Ending violence against women: from words to action

In 1981 women activists began marking 25 November as a day against violence toward women. On 17 December 1999 the General Assembly of the United Nations designated 25 November of each year as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

In various ways and for some years now many have been joining in efforts to call a stop to discrimination against women. This agenda has led to increased interest in advancing the 3rd Millennium Development Goal: Promote gender equality and empower women. November 25 is a reminder of the worldwide attention given to this issue.

The executive summary of the Study of the Secretary General entitled Ending violence against women: from words to action can be found at: www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/vaw/launch/english/v.a.w-exeE-use.pdf 

For more information, see www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/vaw/