Internationale Dag van Weduwen (VN)

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.

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.