“I welcome the chorus of voices calling for an end to the violence that affects an estimated one in three women in her lifetime. I applaud leaders who are helping to enact and enforce laws and change mindsets. And I pay tribute to all those heroes around the world who help victims to heal and to become agents of change .”
Why This International Day?
The UN site states that: “Violence against women is a human rights violation, Violence against women is a consequence of discrimination against women, in law and also in practice, and of persisting inequalities between men and women, Violence against women impacts on, and impedes, progress in many areas, including poverty eradication, combating HIV/AIDS, and peace and security, Violence against women and girls is not inevitable. Prevention is possible and essential, Violence against women continues to be a global pandemic.”
Campaign: Orange the World in 16 days
The Secretary General’s Campaign UNITE to End Violence Against Women has proclaimed the 25th of each month Orange Day. Among other actions, the Orange Day invites us to wear something orange to highlight its calls for the eradication of violence against women without reservation, equivocation or delay.
According to UN Figures: “Up to 70 per cent of women experience violence in their lifetime. Between 500,000 to 2 million people are trafficked annually into situations including prostitution, forced labour, slavery or servitude, according to estimates. Women and girls account for about 80 per cent of the detected victims. It is estimated that more than 130 million girls and women alive today have undergone FGM/C, mainly in Africa and some Middle Eastern countries. The cost of intimate partner violence in the United States alone exceeds $5.8 billion per year: $4.1 billion is for direct medical and health care services, while productivity losses account for nearly $1.8 billion.”
This year, the UNITE Campaign is extending Orange Day to 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, starting November 25, International Day to End Violence Against Women, through December 10, Human Rights Day. The date of November 25 was chosen to commemorate the Mirabal sisters, three political activists Dominican ruler Rafael Trujillo (1930-1961) ordered brutally assassinate in 1960.
Joining this Campaign World without Wars and Violence UK will make available training seminars in Education for Active Nonviolence to individuals and organizations that wish to extend the prevention of violence against women to both genders, all ages and people from all walks of life.
