The United Nations (UN) International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is annually observed across the globe on 25 November to raise global awareness about the issue of violence against women and highlight the importance of efforts to prevent such violence.
- 25th November 2024 marks the 25th International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
Background:
i.In 2000, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/54/134 and proclaimed the 25 November of every year as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
ii.The first-ever International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women was observed on 25th November 2000.
Why November 25?
i.Since 1981, Women’s rights activists across the globe have been observing 25th November as a day against Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
ii.The date was chosen to honor the Mirabal sisters from the Dominican Republic. Three of the sisters – Patria, Minerva, and Maria Teresa were brutally murdered on 25 November 1960, for opposing the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo (1930-1961).
- The sisters referred to as the “Inolvidables Mariposas”, and the “Unforgettable Butterflies” have become a symbol against the victimization of women.
About UNiTE Campaign:
The observance of this day marks the launch of UNiTE campaign, a 16 days (25th November – 10th December) of activism against Gender-based Violence (GBV), which concludes on International Human Rights Day (10 December).
- The 2024 global theme of UNiTE campaign is “Every 10 Minutes, a woman is killed. #NoExcuse. UNiTE to End Violence against Women” to draw attention to the alarming escalation of violence against women.
Orange Day:
The UNiTE campaign has proclaimed the 25th of each month as “Orange Day”, a day to raise awareness and take action to end violence against women and girls (VAWG).
- As a bright and optimistic color, orange represents a future free from VAWG.
UN Report:
On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, UN Women and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released the report titled Femicides in 2023: Global Estimates of Intimate Partner/Family Member Femicides. It reveals,
- In 2023, 85,000 women and girls worldwide lost their lives due to intentional killings.
- Every day, 140 women and girls were killed by their partner or a close relative, which means one woman was killed every 10 minutes.
- Africa reported the highest rates of femicides linked to intimate partners and family members, followed by the Americas and Oceania, while Asia and Europe reported significantly lower rates.
- In Europe and the Americas, the majority of femicide victims were killed by their intimate partners, accounting for 64% and 58% of cases, respectively.
Towards the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 2025, alongside the five-year deadline to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to gender equality and all forms of violence against women and girls, the report acts as a powerful call to action.
2024 Event:
UN organized 16 Days of Activism Campaign on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women to renew commitments and call for accountability and action from decision-makers to fight against gender-based violence.
Key Facts:
i.Around 1 in 3 women globally have experienced either physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner, or sexual violence from a non-partner, at some point in their lives –1 in 4 adolescent girls is abused by their partners.
ii.16% to 58% of women worldwide experience technology-facilitated gender-based violence, with Generation Z and Millennials being the most impacted.
iii.In conflict, war, and humanitarian crises, 70% of women experience gender-based violence.
iv.Globally, female genital mutilation has increased by 15% over the past eight years.
