25th November is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence: 25th November to 10 December
Almost 25 years ago, all governments had agreed in the 2000 United Nations General Assembly to observe 25thNovember every year as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. But rising anti-rights movement is posing a growing threat to undo the progress made to address sexual and other forms of gender-based violence.
According to UN Women, 736 million women – almost one in three – have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both, at least once in their life (30 per cent of women aged 15 and older). This figure does not include sexual harassment. Women who have experienced violence are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety disorders, unplanned pregnancies, unsafe abortions, sexually transmitted infections and HIV, with long-lasting consequences. Most violence against women is committed by current or former husbands or intimate partners. More than 640 million women aged 15 and older (26 per cent) have been subjected to intimate partner violence.
In 2022, around 48,800 women and girls worldwide were killed by their intimate partners or other family members. This means that, on an average, more than five women or girls are killed every hour by someone in their own family. While 55 per cent of all female homicides are committed by intimate partners or other family members, only 12 per cent of all male homicides are perpetrated in the private sphere.
Keep the promise of gender equality and human rights
Our governments have promised to deliver on gender equality and human rights by endorsing a range of declarations, agreements and other commitments, including legally-binding treaty CEDAW in 1979 (the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women), ICPD in 1994 (International Conference on Population and Development and its Programme of Action), Beijing Declaration in 1995 and its platform for action, UN Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, among others. The year 2025 will mark 30 years since Beijing Declaration and its Platform for Action were adopted in 1995.
But rising anti-rights movement is threatening to undo the progress made on addressing gender-based violence.
In 2022, only 14 per cent of all women and girls—about 557 million—were living in countries with robust legal protection to guarantee women’s fundamental human rights. Over 60% of countries still lack rape laws based on the principle of consent. Less than half of the global population of women are protected by laws against cyber harassment. Overall, 139 countries lack adequate legislation prohibiting child marriage.
A ray of hope comes from those countries which have domestic violence legislation as they have lower rates of intimate partner violence than those without such legislation (9.5% compared to 16.1%). 151 countries have laws on sexual harassment in employment, but only 39 have laws prohibiting sexual harassment in public spaces. Of the 165 countries with domestic violence laws, only 104 countries have comprehensive legislation addressing domestic violence.
Governments need to prioritise eliminating gender-based violence as it is critical to deliver on UN SDGs. Governments also need to safeguard progress on gender equality and human rights from dangers posed by anti-rights push of Geneva Consensus Declaration. Geneva Consensus Declaration takes anti-rights stance against recognising abortion as a human right and aims to scuttle sexual and reproductive rights.
“The right to abortion gives women the long overdue entitlement to bodily self-determination and the possibility to decide whether and when to have children. Lack of self-determination, caused by the loss of this fundamental right increases her vulnerability to violence. Unplanned pregnancies and childbirths decrease women’s socio-economic status, making them more vulnerable to abuse. An unintended pregnancy may especially increase women’s likelihood to suffer from intimate partner violence, says Shobha Shukla, coordinator of SHE & Rights (Sexual Health with Equity and Rights) initiative.