Every 25th November the world celebrates the International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women.

Violence against women can take many forms of violence, to physical to physiological and emotional. According to UN Women’s November 2020 Facts and figures: Ending violence against women article:

• 137 women are killed by a member of their family every day.
• Globally, women and girls are 72 per cent of all human trafficking victims worldwide, within that 3 out of 4 of these women and girls are sexually exploited.
• 15 million adolescent girls aged 15 – 19 years have experienced forced sex.
• Excluding sexual harassment, 35 per cent of women have ever experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, or sexual violence by a non-partner.
• In 2019, one in five women, aged 20–24 years, were married before the age of 18

Violence against women continues to be an obstacle to achieving equality, development and peace as well as to the fulfillment of women and girls’ human rights. In recent years availability of data on violence against women and girls has increased significantly. However, this year, because of COVID-19, while countries went into lockdowns and isolations began, reports of all forms of violence against women and girls, particularly domestic violence, began to rise.

In homes all around the world, women’s vulnerabilities increased because of social isolation, economic insecurity, and restricted movement. Due to the pandemic, there have also been increased calls to helplines and reports about intimate partner violence.

Ending violence against women is everyone’s business

Violence against women and girls is a human rights violation that has been perpetuated for decades. According to the UN, this is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today remains largely unreported due to the impunity, silence, stigma and shame surrounding it.

On the International Day to eliminate violence against women– the Feminist Network and IFM-SEI is convinced to not only take a stand to end violence against women but also educate young women and girls to raise their voice and empowering them. The Feminist Network believes that it is crucial that we all speak up, raise awareness, and stand in solidarity together. By silence and ignorance, we are supporters of these crimes. Only when we decide to become part and allays of the fight, we can start dismantling the power of perpetrators.

That is why we, Feminist network together with IFM-SEI, advocate for Bystander approach. We encourage you to take part in raising awareness. Let ACT together for society without violence.