Every day, domestic violence results in the deaths of four women in the U.S., according to the National Organization for Women.
Statistics Canada reports that every 17 minutes someone is sexually assaulted in Canada. The Federation of Shelters for Abused Women in Difficulty (or FRHFVDQ, its French acronym) says that every year, 130,000 women report living in fear of domestic violence.
The statistics speak for themselves: it’s no wonder the first celebration of “No Violence Against Women Day,” which began in Bogota, Columbia, in the summer of 1981 to remember the death of the Mirabal sisters, two women who opposed the Trujillo dictatorship and were murdered violently for their opinions, spun into a huge global movement spearheaded by the United Nations.
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence Campaign is a global initiative during which worldwide organizations focus on informing the public about gendered violence of a sexual, psychological and physical nature.
The 16 days of campaigning cover four milestone dates: the International Day against Violence against Women on Nov. 25, enacted by the U.N.; World AIDS day on Dec. 1; Dec. 6, which commemorates the death of 14 Montreal women slain at l’
