Wednesday, 23 June, is International Widows Day.
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.
Now more than ever, this day is an opportunity for action towards achieving full rights and recognition for widows.
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.
Today, as armed conflicts, displacement and migration, and the COVID-19 pandemic leave tens of thousands of women newly widowed and many others whose partners are missing or disappeared, the unique experiences and needs of widows must be brought to the forefront, with their voices leading the way.
In the context of lockdowns and economic closures, widows may not have access to bank accounts and pensions to pay for healthcare if they too become ill or to support themselves and their children.
With lone-mother families and single older women already particularly vulnerable to poverty, this is an area that needs urgent attention.
The United Nations observes June 23, as International Widows Day since 2011, to draw attention to the voices and experiences of widows and to galvanize the unique support that they need.
This includes providing them with information on access to a fair share of their inheritance, land and productive resources; pensions and social protection that are not based on marital status alone; decent work and equal pay; and education and training opportunities.
Empowering widows to support themselves and their families also means addressing social stigmas that create exclusion, and discriminatory or harmful practices.
