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Waage mit zwei Figuren und einem Sternchen, Schriftzug Gleichstellungsbüro
Panoramic view of the North Campus © Roland Baege​/​TU Dortmund

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women / Internationaler Tag für die Beseitigung der Gewalt gegen Frauen

Hier steht die Nummer des Hilfetelefons © BMFSFJ
Betroffene und Bezugspersonen können sich kostenfrei und anonym an das Hilfetelefon "Gewalt gegen Frauen" wenden: 08000 116 016
November 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), violence is one of the greatest health risks for women. It is the main cause of death or health impairment in women between the ages of 16 and 44, ahead of cancer and traffic accidents (Frauen helfen Frauen, 2020).

The origin of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is the abduction and killing of the three sisters Patria, Minerva and Maria Teresa Mirabal. Together with their husbands, they were part of the group "Agrupacion politica 14 de junio" in the Dominican Republic. They rebelled against the dictatorship of Rafael Trujilo in 1960. When the uprising against the dictatorship failed, they were all imprisoned. While the three women were soon released, the men remained in custody. On November 25, 1960, the sisters were strangled to death in prison after a visit from their husbands. (Agiamondo, 2020)

Since 1981, the sisters have been commemorated on the anniversary of their deaths; since 1999, the United Nations has officially called for an international day of action on November 25(Aktion Deutschland Hilft, 2021). In a Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women drawn up by the UN General Assembly in 1993, violence against women is defined as gender-based violence that can lead to, among other things, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, as well as coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty (UN, 2020).

Gender-based violence in Germany

In Germany, Section 177 of the German Criminal Code (StGB) states that anyone "who performs sexual acts on another person or has sexual acts performed on them against their recognizable will or causes another person to perform or tolerate sexual acts on or by a third party" is guilty of sexual assault or rape(Criminal Code Section 177 (1)). The principle "No means no" has been enshrined in law since 2016 (bpb, 2020).

According to statistics from the Federal Criminal Police Office, 81% of people affected by intimate partner violence in 2017 were women. In both 2017 and 2019, over 110,000 women experienced violence at the hands of their partner or ex-partner. (ibid.) In 2019, 117 women were fatally injured as a result of such violence(BFF, 2020). The killing "because of their gender or because of certain ideas of femininity is referred to as femicide or feminicide" (ibid.). The most common form of violence against women is deliberate simple assault, followed by threats, stalking and coercion and even dangerous bodily harm (bpb, 2020).

The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence ("Istanbul Convention") was an important step towards protecting women in 2011 (ibid.). In 2019, the International Labor Organization (ILO) supplemented the ILO Convention against Violence in the Workplace(DGB, 2019).

 

To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, an action will take place today (25.11.21) at 17:00 on the square in front of St. Peter's Church on Westenhellweg in Dortmund. The aim is to draw attention to the issue of violence against women with women's political statements.

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