INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN: ‘ENDING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN: UNITED ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS!’

"One in three women may suffer from abuse and violence in her lifetime. This is an appalling human rights violation, yet it remains one of the invisible and under-recognized pandemics of our time.” –Nicole Kidman 

Stop and observe your surroundings; your neighbors, your friends or your relatives! You will be surprised to find out that the closest females around you might be victims of violence. Violence against women is blind-folded; it victimizes without discrimination regardless of their geographical, economic, cultural, social or even educational boundaries. This violence is done in all kinds of ways from sexual harassment, rape, genital mutilation, domestic violence, forced marriage to any type of human rights violation that denies both women’s basic freedoms and rights. 

The widespread of violence against women appears to be uncontrollable causing it to be brought up as a major concern of most nations. Globally, up to 70 percent of women are subject to one kind of violence. Simplifying that statistical number, every 7 out of 10 women worldwide are exposed to the risks of being raped, abused, beaten or mutilated. For the case of genital mutilation itself, approximation of 100-140 million girls and women are victims of this inhumane practice. 

Realizing these devastating phenomena, United Nations has specially marked 25th November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Commemorating it annually, United Nations aims to raise public awareness regarding the corrosive consequences of violence against women by encouraging governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and societies to contribute in activities that have a single purpose of eliminating violence against women through projects that can help women to escape from violence-behavior or simply educational campaigns. 

For further exploitation of the motive for halting violence against women, 25thNovember also marks the start of ’16 Days of Activism’ ending on December 10 which is also celebrated every year as Human Rights Day. 

World Assembly of Youth (WAY), have been holding tight on two main missions which are, eliminating gender-inequality and ending violence against women. At the  9thMelaka International Youth Dialogue (MIYD), ‘Youth and Gender Equality’ was one of  the successful activities aimed at  promoting gender equality of opportunities and eliminating unlawful discrimination as well as gender-based harassments .

It is believed that women empowerment is the key to call gender-based violence to halt .Governments should provide more opportunities for women in terms of political, economic, social and even educational aspects to ensure that equality in opportunities is achieved. Laws, policies and any regulations should be reviewed and reconstructed by repealing any section that pose as a threat to discriminate against women. In fact, the support toward women-empowerment could be started at the smallest colony of societies, the family. 

Conducive environment in the family is equally substantial to build up the confidence and breaking down the ‘invisible gender-boundaries’ amongst family-members. By empowering women and girls, they will not be misjudged as subdued targets; instead their status will be upheld by society. Through unity we can stop violence against Women. 

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN!