A Global Day of Action
International Widows Day is a United Nations day of action to highlight and combat discrimination and injustice suffered by widows worldwide. It takes place every year on 23 June.
Established by Lord Raj Loomba in 2005 as an annual day of action to highlight the plight of destitute widows and their dependent children all over the world, International Widows Day was unanimously adopted by the United Nations 65th General Assembly following a five-year campaign in 2010.
Since then, International Widows Day has provided a focus for campaigning in many countries around the world, with opportunities to create awareness in communities and engage governments in developing effective policies. Much has already been achieved but, as Lord Loomba points out, millions remain in urgent need, and “we’ve barely started yet”.