International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women 2025
Cayden Anderson, (2024-25 Iowa UNA College Ambassador from Drake University)
November 25th is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. This day has been observed since 1981, chosen to honor the Mirabal sisters — Patria, Minerva, and María — who were political activists from the Dominican Republic. They challenged Rafael Trujillo’s oppressive regime which restricted many civil liberties. Tragically, in 1960, Trujillo ordered their murder. The sisters were beaten, strangled, and then pushed over a cliff in their car to make their deaths look like an accident.
Despite efforts by the UN to reduce violence against women, it remains a pervasive issue worldwide. In 1993, the UN General Assembly issued the UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, defining 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 in private life.” Examples include intimate partner violence, sexual violence and harassment, human trafficking, female genital mutilation, and child marriage.
Even today, a woman is killed every 10 minutes. Shockingly, thirty-three of the world’s countries still have not outlawed domestic violence. Twenty countries worldwide, through "marry your rapist laws", do not prosecute rape perpetrators if they are married to or plan to marry their victims. This makes violence against women one of the most prevalent human rights violations. Furthermore, women and girls in vulnerable situations, such as refugees or those with minority identities (including LGBTQ+ individuals, indigenous women and girls, and those with disabilities), are at even greater risk.
1. Listen and Believe Survivors: Provide women and girls with a safe space to share their experiences and avoid victim-blaming.
2. Advocate for Better Services: Support shelters, helplines, and counseling services for survivors.
3. Educate Others: Teach those around you about consent, the levels of violence women and girls face, and the signs of abuse, so they can help others.
4. Start a Conversation: Show solidarity and engage in discussions across generations to share different perspectives and experiences.
5. Stop Rape Culture and Victim Blaming: Reflect on and change behaviors that contribute to this culture and hold others accountable.
6. Donate to Women’s Organizations: Support local organizations that help women and support survivors. Find some in your local community to contribute to.
Comments