On February 7^th, 2000, the General Assembly of the United Nations identified November 25 as the International day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Resolution 54/134, formally establishing such recurrence, also urges governments and international organisations to coordinate initiatives aimed at improving public awareness of this issue.

Violence against women was defined by the UNGA in 1993 in the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women as “any act of gender-based violence that results 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”. As reported by the United Nations, violence against women continues to be an obstacle to achieving equality, development, peace and the fulfillment of women and girls’ rights. Despite the global community’s endeavors to combat gender-based violence, statistics reveal that over five women lose their lives to familial violence every hour, and nearly one in three women experience physical or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime. UN Women further highlights that 86% of women and girls live in nations lacking legal safeguards against gender-based violence.

Violence against women is largely unreported due to the impunity and the shame surrounding it. In addition, the patriarchal structures of most societies has always incentivised gender-based discrimination (from gender-pay disparities back to the restrained freedom of movement) which may eventually lead to violence and sexual abuse against women.

Amnesty international highlights that women’s rights are human rights, and that it is impossible to achieve freedom and equality in a society if the rights of girls and women are disregarded. As per the United Nations, “Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls are not merely objectives in isolation; rather, they constitute essential elements for sustainable development, economic growth, and peace and security.”

Violence against women is a serious global crisis that is even more severe in areas engulfed by wars and conflict. For example, UN agencies estimated that between 100.000 to 250.000 women were raped during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Similarly, 60.000 women were raped during the conflict in Sierra Leone, at least 200.000 in the DRC and up to 60.000 in the Former Yugoslavia.

Nevertheless, this emergency does not only concern countries and territories ravaged by wars. According to Amnesty UK, the British police receive a call about domestic abuse every minute, with 89% of these reports involving a woman facing abuse from a man. In 2020, in England and Wales, two women lost their lives at the hands of their partners every week, as reported by Amnesty. The press and information team of the Delegation to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg reported that more than 3000 women are killed each year in Europe by their partners or family members.

Despite this crisis which requires an immediate solution, awareness is growing all around the world. In Italy, ten of thousands of people have protested across the country calling for an end to the violence against women, following the murder of the 22-year old Giulia Cecchettin by her ex-boyfriend last November. On the day for the elimination of violence against women, protests took place everywhere, from Paris, where thousands of people took the street, to Guatemala, where protestors commemorated the 438 women killed so far in 2023 in the country.

Feminist movements and women’s rights organisations continue to educate the public, especially the youth. However, this is not enough. National governments as well as international and regional organisations must take serious action to eliminate gender-based discrimination, which often ends in gender-based violence and femicide. Governments should, for example, increase funding for anti-violence centres where women can find shelter. For example, UNICEF reports that during the COVID-19 emergency, France allocated an additional €1.1 million in funding for anti-abuse organisations, which encompassed provisions for 20,000 hotel nights to help survivors seeking refuge from abusive partners.

This is the approach that all governments around the world should take, and when public resources lack, international organisations should step in. Several legal systems around the world should also be changed to bolster women’s rights and protection. Finally, countries should commit to tackle the underlying causes and systemic problems that sustain violence against women.