Elimination of Violence against Women
Lalit Garg
'International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women' is celebrated every year on 25 November by the United Nations to eradicate increasing incidents of violence, exploitation and harassment against women all over the world, and this is a serious problem plaguing the entire world. The United Nations organizes many events that highlight the need to do something more to eliminate this type of violence against women. Women's groups and voluntary organizations undertake various initiatives to highlight the worrying situation of women in society, and the resulting adverse effects on women's physical, mental and psychological health. Many women's rights activists and organizations support feminist movements on this day to free the world from violence against women.
The Day also honours Mirabal Sisters, whose three sisters, Patria Mercedes Mirabal, María Argentina Minerva Mirabal, and Antonia María Teresa Mirabal, were brutally murdered on this day in 1960 on the orders of political activist Dominican ruler Rafael Trujillo (1930–1961). These three sisters had strongly opposed Trujillo's dictatorship. Women's rights supporters and activists have celebrated this day since 1981 to commemorate the death of these three sisters. With the development in the country and the world, instead of subsiding, the violent thoughts towards women have been emerging in newer forms. To overcome this violent social thinking and ideology, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is a day related to the existence and identity of women, which gives the message of consciousness of responsibility, a call to develop a new civilized and decent thinking towards women. This day guards those crossroads from where there are possibilities of deviation of life ideals and violence against women; it stops those aspirations whose violent pace is very fast, but which reflects the wild race of society without any aim. One of the objectives of celebrating this day is to make resolutions to control increasing violence against women. This day is a unique medium to make women powerful, progressive and cultured.
Every hour more than five women or girls are murdered by someone in their own families. Nearly one in three women has been a victim of physical and sexual violence at least once in her life. No less than 86 percent of women and girls live in countries without legal protection against gender-based violence. Violence against women and girls is one of the most prevalent and widespread human rights violations in the world. This crisis has intensified in a variety of settings, including workplace and online spaces, which is further exacerbated by after-effects of pandemic, conflicts, and climate change. It is estimated that 35 percent of women worldwide have experienced physical and sexual violence by a non-partner at some point in their lives. However, some national studies show that 70 percent of women have experienced physical and sexual violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime. Adult women account for 51 percent of all human trafficking victims detected worldwide. The European Union reports one in 10 women have experienced cyber-harassment since the age of 15. The risk is highest among young women between the ages of 18 and 29. Violence against women is a global epidemic. No less than 70 percent of women experience violence sometimes or other in their lifetime. National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data also highlights the increase in crimes against women. These crimes include rape, domestic- violence, assault, dowry harassment, acid attack, kidnapping, human- trafficking, cyber- crime and workplace harassment etc. According to NCRB data, a total of 32,559 rapes took place in India in 2017, in which 93.1 percent of the accused were close relatives.