International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

November 25, 2022 - Reading time: 3 minutes

In order to put a stop to violence against women and girls, it is essential to provide support and financial investment to feminist groups and organizations fighting for women's rights.

Demonstrations took place across the globe. Demonstrators gathered in Spain to voice their opposition to violence against women as well. Since the beginning of the official count in 2003, there have been at least 1,171 people slain in the country by their current or former romantic partner.

In Mexico City, the scene was essentially the same.

The percentage of women in Mexico who sought assistance at shelters for victims of violence increased by a factor of eighty percent during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Today was the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, a day designated by the United Nations, which was observed by demonstrators all over the world.

A staggering 71% of women over the age of 15 have been victims of physical or sexual assault.

A demonstration in Istanbul that was demanding for an end to violence against women and for Turkey to return to a treaty that was intended to protect them was dispersed by the police. During the course of the march, the authorities detained a significant number of the demonstrators.

In defiance of the order issued by the authorities, the protesters attempted to march up Istiklal, which is Istanbul's primary pedestrian artery. The authorities had issued the order to prevent the rally on the grounds that it would threaten public order and security.

Why We Must Eliminate Violence Against Women

The most ubiquitous and widespread violation of human rights is violence against women and girls, which has its origins in gender inequality and discrimination, unequal power relations, and detrimental social norms. The murder of women and girls for reasons related to their gender is the most heinous and extreme form of this type of violence.

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today remains largely unreported due to the impunity, silence, stigma and shame surrounding it.

In general terms, it manifests itself in physical, sexual and psychological forms, encompassing:

1. intimate partner violence (battering, psychological abuse, marital rape, femicide);
2. sexual violence and harassment (rape, forced sexual acts, unwanted sexual advances, child sexual abuse, forced marriage, street harassment, stalking, cyber- harassment);
3. human trafficking (slavery, sexual exploitation);
4. female genital mutilation; and
5. child marriage.

Gender-related killings of women and girls take place worldwide. 5 every hour... . That is the number of women and girls who are murdered by a member of their own family. It is time to put a stop to this ticking clock and get to work right away to put an end to violence against women and girls. Read the report I linked to on gender-related homicides of women and girls to learn more about the topic.