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International Widows’ Day 2022

international widows day

International Widows’ Day 2022 is on Thursday, 23rd June 2022. Widow’s Day is an awareness day of the United Nations that is observed throughout the world to discuss the hardships that widows face when their husbands die. Apart from this international day, National Widows’ Day is also observed on the 3rd of May every year in the United States. Whether it is National Widows’ Day or International Widows’ Day, both days are designated to highlight the problems of widows and encourage people to help widows in struggling against the challenges of life.

International Widows’ Day Theme

“Invisible Women, Invisible Problems” is the theme for International Widows’ Day 2022. Partners are the ones who take others’ rights as duties. They bear the miseries and face the problems together. when the husband of a woman kicks the bucket, she remains alone and her problems become invisible to the whole society. Among various ethnic groups, the Widows are even deprived of their ritual privileges. This theme of  Widows’ Day, therefore, urges us to identify those women and make their problems visible to society.

Why Do We Celebrate International Widows’ Day?

The Purpose to celebrate International Widows’ day is the acknowledgement of the United Nations (UN) that widows are invisible to policymakers. Policies focus upon common citizens, labourers, jobless youth, and other suffering segments of society however, nothing is specifically discussed about widows in policy-making meetings. Such an ignoring attitude means that issues of more than 258 million people remain unaddressed. Widows’ Day stresses upon highlighting the issues of this ignored community to make the world more sustainable.

About Widows

India has the largest number of widows which is around 46 million, according to Emma Batha’s article Which country has the largest number of widows? (2015) published by the World Economic Forum website. Moreover, Indian widows are one of the most pathetic communities in the country and the world as a whole. International Widows’ Day is celebrated on the 23rd of June because (the founder of the day) Raj Loomba’s father Shri Jagiri Lal Loomba died on 23rd June 1954 leaving Raj’s mother as a widow.

UN Resolution on International Widows’ Day

In its 65th General Assembly session, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution A/RES/65/189 that explains the designation of International Widows’ Day.

History and Background

The credit of celebrating International Widow’s Day for the first time in history i.e. 2005, goes to Loomba Foundation. Raj Loomba, an Indian national is the founder of this Loomba Foundation. In 1997, Raj along with his wife Veena Choudhary founded Shrimati Pushpa Wati Loomba Trust in the UK and then renamed it “Loomba Foundation”.

Loomba received much admiration among governmental and non-governmental organizations in India and abroad. The government of India also helped Raj Loomba to convince the international community about the challenges widows face. Finally, on 21st December 2010, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution designating a day for widows. The purpose of observing this day is to eradicate the “poverty and injustice faced by millions of widows and their dependents. The United Nations has also added the goal of liberating widows from social discrimination into its Sustainable Development Goals.

Why is International Widows’ Day important?

International Widows’ Day is important because it spreads awareness about the challenges widows face worldwide. It also helps in finding ways to support those widows as part of our social responsibilities. This day helps the activists to urge policymakers to make policies in favor of widows’ community.

In counties especially India, it is a general myth about widows as being untouchables, misfortunate, non-productive and unable to get remarried. International Widows’ Day is important because it breaks such stigma and highlights those issues. People don’t give importance to widows as they consider they have been deprived of their husbands by a divine cause. Widows’ Day consoles these heartbroken women and encourages them to become productive in society.

International Widows’ Day and COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 has startled the world through its fatal attacks and there is a considerable increase in the number of Widows. In this context, policymakers must take solid measures to address the issues of the existing widows and must explore other women who have become widows due to Corona Virus COVID-19. Hence the significance of International Widows day is further increased in the post-COVID-19 era.
Working widows do not earn much in our society while the pandemic has rendered them jobless. On this year’s Widows Day, we should resolute on national, social and individual levels to make such a supportive cycle for widows that future hazards may not snatch their bread and butter.

What should we do on International Widows’ Day?

International Widows Day Activities

International Widows’ Day is not a public holiday and public life stays normal on this day except for some seminars arranged by NGOs, Government Institutions, and the UNO. You can plan many activities on International Widows Day. Some ideas have been discussed below that you can consider:
i. Search for widows in your neighbourhood and help them as much as you can. You can give them some money, find them a job, or raise funds for them.
ii. Read articles about the miseries of widows and share them with your friends and followers.
iii. Spread awareness about the importance of the day using the way of communication you use like Social Media, Electronic Media, and/or Print Media.
iv. Use hashtag #DiscoverHelpSupportWidows for this year’s Widows’ day and make it a top trend on social media.
v. Share quotes relevant to International Widows’ Day.

International Widow’s Day Hashtags

Follow and promote Social Media trends like

#InternationalWidowsDay
#WidowsDay
#LoombaFoundation
#UNInternationalDays
#WidowsProblems
#WomensRights
#Widows

International Widows’ Day Quotes

Quotes help to understand and convey a message in the shortest way. It is an impressive way to share quotes on International Widows Day to promote the message of the day. You can consider sharing the following quotes:
i. “May a man live well-enough and long-enough, to leave many joyful widows behind him.” – (Roman Payne, Cities & Countries)
ii. “Widowers marry again because it makes their lives easier. Widows often don’t, because it makes their lives harder. [p. 61]” – (Siri Hustvedt, The Summer Without Men)
iii. “Young widows are always a painful sight to see. Jilted brides are even more pitiful than young widows—at least widows had been loved and cherished.” – (Cristiane Serruya, Not A Book)
iv. “I think the first of the children. What the hell am I supposed to tell them? Then I think about money, the house, all those things no widow will tell you ever crossed her mind.” – (Shannon Celebi)
v. “A widow is a fascinating being with the flavor of maturity, the spice of experience, the piquancy of novelty, the tang of practiced coquetry, and the halo of one man’s approval.” – (Helen Rowland)

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