UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka in her statement to mark this year’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25 November) saying “if we all work together: governments, civil society organizations, the UN system, businesses, schools, and individuals mobilizing through new solidarity movements, we will eventually achieve a more equal world— a Planet 50-50—where women and girls can and will live free from violence”.
A staggering one in three women have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime — this pandemic is of global proportions, which is not inevitable – but preventable.
“It is heartbreaking to hear what the statistics reveal about my country and violence against women in general” said Lilian O. Ajayi, Founder and Executive Director of Global Connections for Women Foundation (GC4W).
Prevention is the 2015 theme of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November and of the UNITE to End Violence against Women Campaign’s 16 days call for action. This year, at the official commemoration at UN Headquarters in New York, the first UN Framework on Preventing Violence against Women was launched and discussed.
From 25 November through 10 December, Human Rights Day, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence aim to raise public awareness and mobilizing people everywhere to bring about change. This year, the UN Secretary-General’s UNITE to End Violence against Women campaign invites you to “Orange the world,” using the colour designated by the UNiTE campaign to symbolize a brighter future without violence.
Orange the World events are planned in over 70 countries around the world ahead of and throughout the 16 days. They will include the orange lighting of major landmarks like Niagara Falls (Canada/USA), the European Commission building (Belgium) and the Council of Europe building (France), the archeological ruins at Petra (Jordan), the Presidential Palace in Brasilia (Brazil), and the Palais de Justice (Democratic Republic of the Congo).
Moderator: Richard Lui, MSNBC and NBC News Anchor and UN Women HeForShe Champion
Special Guest Speakers:
- United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon
- Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, UN Women
- H.E. Ms. Gillian Bird, Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations
- H.E. Mr. Matthew Rycroft, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the UN
- H.E. Mr. Carlos Sergio Sobral Duarte, Deputy Permanent of the United Nations
- Ms. Maya Wiley, Counsel to the Mayor
- Mr. Tony Guebesa, Site Coordinator, Grassroot Soccer, South Africa
- Ms. Mallika Dutt, President and CEO, Breakthrough, India
A framework to underpin action to prevent violence against women – download here.
