International Widow's Day

23 Jun
Absent in statistics, unnoticed by researchers, neglected by national and local authorities and mostly overlooked by civil society organizations – the situation of widows is, in effect, invisible.
International Widows’ Day is commemorated to raise awareness to end all discrimination against the world’s widows, and to enable them to enjoy their full human rights. Millions of the world’s widows endure extreme poverty, ostracism, violence, homelessness, ill health and discrimination.
Yet abuse of widows and their children constitutes one of the most serious violations of human rights and obstacles to development today. Millions of the world’s widows endure extreme poverty, ostracism, violence, homelessness, ill health and discrimination in law and custom.

To give special recognition to the situation of widows of all ages and across regions and cultures, the United Nations General Assembly declared 23 June 2011 as the first-ever International Widows’ Day, to be celebrated annually, draws attention to the estimated 115 million widows currently living under the poverty line, and the 81 million who are subjected to physical abuse, often by their own family members.

International Widows’ Day recognized by the United Nations to highlight poverty and injustice faced by widows and their children in many countries.