June 23 has been commemorated as International Widows Day across the world since 2011 to spread awareness about the difficulties widows face and to gather the support that they need. The day also draws attention to the voices of widows who have lost their partners and looks to help them access basic rights.
The UN General Assembly, on December 21, 2010, adopted a resolution and declared June 23 as “International Widows Day”.
There are an estimated 258 million widows around the world, and nearly one in ten live in extreme poverty.
Voices of Rohingya refugee widow
“We were a family of six. We had a happy life until August 2017, when the military killed my husband and rendered me into a helpless widow!”, Hannan from Unchoprang camp told Rohingya Khobor.
Hannan also added that she along with her four children escaped the military crackdown and crossed the border to Bangladesh. Her first daughter passed away a few months ago. She has none who would support her and she gets no help except the limited food and non-food items provided to refugees by UN agencies. I face countless suffering each day. She also suffers from asthma.
‘I am very happy to know that a day exists for us, the widows and we hope and believe that the International community will adopt more effective measures to alleviate the widows’ suffering and highlight the voice of widows”, another widow from camp 27 said.
History of International Widows Day
This special day was established and recognised by The Loomba Foundation, which is an NGO dedicated to improve the lives of widows. The main objective is to inform people about the issue of widowhood. This organisation is run by Lord Raj Loomba CBE and his wife Lady Veena Loomba.
The date was picked for International Widows Day as on this day Shrimati Pushpa Wati Loomba, mother of Lord Loomba, became a widow in the year 1954. After its recognition, the first International Widows Day was observed in 2005.
After years of wait, the day was formally accepted and acknowledged by the United Nations on 21 December 2010. To commemorate the day on the sixth edition, events and programmes were held in countries including, the United States (US), UK, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Syria, Kenya, India, and Bangladesh.
Recently widows for peace through democracy has compiled a comprehensive dossier of evidence for the attention of CEDAW. They have reflected the suffering of the Rohingya in their report.
Another such widow empowerment organisation global fund for widows has various successful sustainable programs that helped the widows to be self-reliant.
“I urge every country, as a critical element of my Call to Action on Human Rights, to pass and implement legislation and policies that promote gender equality, and to repeal all discriminatory laws that perpetuate women’s subjugation and exclusion. The persecution and disinheritance of widows, by law and custom, is one of the worst examples of gender discrimination.”
United Nations Secretary-General on the International Widows Day
