(File retrieved from: avidreader25.blogspot.com)
Millions of women and girls around the world are assaulted, beaten, raped, mutilated or even murdered in what constitutes appalling violations of their human rights. [...] We must fundamentally challenge the culture of discrimination that allows violence to continue. On this International Day, I call on all governments to make good on their pledges to end all forms of violence against women and girls in all parts of the world, and I urge all people to support this important goal.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Message for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
25 November 2012
(From un.org page)
It was only in December 1999 that the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 54/134 declaring November 25th the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
November 25th commemorates the three Mirabal sisters: Patria Mercedes, Maria Argentina Minerva, and Antonia Maria Teresa Mirabal (wikipedia.org) from Dominican Republic who were violently assassinated for activism in 1960. The three sisters, also known as “Unforgettable Butterflies”, became a “symbol of the crisis of violence against women” not only in Latin America in 1980s but also in the world of all brothers and women calling for the end of this crisis.
Mirabal sisters during their times fervently opposed to the cruel dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo and to any event that marginalize and discriminate women with impunity.
November 25th each year marks the start of the 16-Day of Activism till December 10 in commemorating the Human Rights Day.
Since 1991, the Philippines has joined the international community in the observance of the 16-day campaign against violence against women to raise awareness on gender-based violence as a human rights violation.
Today, the Council of Europe is hopeful for the European government to mark November 25th this year through signing and ratifying the Council of Europe Convention.
The Philippine Review unites the world for this urgent international call to end violence not only against women but also against any form of gender-based discrimination.
Related articles
- What’s On: November (udenplan.wordpress.com)
- Violence against Women: Perpetrators, Not Victims, Should Feel Disgrace (ionglobaltrends.com)
- MoWAC to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence against women (ghananewsagency.org)
- November 25 is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (stephencmonahan.wordpress.com)
- November 25 is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (culturalcreativestimes.wordpress.com)
Filed under: News Tagged: | gender-based violence, Human Rights Day, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Mirabal sisters, November 25, Philippine Review
