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November 25 Message from UNIFEM Executive Director Noeleen Heyzer:
''''Violence against women is the most pervasive violation of human rights,
occurring every day, in every country and every region, regardless of
income or level of development. ... On 25 November, the International Day
to Eliminate Violence against Women, people around the world are coming
together to condemn this universal crime against women.''''
In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly resolved ''''that violence
against women constitutes a violation of the rights and freedoms of women
... that there is a need for a clear and comprehensive definition of
violence against women, a clear statement of the rights to be applied to
ensure the elimination of all violence against women in all its forms, a
commitment by States ... and a commitment by the international community at
large to the elimination of violence against women'''' (Declaration on the
Elimination of Violence Against Women).
In December 1999, the 54th session of the United Nations General Assembly
adopted Resolution 54/134 declaring November 25th the International Day for
the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is an international
campaign originating from the first Women''s Global Leadership Institute in
1991. Participants chose the dates, November 25, International Day for the
Elimination of Violence Against Women, and December 10, International Human
Rights Day, in order to symbolically link violence against women and human
rights and to emphasize that such violence is a violation of human rights.
The 16 Days Campaign has been adopted as an organizing strategy by
individuals and groups around the world to call for the elimination of all
forms of violence against women.
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