International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

In 2024, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women will be celebrated on 25 November. The message of this day is to raise awareness about violence against women as one of the most serious issues in the world. As per estimates, 1 in every 3 women faces sexual violence in her life. This issue was and is always under the eye of big organizations to protect women’s rights and protect them from such crimes. A woman can face violence anywhere be it a workspace, online, at home, or in public places. Therefore, it is important to take strong steps such as the annual celebration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Types of Violence Against Women

Violence against women can be of many types. Although it happens worldwide, these cases remain unreported due to reasons such as shame and stigma.

• intimate partner violence (Femicide, psychological abuse, battering, marital rape)
• human trafficking (slavery, sexual exploitation);
• Sexual violence and harassment (rape, forced sexual acts, unwanted sexual advances, child sexual abuse, forced marriage, street harassment, stalking, cyber-harassment)
• Child marriage
• Female genital mutilation

History of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

The issue of violence against women was registered very early and in 1979, the UN General Assembly adopted CEDAW (Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women). Despite this, the violence was still increasing and for this reason, the UNGA issued a resolution 48/104 for a world free of gender-based violence. Later in 2008, a major step was taken by UNiTE to end violence against women by spreading public awareness. 

The main reason behind the observance of this day was to honour the Mirabai sisters who were murdered in 1960. They were political activists and murdered by the order of Rafael Trujillo (1930-1961), the country’s ruler.

Lastly, on 7 February 2000, the General Assembly on 7 February 2000 officially adopted resolution 54/134 and designated 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. 

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women 2024 Theme

The 2024 campaign theme for International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is, “Every 10 Minutes, a woman is killed. #NoExcuse. UNiTE to End Violence against Women”. This highlights the urgent importance of putting an end to this gruesome crime.

Also Read: International Day of Girl Child

16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence

In 2023, the celebration of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women marked the beginning of the UNiTE campaign. The official dates of this campaign were November 25-December 10, leading to 16 days of activism.

The motive behind this event was to call on the citizens of the country to show how much they care about the global cause of ending violence against women. It also seeks support from government bodies to invest in gender-based violence prevention. The slogan for International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is #NoExcuse.

Significance of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women 

In 1993, The UN General Assembly issued the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, it defines 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.”

Thus, the main motive behind celebrating this day is to prevent any sort of violence against women and girl child.

Relevant Blogs

Women Reservation Bill	International Day of Rural Women
Women’s Equality Day	International Women’s Day
National Women and Girls HIV and AIDS Awareness Day	Importance of Women’s Education

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