International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women: Women of the 21st Century

The message of consciousness of women’s existence, identity and responsibility for their contribution is hidden on International Day of Violence-Eradication of Women, in which it is necessary to take a pledge to control the increasing violence against women.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is observed on 25 November. Worldwide, one in three women over the age of 15 has been the victim of some form of violence.

According to the data of the United Nations (UN Women), more than 74 crore cases of violence against women have come to light. Globally, these statistics are even more frightening than the corona pandemic.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women: Women of the 21st Century

According to the same report on average 137 women are murdered every day by their family members. Even one out of every three girls (11 to 15 years) suffers assault by a classmate in school.

High-ranking women are no exception – a 2016 report by the Inter-Parliamentary Union revealed that nearly 65 per cent of women MPs have had a bad experience with sexist remarks from their male colleagues.

According to the NCRB’s 2020 report, crimes against women have come down in the country, this is far from the truth in the Corona period.

According to this report, more than 1.1 lakh cases of domestic violence were registered across the country, with the highest number of cases being from West Bengal (19,962), Uttar Pradesh (14,454) and Rajasthan (13,765). Civil society groups working on women’s rights believe that these figures are only in government records.

The recorded cases of domestic violence are manifold. National Commission for Women Chairperson Rekha Sharma also admitted that these numbers do not match with reality. T

The National Commission for Women received more complaints than last year.

Women’s Commission received 19,730 complaints in the year 2019, 23,722 complaints in the year 2020 whereas in the first 10 months this year more than 27,902 complaints have been received.

According to many NGOs, only 1-2 % of such cases are reported in rural areas.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women: Women of the 21st Century

To say, 155 countries of the world have enacted laws against domestic violence and 140 countries against violence at the workplace.

These figures show that the problem of atrocities on women is not related to the law or law enforcement, but to the age-old mentality prevailing in the society where women are considered to be small or second-class or “objects of enjoyment”.

This thinking can be changed only with proper education and family rites.

The message of consciousness of women’s existence, identity and responsibility for their contribution is hidden on International Day of Violence-Eradication of Women, in which it is necessary to take a pledge to control the increasing violence against women.

This day inspires us to become a human beings and be vocal against women-violence. The value of this day is not limited to women only but is related to the entire humanity.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women: Women of the 21st Century

The reason behind this special day is an event that took place on November 25, 1960, at the behest of political activist Dominican ruler Rafael Trujillo (1930–1961) of three sisters, Patria Mercedes Mirabell, María Argentina Minerva Mirabell and Antonia María Teresa Mirabell, in 1960. was murdered.

These three sisters had shown the courage to strongly oppose the dictatorship of the then Trujillo.

Although women’s rights advocates started celebrating this day as Memorial Day in the year 1981, in the year 1999 the United Nations General Assembly passed a unanimous resolution to celebrate 25 November every year as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. decision made .

It was started celebrating in the year 2000.

Since 2008, U. N. Under the UNITE program led by Women and the United Nations Secretary-General, awareness programs for the end of sexual violence are run for 16 days, starting from November 25 to December 10 (International Human Rights Day).

This year’s theme is “Orange: The World and Violence Against Women Now” to end any form of violence against women immediately.

The colour ‘Orange’ is considered a symbol of light, happiness. Now women have to spread light by not being limited to pink.

The United Nations has made Orange the theme of this day since last year. It has been decided to celebrate the 25th of every month as “Orange Day”. By 2030, a target has been set to end all forms of violence against women.

Unfortunately, not only in developed and developing countries but atrocities, exploitation, discrimination and oppression of women are also prevalent in developed countries as well.

Worldwide, including India, women belonging to minority and native communities of related countries are victims of rape, molestation, harassment and murder because of their caste, religion and origin identity.

Such incidents are more frequent with Dalit and minority women because they lack education and security and are unable to complain.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women: Women of the 21st Century

Even after 75 years of independence, all the governments may have boasted of commendable work for women empowerment, but the reality is the opposite.

Ordinary women are far away from their rights or equality. Even though hundreds of schemes have been prepared for the upliftment of women, but the lack of education and awareness among women is still a reality.

The condition of working women is worse after moving out of the chulha square, most of the women working in two shifts inside a house outside a house.

Women of the tribal community, minority society in India are unaware of their rights and their life is like a tragedy even today.

Even today, if we look at the headlines or news of newspapers, then one-third of the news is related to atrocities on women, on TV, all the incidents do not even get a place.

Sometimes there is noise for a week and a half on these incidents, people protest, but the crime does not take the name of decreasing, why after all?

We are seeing that there is not much resentment or even desire to change this situation among the common citizens regarding the atrocities on women.

They are in favour of male domination by nature and are convinced of the feudal state of mind. Then how is it possible to solve this problem?

Every aspect related to female identity is important in itself, but the thinking of the patriarchal society pretends not to understand it so that the arbitrariness can continue.

In the continuous journey from Satyug to the Cyber ​​Age of the twenty-first century, women should get unanswered questions at every turn, to bear the atrocities committed on themselves by their loved ones.

What is it, why is it considered second class in society. If you keep sacrificing silence, you will be considered a goddess, but where you talk about rights, you will be thrown from the throne of divinity to the earth, will be a victim of domestic violence.

The significance of such days can be proved only when the worldwide society will try to bring about a change in its mindset towards women.

The time has come to change the famous saying of Simone de Bauer ‘Women are not born, they are made. Only the twenty-first century may have witnessed this historical change where women are allowed to be.

Only then the significance of such international days will be proved.