November 25th: Commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination Of Violence Against Women

This commemoration was initiated by the UN Women’s Official Committee for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. It began their sixteen days of action, November 25 to December 10, initiated 30 years ago, to eliminate gender-based violence. There were a number of speakers: the UN Secretary General, the President of the UN General Assembly, the head of the European Union and a number of women across the world including women from Afghanistan, Haiti, Zimbabwe, Guatemala, Honduras and a group of young Syrian refugee women. All the women were survivors of gender-based violence including physical violence as well as multiple forms of psychological violence. They went on to say this violence is also "mushrooming online." It is considered a global crisis, a pervasive human rights violation that has been amplified by the pandemic, as has the violence in our own locales. It is weakening our social fabric and the next generation will bear the scars. The statistics might make one lose hope but, it is the hope that, with better awareness of this reality and global efforts to promote such events as the Generation Equality Forum and even the wearing of orange or using orange symbols at gatherings which symbolizes the hope for a better future and freedom from violence, will create a change in culture. The President of the UN General Assembly stated, "It has no place in our society and is in direct violation of everything that the UN stands for."