In Honor of The Butterflies: Eliminating Violence Against Women
Photo Caption: A photo of the Mirabal sisters of the Dominican Republic.
Each year, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is recognized on November 25 in honor of the courageous Mirabal sisters from the Dominican Republic. Patria, Minerva, and Maria Teresa, better known as The Butterflies, were assassinated by the state on November 25, 1960 for leading a resistance movement against their country's ruthless dictator, Rafael Trujillo. While there's been progress, the United Nations believes every level of our global society can work harder to end violence against women and girls.
Current data.
Around the world, approximately 1 billion women do not have legal protections from sexual violence by a partner or family members. More than 100 women are killed by a family member every day and an estimated 35% of women have been subjected to violence from partners. UN Women estimates that over the past year, 243 million women and girls ages 15-49 survived sexual or physical violence inflicted by a partner.
Violence as a weapon.
There are countless examples of sexual violence being used as a weapon in conflicts and wars over the past century. To name two, there were vicious systemized assaults during the Bosnian War (1992-1995) and upwards of 250,000 women were assaulted during the genocide in Rwanda (1994). The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda was the first international court to render a guilty verdict of rape as a crime of genocide.
The brutal impact of COVID-19.
On November 25, 2020, Italy's government recognized the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, acknowledging how mandatory COVID-19 lockdowns have had unintended negative impacts on women's safety. Talking about the increase in domestic violence and femicide cases, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said, “Because of the restrictions, we involuntarily created profound distress." Italy is not alone, governments and NGOs have addressed the "invisible pandemic" of a dramatic uptick of violence against women during government-imposed COVID-19 lockdowns.
Save and share this list of U.S. resources. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services runs a website with links by location, including Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, for organizations working to combat violence against women and girls in the United States. Some of the organizations focus exclusively on domestic violence while others specifically help survivors of sexual assault. Many of the organizations listed accept donations.
And this list of global organizations, too. The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) publishes a list of reputable organizations and coalitions working across violence reduction, empowerment, peace, and justice for women. Most have a global focus, but some are local organizations, such as the Afghan Women's Network and the Latin American Working Group. A number of organizations on this list also accept donations.