November 25th marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. In 1999, the United Nations General Assembly designated this day to raise awareness about the issue.
The date was chosen to commemorate the assassination of the three Mirabal sisters in the Dominican Republic on November 25, 1960. After months of torture, the three sisters were murdered by the country’s army intelligence service for their political activism against the ruling dictatorship.
In 1981, during a conference in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, women’s rights advocates from Latin America and the Caribbean proposed this date. The goal was twofold: to pay tribute to the courage of the Mirabal sisters and to direct public attention toward condemning violence against women. The United Nations officially recognized the date in 1999, making the observance global.
Pillars of the Women, Peace, and Security Resolution
The key pillars of the landmark Women, Peace, and Security resolution, passed in 2000, are:
- Preventing conflicts within and between countries.
- Ensuring women’s participation in political and social life.
- Preventing violence against them.
What is Violence Against Women?
Violence against women is a specialized term used to collectively describe violent acts committed primarily or exclusively against women.
The United Nations defines it 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, and has declared it prohibited worldwide.
Forms of violence against women include sexual violence, non-contact sexual abuse, verbal abuse, rape, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy, trafficking of women and girls, public acid attacks, violence against female employees and domestic workers, violence resulting from war, and violence in prisons, among others.
In some very impoverished countries, even a woman’s most basic rights as a human being are not recognized.
What is Hidden Violence Against Women?
While the effects of physical violence are visible, there are other forms of violence whose destructive impacts are not seen but are incredibly difficult to endure.
These include lying, denying a woman responsibility, ignoring her needs and desires, lack of commitment, polygamy, constant criticism, separating a woman from her children, aggression, forcing a woman to leave her home, and false accusations.
A key characteristic of violence against women in many societies is its concealment and women’s reluctance to react proactively against it. In many developing societies, women do not report the violence they endure for fear of traditional customs, allowing their rights to be easily violated.
According to statistics, fewer than 35% of domestic violence cases are reported to the police.
In many cultures, not only is domestic violence condoned, but a woman’s silence is often praised by society. Another reason for the concealment of domestic violence is the absence of specific laws against it—neither laws to define punishments nor laws to outline how the crime should be prosecuted.
UN Women states that preventing and ending this violence requires confronting its root cause: gender inequality. Goal 5 of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals addresses gender equality and identifies violence against women as a major obstacle to its achievement.
The Consequences of Violence Against Women in Society
Violence against women has serious consequences for their health and well-being. The most severe outcome is death.
Violence is associated with a wide range of short- and long-term physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health problems for victims. Furthermore, it profoundly impacts the mental and physical health of their children.
It can increase the risk of smoking, alcohol, and drug abuse, and can lead to mental illnesses such as depression and suicidal thoughts, chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, infectious diseases such as HIV, and broader social problems like crime and further violence.
The psychological, sexual, and health-related consequences of violence against women can affect them at all stages of their lives, potentially robbing a woman of her right to a normal life forever.
