Violence against women and girls is one of the most persisting and devastating issues that infringe on human rights in our world. According to the UN, a large number of incidents of physical, sexual and psychological violence against women and girls remain unreported due to cultural stigmas and shame that surround it.
The UN General Assembly issued a Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women back in 1993, and defined 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.”
Violence against women, unfortunately, continues to be an obstacle until today, hindering the goal of reaching gender equality, development, and the fulfillment of women’s and girls’ human rights. The promise of the Sustainable Development Goals to “leave no one behind” can’t be fulfilled unless we put an end to violence against women and girls in our society.
This year’s theme for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is Orange the World! And just like the past couple of years, the 25th of November will mark the launch of 16 days of activism and awareness campaigns that will last until the 10th of December 2019 – International Human Rights Day.