International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 25th November

“Millions of women and girls  around the world are assaulted, beaten, raped, mutilated or even murdered in  what constitutes appalling violations of their human rights. […] We must  fundamentally challenge the culture of discrimination that allows violence to  continue. On this International Day, I call on all governments to make good on  their pledges to end all forms of violence against women and girls in all parts  of the world, and I urge all people to support this important goal.”

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Message for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women – 25 November 2012

By resolution 54/134 of 17 December 1999, the  United Nations General Assembly designated 25 November as the International Day for the  Elimination of Violence against Women, and invited governments, international  organizations and NGOs to organize activities designed to raise public  awareness of the problem on that day. Women’s activists have marked 25 November  as a day against violence since 1981. This date came from the brutal  assassination in 1960, of the three Mirabal sisters, political activists in the  Dominican Republic,  on orders of Dominican ruler Rafael Trujillo (1930-1961).

On 20 December 1993 the General Assembly, by resolution 48/104, adopted the Declaration on the  Elimination of Violence against Women.