International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women

White Ribbon Day 2015

Women’s activists have marked 25 November as a day against violence since 1981. This date came from the brutal assassination in 1960, of the three Mirabal sisters, political activists in the Dominican Republic, on orders of Dominican ruler Rafael Trujillo (1930-1961). In 1999 the United Nations called on all governments, organisations and NGOs to organize activities to raise awareness of the problem and declared 25th November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. This day is also referrred to as White Ribbon Day.

In her statement to mark the 2015 International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women UN Women Executive Director, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, reflects “Imagine how different the world would be for girls growing up now if we could prevent early marriage, female genital mutilation, the turning of a blind eye to domestic violence, abusive text messages, the impunity of rapists, the enslavement of women in conflict areas, the killing of women human rights defenders, or the hostility of police stations or courtrooms to women’s testimony of violence experienced.” Download the full statement.

On this White Ribbon Day will you Stand Up and Speak Out against violence against women and children. Visit the White Ribbon Australia website.