International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is marked every year on 25 November. The United Nations General Assembly designated it formally in 1999, though activists across Latin America had been observing the date since 1981.

The date commemorates the Mirabal sisters — Patria, Minerva and María Teresa — three political activists assassinated on 25 November 1960 on the orders of the Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo. They had campaigned against his regime, and their killing became one of the events that turned public opinion against it. The choice of date is deliberate: it marks the murder of women killed for political action, not for private reasons.

What it opens

25 November begins the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which run through to Human Rights Day on 10 December. The pairing of those two dates is the point of the campaign: it frames violence against women as a human rights violation rather than a private misfortune, and the sixteen days between them exist to hold that argument in public view.

Orange is the designated colour, chosen by the UNiTE campaign to represent a bright future free from violence. Buildings are lit orange, and organisations mark the period under the banner "Orange the World".

The scale it points at

Around one in three women worldwide has experienced physical or sexual violence in her lifetime, most often from an intimate partner. Roughly six in ten women who are killed are killed by a partner or family member. In Cameroon, Demographic and Health Survey data indicates that close to one in two women has experienced physical or sexual violence.

These are the figures the day exists to keep visible. They are also, as every prevalence estimate is, a floor rather than a measure — they record what women disclose to a surveyor, and disclosure is shaped by whether it feels safe to answer honestly.

How we mark it

Our activity across the sixteen days runs through community dialogues in the Northwest and Southwest Regions, with men, boys, traditional authorities and faith leaders alongside women's groups. The reason for that composition is practical rather than symbolic: household decisions about whether a woman may seek help are frequently not hers to make, and a campaign addressed only to women leaves the decision-makers unaddressed.

We also use the period to check that our own referral pathways work — that the health facilities, legal aid providers and social services we refer to are still operating, still staffed, and still able to receive someone who arrives on a Friday afternoon. An awareness campaign that drives people toward a broken pathway is worse than no campaign.

Marking it usefully, wherever you are

1. Find out what services actually exist where you live — the nearest place a woman can go, what it costs to get there, and what happens when she arrives.
2. Share that, rather than a statistic. A phone number that works is more useful than a figure everyone has already seen.
3. If you run an organisation, use the day to audit your own safeguarding: is there a channel through which someone can raise a concern about your staff, and does anyone answer it?
4. Support a local organisation with unrestricted funding rather than a one-day campaign, because prevention work operates on a timescale of years.
5. Involve men and boys in whatever you do. Prevention addressed only to women manages risk after it exists rather than reducing where it comes from.

Why the date still matters

It is reasonable to be sceptical of awareness days, and the scepticism should not extend to this one entirely. For organisations working on violence year-round, 25 November is the single day when ministries answer the phone, when journalists commission the story, and when the subject can be raised at a community meeting without someone objecting that it is a private matter.

That access is worth something, provided it is used for a concrete request rather than a general expression of concern. The sisters the day is named for were not campaigning for awareness. They were campaigning for a change of government.

Frequently asked questions

When is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women?

It falls on 25 November every year. The UN General Assembly designated the date formally in 1999, although activists in Latin America had observed it since 1981.

Why is it held on 25 November?

It commemorates the Mirabal sisters — Patria, Minerva and María Teresa — three political activists assassinated on 25 November 1960 on the orders of the Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo.

What is the connection to the 16 Days of Activism?

25 November opens the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which run until Human Rights Day on 10 December. Pairing the two dates frames violence against women as a human rights violation rather than a private matter.

Why is orange the colour of the campaign?

Orange was chosen by the UN's UNiTE campaign to represent a bright future free from violence. Buildings are lit orange during the period under the banner "Orange the World".

How can I mark the day usefully?

Find out what services genuinely exist where you live and share that rather than a statistic; audit your own organisation's safeguarding; support a local organisation with unrestricted funding; and involve men and boys, since prevention addressed only to women leaves household decision-makers unaddressed.