Saturday 23 June 2012 twenty prominent women lead a herd of goats across London Bridge to mark International Widows Day and raise awareness of the plight of widows worldwide. The group was led by Lord Raj Loomba CBE, founder and executive chairman of the Loomba Foundation. As a Freeman of the City of London, courtesy of the Guild of Haberdashers, Lord Loomba has the right to drive livestock over London Bridge. The goat is a symbol of wealth and prosperity and often a life-line for widows in India, South Asia and across Africa.

Lord Loomba was joined by Cherie Blair, President of the Loomba Foundation and wife of the former Prime Minister Rt Hon. Tony Blair,
Cilla Black, Heather Small, Nancy Dell’Olio, Lady Veena Loomba, Rajashree Birla, Baroness Floella Benjamin, Isla Blair, Neev Spencer, Kanya King, Elizabeth Emanuel, Baroness Angela Harris, Aruna Oswal, Jo Swinson, Susan Tobbell, Indu Kakar, Shamin Lalji and
Kristine Byrne.
 

The Walk was followed by a reception at 10 Downing Street, hosted by
Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg. The day of recognition concluded with a Fundraising dinner at the Banqueting House, Whitehall.
 

International Widows Day 2012 is the UN’s second annual global day of action to address the poverty and injustice faced by millions of widows and their dependents in countries around the world. International Widows Day was initiated by the Loomba Foundation in 2005, and officially recognized by the UN General Assembly in 2010. TheLoomba Foundation was established in 1997 by Lord Raj Loomba in memory of his mother, Shrimati Pushpa Wati Loomba, who became a widow at the age of 37 in Punjab, India, and devoted her life to ensuring that her seven children received a proper education. The Foundation aims to educate the children of poor widows throughout India and empower widows around the world.