International Widows' Day 2026

International Widows' Day was introduced to address poverty and injustice faced by widows and their children in many countries. It was officially recognized by the United Nations in 2010 and is observed anually on June 23.

What Do People Do?

The first officially recognized International Widows' Day on June 23, 2011 was marked with a conference held in the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Public Life

International Widows' Day is a global observance and not a public holiday.

Background

International Widows' Day was initiated by the Loomba Foundation in 2005. The plight of widows world-wide has been the foundation's focus since it was established in 1997. According to its founder, Raj Loomba, women in many countries experience great hardship after their husbands die. “They are not looked after by governments or NGOs and they are shunned by society.”

The observance falls on June 23 because Loomba's mother became a widow on that date in 1954.

External Link

Learn more about International Widows' Day

While we diligently research and update our holiday dates, some of the information in the table above may be preliminary. If you find an error, please let us know.