November 25 has been designated by the world community as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. It is a day for governments, international groups, and membership organisations like now to come together to organise activities and events to spread awareness of this issue.
Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread, persistent, and devastating human rights violations worldwide today. It remains largely unreported due to silence, stigma, shame, lack of protections and redress for victims.
Despite the adoption of the Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) by the UN General Assembly in 1979, violence against women and girls remains a pervasive problem worldwide.
To that end, the General Assembly issued resolution 48/104, laying the foundation for the road towards a world free of gender-based violence. Another bold step in the right direction was embodied by an initiative launched in 2008 and known as the UNiTE to End Violence against Women.
It aims to raise public awareness around the issue as well as increase both policymaking and resources dedicated to ending violence against women and girls worldwide.
Yet, there is still a long way to go on the global scale. To date, only two out of three countries have outlawed domestic violence, while 37 countries worldwide still exempt rape perpetrators from prosecution if they are married to or eventually marry the victim and 49 countries currently have no laws protecting women from domestic violence.
Orange Day calls upon activists, governments, and UN partners to mobilise people and highlight issues relevant to preventing and ending violence against women and girls, not only once a year on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, but every month.
History of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
Women's rights activists have observed 25 November as a day against gender-based violence since 1981. This date was selected to honour the Mirabal sisters, three political activists from the Dominican Republic who were brutally murdered in 1960 by order of the country’s ruler, Rafael Trujillo (1930-1961).
On 20 December 1993, the General Assembly adopts the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women through resolution 48/104, paving the path towards eradicating violence against women and girls worldwide.
Finally, on 7 February 2000, the General Assembly adopted resolution 54/134, officially designating 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and in doing so, inviting governments, international organisations as well as NGOs to join together and organise activities designed to raise public awareness of the issue every year on that date.
What is considered violence against women?
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains largely unreported due to the impunity, silence, stigma and shame surrounding it.
It can manifest in physical, sexual and psychological forms, encompassing:
- Intimate partner violence (battering, psychological abuse, marital rape, femicide);
- Sexual violence and harassment (rape, forced sexual acts, unwanted sexual advances, child Sexual abuse, forced marriage, street harassment, stalking, cyber-harassment);
- Human trafficking (slavery, sexual exploitation);
- Female genital mutilation; and Child marriage.
The UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women issued by the UN General Assembly in 1993, defines violence against women as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life.”
This affects women at all stages of their lives, including education, employment, and opportunities. Some women and girls, such as those in vulnerable situations or humanitarian crises, migrants, LGTBI, Indigenous people or those with disabilities, face greater risk.
Violence against women continues to be an obstacle to achieving equality, development, and peace as well as to the fulfilment of women's and girls’ human rights. All in all, the promise of sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - to leave no one behind - cannot be fulfilled without putting an end to
violence against women and girls.
Facts of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
- The epidemic of violence against women and girls shames humanity. Every day, on average, 140 women and girls are killed by someone in their own family. Around one in three women still experience physical or sexual violence. No country or community is unaffected. And the situation is getting worse.
- According to the UN, nearly one in three women and girls worldwide will experience
physical or sexual violence during their lifetime.
- “For at least 51,100 women in 2023, this violence escalated to femicide (homicide targeted at women) with over half committed by intimate partners or family members.”
- According to a report issued by UN Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), “Femicides in 2023: Global estimates of intimate partner/family member femicides”, globally, a woman was killed every 10 minutes in 2023.”
- 2024 marks 25 years since the UN designated November 25th, as the date of the murder of the Mirabal sisters, who became symbols of democratic and feminist resistance in the Dominican Republic, the UN will convene a full-day event, to launch the report and share best practices in accelerating efforts to eliminate violence against women and girls.
NOW members can further support International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women by participating in the 16 Days of Action Against Domestic Violence which begins on November 25 and concludes on December 10, 2024, which is International Human Rights Day. Here’s a concept note from UN Women on the 16 Days of Activism, towards 30 years of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
- UN Women have produced this video for the ACT campaign to end Violence against Women through Advocacy, Coalition Building, and Transformative Feminist Action (ACT).
- Today, and for the 16 Days of Action ahead, NOW members are showing how a strong and intersectional feminist movement can bring about policy change and end violence against women.
Crime against Women In India
- A total of 4,45,256 cases of crime against women were registered during 2022, showing an increase of 4.0% over 2021 (4,28,278 cases).
- The majority of cases under crime against women under IPC were registered under ‘Cruelty by Husband or His Relatives’ (31.4%) followed by ‘Kidnapping & Abduction of Women’ (19.2%), ‘Assault on Women with Intent to Outrage her Modesty’ (18.7%), and ‘Rape’ (7.1%). The crime rate registered per lakh women population was 66.4 in 2022 in comparison with 64.5 in 2021.
