2017 Nov 25
The 25th of November is a day designated to raising awareness on issues regarding sexual abuse or domestic violence towards women and girls, more formally known as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. One of its many aims is to bring to light the extent to which such violence is covered up.
On 17th December 1999, the United Nations General Assembly chose November 25th to mark the fight against violence towards females due to its historical significance- the 1960s assassination of the 3 Mirabal sisters. The sisters, more commonly known as Patria, Minerva and Maria Teresa, actively opposed(simultaneously gaining popularity with the locals) the Dominican dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo, who severely harassed them for their resistance and ultimately gave out the order for their execution. The sisters became a popular symbol for resistance and feminism in their devout belief and fight for change.
The statistics gathered to prove this issue might not come as a surprise but are unpleasant nonetheless. In a report towards the progress of Sustainable Development Goals it was found that 19% of women between 15 and 49 had suffered domestic abuse within 12 months of taking the survey. Almost half of all female homicide victims had their lives taken by the hands of a family member. Now these are all hard facts. One in three women go through abuse in their lifetime. With many such horrifying statistics coming to light in countries around the world, the task of resolving the issue persists.
Many dedicated campaigns have surfaced in the race for gender equality, for example UNiTE, the famous #MeToo movement, #OrangeTheWorld etc. The aim of such campaigns has been to raise awareness but now, has come to a point where the priority is getting the resources to actually address the issue head-on. Locally, rallies and fundraisers are yet held. More research is carried out on how the issue is progressing. Several projects are being funded to help abuse victims in need of aid. Persistence has become key in letting the world know that this has come past the point of being swept under the rug.
On a larger scale, goals have been set to use such resources and gain political strength to influence the law to set strict regulations and punishments when it comes to domestic, sexual and physical abuse. In keeping with human rights, it is only fair that such laws are enforced so that there is a serious punishment for such offenders. It has become far too common of an occurrence for a complaint of abuse to be swept under the rug and another task that campaigns have set themselves is to solidify their structure and the structure of the law enforcement to a point where a victim afraid for her life can come forward and actually be protected.
The 25th of November not only marks a stand against violence to women, it is also the start of a 16-day Activist period against Gender Violence that comes to a rest on International Human Rights Day. The two are clearly closely interwoven and makes for a perfect chance to express opinions. After all, such issues are global problems and to face head-on without a smartly thought strategy would make for a wasted opportunity. Movements like #MeToo and dedicated campaigns such as UNiTE have helped progress awareness on abuse towards women vastly in the past year and now sights have been set on tackling the bigger aforementioned goals.
Different themes are set each year for this international day and this year’s theme is “Leave no one behind- end violence against girls and women”. It is hoped to reach out further to developing countries and aid women suffering from abuse. ‘Leave no one behind’ has become a reminder that there is always someone too scared to reach out, unable to escape to safety or too ashamed to come forward as a victim and the theme serves as a cry for unity.
Furthermore, as elaborated on by UNiTE, Sustainable Development Goals are integrated socially, economically and environmentally. The theme this year further emphasizes that Sustainable Goals will never be met just by catering to economic and environmental needs alone. It is a joint effort and stability needs to be present in all three.
‘Orange the World’ is an event by UNiTE set once again for the 16 days of Activism against Gender Violence beginning on this International day. It symbolizes a brighter future without violence and the hashtag too has become a popular trend.
So this day is for all you ladies that are much stronger than you give yourselves credit for. You are not alone. The world can be a tough place to live in but here’s hoping for a change that our persistence and strength will implement, here’s hoping for the elimination of violence against women.
