New York

23 June 2013

Secretary-General's message on International Widow's Day

Ban Ki-Moon, Former Secretary-General

No woman should lose her rights when she loses her husband – but an estimated 115 million widows live in poverty, and 81 million have suffered physical abuse. Girls married to much older men are especially vulnerable. Let us use International Widows’ Day to advocate for the rights of all widows so they can enjoy better lives and realize their great potential to contribute to our world.