International Day for the Elimination of Violence against women - 25 November
Violence against women can take many forms and is not confined to any particular community but exists in every society around the world. It is rooted in the discrimination of women and the inequalities they experience because of their gender. The UN estimates that at least one in three women is beaten or otherwise abused by a partner or family member in the course of her lifetime.
In order to raise awareness of these issues, the UN began marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November. The date honours the memory of the Mirabal sisters. Three of them were murdered in 1960 for protesting against the government of the Dominican Republic.
