International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
The United Nations' (UN) International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is an occasion for governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations to raise public awareness of violence against women. It has been observed on November 25 each year since 2000.
Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread violations of human rights. According to a 2013 WHO global study, 35 per cent of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual violence. However, some national studies show that up to 70 per cent of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime from an intimate partner.
Women’s activists have marked 25 November as a day against violence since 1981. It was on this day in 1960 that the three Mirabal sisters, political activists in the Dominican Republic, were brutally assassinated on the orders of the then Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo.
A few facts about the scale of violence against women worldwide:
- As many as 1 in 4 women experience physical or sexual violence during pregnancy.
- 603 million women live in countries where domestic violence is not yet considered a crime.
- Over 60 million girls worldwide are child brides, married before the age of 18.
- Women and girls make up 80% of the estimated 800,000 people trafficked across national borders annually, with 79% of them trafficked for sexual exploitation.
- More than 100 million girls are ‘missing’ due to pre-natal sex selection.
Give Your Comments