International Widows Day 2025
International Widows Day
International Widows Day is observed annually on June 23rd to raise awareness about the challenges and injustices faced by widows around the world. These can include economic hardship, social stigmatization, discrimination, and lack of access to education, healthcare, and inheritance rights.
Background:
- Established by: The Loomba Foundation in 2005.
- Recognized by the United Nations: In 2010, the UN officially adopted June 23rd as International Widows Day.
- Why June 23rd? It marks the day in 1954 when Shrimati Pushpa Wati Loomba, the mother of the foundation’s founder, Lord Raj Loomba, became a widow.
Key Goals of International Widows Day:
- Raise awareness of the difficult circumstances many widows face.
- Encourage education and empowerment programs for widows and their children.
- Break taboos and stereotypes that lead to the marginalization of widows in many cultures.
Global Relevance:
- There are over 285 million widows worldwide, and many live in extreme poverty.
- In some regions, widows are ostracized, subjected to harmful traditional practices, or denied inheritance and land rights.
- The day seeks to inspire action from governments, communities, and individuals to create a more equitable and just world for widows.
In summary, International Widows Day is both a day of remembrance and a call to action to support and uplift widows across the globe.
Background:
Established by: The Loomba Foundation in 2005.
Recognized by the United Nations: In 2010, the UN officially adopted June 23rd as International Widows Day.
Why June 23rd? It marks the day in 1954 when Shrimati Pushpa Wati Loomba, the mother of the foundation’s founder, Lord Raj Loomba, became a widow.
Key Goals of International Widows Day:
Raise awareness of the difficult circumstances many widows face.
Encourage education and empowerment programs for widows and their children.
Break taboos and stereotypes that lead to the marginalization of widows in many cultures.
Global Relevance:
There are over 285 million widows worldwide, and many live in extreme poverty.
In some regions, widows are ostracized, subjected to harmful traditional practices, or denied inheritance and land rights.
The day seeks to inspire action from governments, communities, and individuals to create a more equitable and just world for widows.
International Widows Day is a call to action to support and uplift widows across the globe.
Widows face systemic injustice worldwide.
Recognition isn’t enough, governments must act
to ensure widows gain legal rights, economic support, and dignity.
Widows face systemic injustice worldwide. Recognition isn’t enough, governments must act to ensure widows gain legal rights, economic support, and dignity.
United Nations Recognises International Widows Day
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon flanked by Lady Cherie Blair and Lord Raj Loomba.
New York, December 21, 2010 – During the 75th plenary meeting of the 65th UN General Assembly, Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of Gabon, addressed the Assembly on the urgent plight of widows worldwide.
He described how millions of widows, simply due to the loss of their husbands, face ostracism, loss of livelihood, and deep poverty, leaving them and their children in destitution and indignity. This widespread yet often invisible discrimination not only violates basic human rights but also threatens the social fabric of communities.
President Ondimba stressed that economic empowerment of women, especially widows, is essential to eradicating poverty. He urged all UN Member States and international bodies to raise awareness and give focused attention to widows’ struggles.
He proposed recognising “International Widows Day“, a global day of action to highlight their cause and fight discrimination, which takes place every year on 23 June.
The road to the UN General Assembly began over 50 years earlier in Dhilwan, Punjab, India, when Jagiri Lal Loomba, a wealthy businessman, died of tuberculosis on 23 June 1954.
His death devastated his wife, Pushpa Wati, and their seven children. But for their ten-year-old son Raj Loomba, what followed was a lasting shock: his grandmother forced his mother to shed all signs of marriage—bangles, jewellery, bindi—and wear only white, marking her sudden transformation into a widow.
Years later, Raj was deeply hurt when a priest asked his widowed mother to move away from his wedding altar, fearing she would bring bad luck. He questioned how a mother who gave him birth and education and always wished him well could be seen as unlucky.
Pushpa Wati, a strong woman, used the family’s resources to educate all her children, including the girls, up to university level. Raj later became a successful businessman in the UK and India, but he never forgot the stigma widows face. “What if my father hadn’t left us money?” he asked. “My mother couldn’t have sent us to college.”
Shrimati Pushpa Wati Loomba
The Loomba Foundation is committed to educate children of poor widows, and empower them so that they become self-reliant, educate their children and lead a life of dignity.
Our Activities and Achievements
Education Programmes
Since its inception, The Loomba Foundation has made education a cornerstone of its mission. Over 10,000 children of poor widows have received scholarships for at least five years, helping break the cycle of poverty through learning. The Foundation has supported students across all 29 states in India. Many of these children have completed their studies and are now supporting their families, creating a ripple effect of opportunity. Infrastructure projects, including school refurbishments and sanitation improvements, have further enhanced access to education for thousands.
Since its inception, The Loomba Foundation has made education a cornerstone of its mission.
Over 10,000 children of poor widows have received scholarships for at least five years, helping break the cycle of poverty through learning. The Foundation has supported students across all 29 states in India. Many of these children have completed their studies and are now supporting their families, creating a ripple effect of opportunity. Infrastructure projects, including school refurbishments and sanitation improvements, have further enhanced access to education for thousands.
Empowerment Projects
Since 2012, the Loomba Foundation has been dedicated to empowering marginalised widows in India. To date, we have supported over 23,000 widows through skills training across a range of sectors, including hospitality, tourism, beauty and healthcare, tailoring, food processing, and computer education.
We were deeply honoured when the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, launched our initiative in his constituency of Varanasi in 2016. We have provided education and skills training to 5,000 widows, creating lasting impact within his own constituency.
International Widows Day – 23 June
Founded by Lord Raj Loomba in 2005 and officially adopted by the United Nations in 2010, International Widows Day is now a globally recognised day of action. Observed every year on 23 June—the date Raj Loomba’s mother became a widow—the day highlights the plight of over 258 million widows and their children worldwide. The campaign has brought together voices from across the globe, including heads of state, civil society, and the UN, to raise awareness and advocate for widows’ rights. It stands as one of The Loomba Foundation’s most transformative contributions to global human rights discourse.
Bharat Widows Empowerment Fund
Launched in October 2023 at the residence of the British High Commissioner, the Bharat Widows Empowerment Fund aims to uplift 100,000 rural widows in India by 2030. The initiative provides sustainable development programmes aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. With over 70% of India’s 46 million widows living in rural areas, this fund targets the most marginalised women—those who face social isolation, poverty, and violence. Through skills training and access to resources, the programme strives to transform widows from invisible dependents into empowered members of society.
Her Skill, Her Future:
Announced in January 2025 in New Delhi, “Her Skill, Her Future – Empowering Widows in India” is a flagship initiative focused on equipping widows with market-relevant skills to achieve financial independence. In collaboration with the Women’s Collective Forum and the CII Foundation, this programme addresses the economic marginalisation widows face. Through tailored training, resource access, and community-based support, the initiative empowers women to rebuild their lives with confidence and dignity. It reflects The Loomba Foundation’s long-standing belief that education and opportunity are the most powerful tools for transformation.
Our Activities and Achievements
Education Programmes
Since its inception, The Loomba Foundation has made education a cornerstone of its mission.
Over 10,000 children of poor widows have received scholarships for at least five years, helping break the cycle of poverty through learning. The Foundation has supported students across all 29 states in India. Many of these children have completed their studies and are now supporting their families, creating a ripple effect of opportunity. Infrastructure projects, including school refurbishments and sanitation improvements, have further enhanced access to education for thousands.
Empowerment Projects
International Widows Day – 23 June
Founded by Lord Raj Loomba in 2005 and officially adopted by the United Nations in 2010, International Widows Day is now a globally recognised day of action. Observed every year on 23 June—the date Raj Loomba’s mother became a widow—the day highlights the plight of over 258 million widows and their children worldwide. The campaign has brought together voices from across the globe, including heads of state, civil society, and the UN, to raise awareness and advocate for widows’ rights. It stands as one of The Loomba Foundation’s most transformative contributions to global human rights discourse.
Bharat Widows Empowerment Fund
Launched in October 2023 at the residence of the British High Commissioner, the Bharat Widows Empowerment Fund aims to uplift 100,000 rural widows in India by 2030. The initiative provides sustainable development programmes aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. With over 70% of India’s 46 million widows living in rural areas, this fund targets the most marginalised women—those who face social isolation, poverty, and violence. Through skills training and access to resources, the programme strives to transform widows from invisible dependents into empowered members of society.
Her Skill, Her Future:
Announced in January 2025 in New Delhi, “Her Skill, Her Future – Empowering Widows in India” is a flagship initiative focused on equipping widows with market-relevant skills to achieve financial independence. In collaboration with the Women’s Collective Forum and the CII Foundation, this programme addresses the economic marginalisation widows face. Through tailored training, resource access, and community-based support, the initiative empowers women to rebuild their lives with confidence and dignity. It reflects The Loomba Foundation’s long-standing belief that education and opportunity are the most powerful tools for transformation.
Not Leaving Widows Behind
An assessment of the progress and impact of the UN’s International Widows Day in South Asia, Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, 2005-2023