International Widows Day (IWD) is observed annually on 23 June. The day is recognised to create awareness among people about the difficulties and challenges faced by widows worldwide.
International Widows Day was established by the United Nations in 2010 to highlight the social, economic, health and other problems endured by widows in the societies.
Widows face a plethora of problems in the society including social exclusion, gender discrimination, economic crisis, and many more. The purpose of celebrating the Widows Day on an International level is to educate people and promote an empathetic attitude towards the widows.
What Is the Theme of International Widows Day 2023?
The theme of International Widows Day (IWD) 2023 is "Innovation and technology for gender equality."
History of International Widows Day
The International Day of Widows was officially declared by the United Nations (UN) on 21 December 2010 by passing a resolution called "In Support of Widows and Their Children". The history of International Widows Day has its roots from the Loomba Foundation located in the United Kingdom. The foundation is a charitable trust founded by Lord Raj Loomba which works on an international level for empowerment of widows.
Significance of International Widows day
The significance of celebrating the International Widows Day is to highlight the issues like denial of inheritance rights, social exclusion, gender discrimination, forceful remarriage, economic problems, etc faced by widows and find a permanent solution for them by passing laws and regulations.
According to the United Nations, "For many women around the world, the devastating loss of a partner is magnified by a long-term fight for their basic rights and dignity. Despite the fact that there are more than 258 million widows around the world, widows have historically been left unseen, unsupported, and unmeasured in our societies. On International Widows’ Day, 23 June, take a look at some of the issues affecting widows around the world and what must be done to safeguard and advance their rights."
International Widows Day 2023: Unknown Facts About Widows
According to the United Nations, there are 258 million widows around the world.
After losing their spouse, widows often face issues like discrimination, stigmatization, economic problems, and harmful traditional practices.
Some countries deprive widows of their basic rights like inheritance. They are expelled from their houses and even separated from children. According to UN, "It is estimated that nearly one in ten widows worldwide lives in extreme poverty."
At least 1.36 million of the approximately 258 million widows globally are child widows, but the true number is likely higher due to under-reporting, reported by United Nations.
In some nations, Widows are labelled as carriers of diseases and cursed and are forced to perform ethical cleansing and some harmful religious practices.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)