On 25 November, the world celebrates the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. In 2019, the theme chosen by UN Women is ‘The Generation of Equality stands against Rape’.
This year the focus is on sexual violence and rape issues and Other forms of violence include excision and early marriage The UN program include the launch of 16 days of struggle and action on violence against women that will end on 10 December, the International Human Rights Day.
Geneva Council for Rights and Liberties plays an active part in this international campaign and believes in the importance of joining all efforts for the elimination of all forms of violence against women and rejection of it in all societies without any exception. It also encourages a unified and firm stand against the rape of many women around the world, both in times of peace and war.. The Council calls for the promotion of women’s rights and equal opportunities in various fields, especially professional ones.
Sexual violence against women is one of the most widespread human rights violations, but it remains one of the biggest taboos in our societies.
Most cases remain unreported due to the silence of the victim for fear of scandal and the lack of punishment against the perpetrators of these violations.The fragility of the judicial system and the absence of deterrent laws and impunity are often the cause.
Activists have chosen November 25 as the International Day to Combat Violence against Women in 1981. This date was specifically chosen in honor of the spirit of the three Mirabal sisters, political activists from the Dominican Republic, following the brutal assassination in 1960 on the orders of Dominican Governor Rafael Trujillo (1930-1961).
On 20 December 1993, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 48/104, which is the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women.
In this context, the United Nations General Assembly designated 25 November 1999 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and invited Governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations to organize the activities of that day to publicize the problem paving the way towards the elimination of violence against women. Women and girls around the world.
In general terms, violence manifests itself in physical, sexual and psychological forms, encompassing:
• intimate partner violence (battering, psychological abuse, marital rape, femicide);
• sexual violence and harassment (rape, forced sexual acts, unwanted sexual advances, child sexual abuse, forced marriage, street harassment, stalking, cyber- harassment);
• human trafficking (slavery, sexual exploitation);
• female genital mutilation; and
• child marriage.
“Sexual violence against women and girls is rooted in centuries of male domination. Let us not forget that the gender inequalities that fuel rape culture are essentially a question of power imbalances.” — UN Secretary-General António Guterres
Alarming Figures
•1 in 3 women and girls experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, most frequently by an intimate partner
•Only 52% of women married or in a union freely make their own decisions about sexual relations, contraceptive use and health care
•Worldwide, almost 750 million women and girls alive today were married before their 18th birthday; while 200 million women and girls have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM)
•1 in 2 women killed worldwide were killed by their partners or family in 2017; while only 1 out of 20 men were killed under similar circumstances
•71% of all human trafficking victims worldwide are women and girls, and 3 out of 4 of these women and girls are sexually exploited
•Violence against women is as serious cause of death and incapacity among women of reproductive age as cancer, and a greater cause of ill health than traffic accidents and malaria combined.
