By: Brynn Oakley

For generations, widows across the globe have been victims of stigma, discrimination, and neglect, following the passing of their partners. The United Nations estimates over 258 million widows globally experiencing a range of hardships caused by cultural practices and legal barriers. In addition to the mental health challenges of losing a life partner, widows suffer social and economic violence exacerbated by the harmful traditions and realities that hinder them from fully living a healthy and fulfiling life. Throughout history, women and specifically widowed women have been secluded from the development agenda. This means a lack of employment, access to quality health care, education and social protection. In December 2010, the UN General Assembly formally adopted June 23rd as International Widows Day.

Nyanam widows during the 23rd #WidowsDay celebration

In this post, I aim to shed light on the importance of International Widows day and highlight reasons it is critical for achieving gender equality and social justice. International Widows day, celebrated every June 23 provides a platform of support for the voices of widows and empowerment of widows. The day offers an opportunity to ensure widows voices are raised and heard in order to ignite change. Actors around the world use this day to recognize and address specific experiences of widows and magnify their visibility and need for societal changes on how we treat widows. This day also serves as a celebration of the resilience of widows, and an opportunity to advocate for their rights and foster a global movement of support and empowerment for widows.

By bringing attention to the specific challenges faced by widows on this day, governments and communities are encouraged to recognize their own privileges and take action to address inequalities. We can use the opportunity of this day to combat stereotypes and challenge harmful traditions, as well as foster empathy and understanding of the widows’ circumstances. The education of policymakers and the general public about the struggles faced by widows is crucial to the implementation of programs, legal frameworks, and other actions that can drive sustainable change.

International Widows Day is not only a day to commemorate the hardships faced by widows, but also a call to action to pursue a more inclusive and equitable world. It is my hope that we may embrace this day as an opportunity to amplify and acknowledge the voices of widows and as a catalyst for change.

Ms. Brynn, is a Youth and Communications Intern at Nyanam (2023 Summer)

International Widows Day: Amplify widows’ voices to encourage action