World Marks Int’l Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

Violence against women and girls, especially during the coronavirus crisis, is the “shadow pandemic,” the United Nations said in a statement issued on Wednesday, marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The day kicks off 16 days of activism to stop violence against women, which ends on Dec. 10, marked as International Human Rights Day. This year’s theme is “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!” Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin on Wednesday hosted an award ceremony in Jerusalem to honor women who helped female victims of assault. “We must not turn a blind eye to the plague of violence against women. We must not wait until the plague passes, until we find the vaccine. We must give our women and children a social safety net to keep them safe – today. Everywhere. In any event,” he said. The women’s organization Na’amat launched the My Sister’s Keeper media campaign, with videos featuring Israeli celebrities that encourage the public to be aware of signs of domestic abuse and tells them how to help. The Iraqi Interior Ministry said in a statement that it “remains committed to its pledges to eliminate violence against women.” The women’s rights group We Want to Live Initiative in Turkey on Wednesday submitted to the Turkish parliament 600,000 signatures they collected in support of a Council of Europe document on the prevention of violence against women, known as the Istanbul Convention.