What is International Widow’s Day and why is it celebrated? Read more

The International Widow’s Day is a United Nations ratified day of action. International Widow’s Day mainly aims to target the poor conditions of widow’s in underdeveloped or developing countries. It is celebrated every year on June 23 every year.

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What is International Widow’s Day?

The International Widow’s Day aims to address poverty and injustice faced by millions of widows and their dependents in many countries. This day is an initiative by The Loomba Foundation, an NGO based in London, United Kingdom, and was launched at the House of Lords in London on 26 May 2005. In succession to the launch, the Loomba Foundation led a five-year-long global campaign for UN recognition. They succeeded when in 2010, the UN in a unanimous decision, adopted International Widow's Day as an annual global day of action by the UN General Assembly.

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International Widow’s Day Significance

The Loomba Foundation was founded by Rajinder Paul Loomba, who is a member of London’s House of Lords and the founder and executive chairman of the Loomba Group. Loomba started campaigning and working on the issue of widowhood in a developing country, when his mother Shrimati Pushpa Wati Loomba, became a widow at the age of 37 years. Loomba had witnessed her struggle and the socio-economic discrimination that widows faced in his community first hand.

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In his mother’s memory, Loomba decided to set up an NGO. His goal was to raise awareness about the challenges of widowhood. He also set out to raise funds, which were then used to help the children of widows in poor countries to attend school. The flagship of the Loomba foundation’s awareness campaign is International Widow's Day, which takes place annually on 23 June, the anniversary of his mother’s widowhood.

The Loomba Foundation is actively working in India, with many other Asian and African countries as well. In underdeveloped and developing countries, due to a lack of education and awareness, it is not unusual for women to be blamed for their husband's death. They are usually abandoned by their in-laws and even their own families in some cases.

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International Widow’s Day 2020

In 2020, the awareness around human rights issues and various other social problems is increasing. The Black Lives Matter movement has become a catalyst for spreading awareness about many other sections of the society that are suffering from destitution and discrimination. Hence International Widow’s Day 2020 is a very important day for all the women around the world.