November 25 is the “International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women”. The United Nations General Assembly designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in 1999. The history of naming the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women On November 25, 1960, three sisters from the Dominican Republic, known as the Mirabal sisters, were finally killed by the security organization of this country’s army after months of torture. The “crime” of these three sisters was participating in political activities against the dictatorial regime ruling the Dominican Republic.
21 years later, in 1981, at a conference held in Bogota, the capital of Colombia, with the participation of women’s rights defenders in Latin America and the Caribbean, a proposal was made to dedicate the day of the murder of the Mirabal sisters to the day of prohibition of violence against women. The aim of this proposal was to both pay tribute to the efforts and courage of these sisters and to further push public opinion towards the prohibition of violence against women. In 1999, the United Nations also recognized November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
In line with this decision, a year later, in 2000, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1325, titled “Women, Peace and Security”. The main axes of this resolution are related to the prevention of conflicts and hostilities within and among countries, ensuring women’s participation in political and social life, and preventing acts of violence against them. This resolution is a basis for ensuring that various forms of violence against women do not go unpunished and that their perpetrators are brought to trial.”
Violence against women, Violence against women is a specialized term used to describe violent acts against women in general. The United Nations General Assembly has defined violence against women as “any act of gender-based violence that could result in physical, sexual or psychological harm to women”, which includes “threats of such acts, coercion, or arbitrary deprivation of liberty (both in society and in personal life)”. The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women in 1993 states that this violence can be perpetrated by individuals of the same sex, family members, and society.”
