UN marks International Day to End Violence against Women

November 26, 2013 - The United Nations chief on Monday appealed to the international community to help meet the vast unmet demand for resources to advance efforts to end violence against women. “Violence against women and girls directly affects individuals while harming our common humanity,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message for the Nov. 25 UN’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which this year focused on the theme of raising awareness by wearing the colour orange. Ban applauded leaders who are helping to enact and enforce laws and change mindsets, and paid tribute to the heroes who help victims heal and become agents of change. Among those, Dr. Denis Mukwege, founder of the Panzi hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), who the UN chief met last month, and who in turn, is inspired by the courage of the women he treats.
In her first message for the Day as UN Women Executive Director, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, urged world leaders to “mount a response that is proportionate to the violence threatening the lives of women and girls.” “We need education in schools that teaches human rights and mutual respect, and that inspires young people to be leaders for equality,” she said in a video message, adding that to be effective, prevention to must address gender inequality as the root cause of violence.Traditionally, the International Day to End Violence against Women marks the start of 16 days of activism until 10 December, Human Rights Day, to build awareness that violence against women is a blatant human rights violation. (Source: UN)