Now more than ever, this day is an opportunity for action towards achieving full rights and recognition for widows. This includes providing them with information on access to a fair share of their inheritance, land and productive resources; pensions and social protection that are not based on marital status alone; decent work and equal pay; and education and training opportunities.Theme of the yearThe theme for last year’s International Widows’ Day was “Invisible Women, Invisible Problems”.
This year’s theme is – “Sustainable Solutions for Widows Financial Independence”.
How to observe
Events and initiatives are organised all over the world on International Widows’ Day. The main objective of the activities is to create awareness about the condition of widows and protect their rights.You too can observe the day or contribute to it by reading out stories of inspirational widows, donating to an organisation that cares for widows, volunteering to help widows in your community, or simply creating a fund to help raise money for widows.
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