International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women 2025: Protecting Women and Girls in the Digital Space
Every year on November 25, the world marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, a global call to confront one of the most pervasive human rights violations of our time. This day is more than commemoration; it is a demand for governments, institutions, tech companies, and individuals to take concrete action to prevent, address, and end violence against women and girls in all its forms.
Violence against women occurs in every society and culture. It includes forced marriage, human trafficking, domestic abuse, sexual assault, harmful traditional practices, and emerging forms of online violence. After decades of activism, led largely by feminist movements in Latin America and the Caribbean, the UN General Assembly officially recognized November 25 in 1999.
2025 Theme: UNiTE to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls
The 2025 theme spotlights one of the fastest-growing and least regulated forms of gender-based violence: digital abuse.
The UNiTE campaign calls on governments to enforce strong legislation, tech companies to protect users and remove harmful content, donors to support feminist organizations, and individuals to speak out for those experiencing violence.
Digital violence is not “virtual”; its consequences are real, long-lasting, and often life-threatening.
History of the Day
Long before the UN recognition, activists in Latin America and the Caribbean began observing November 25 in honor of the Mirabal sisters, political activists assassinated in the Dominican Republic in 1960. Their resistance became a symbol of the struggle against oppression and state-sanctioned gender violence.
By 1999, global momentum had surged, leading to the official UN designation of the day and the encouragement of annual awareness and mobilization activities. In 2008, the UN launched the UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign, strengthening cross-regional collaboration and advocacy.
Today, the day incorporates intersectional discussions on inequality, power, identity, and the broader social systems that enable violence.
Understanding Digital Violence
Digital tools are increasingly used to harass, intimidate, or harm women and girls. Forms of digital violence include:
- Image-based abuse (non-consensual sharing of intimate images, “revenge porn”)
- Cyberbullying, trolling, and online threats
- Sexual harassment and explicit messages
- AI-generated deepfakes, including sexually explicit fabricated content
- Misogynistic hate speech and disinformation
- Doxxing (publishing personal information)
- Online stalking and location tracking
- Grooming, exploitation, impersonation, catfishing
- Extremist networks, including incel and manosphere communities
These attacks often escalate offline, leading to physical violence, coercion, blackmail, and in extreme cases, femicide.
Women with public profiles, journalists, activists, politicians, as well as young women and those from marginalized communities, face disproportionate risk.
The Numbers Are Deeply Concerning
- Up to 58% of women have experienced online violence.
- 90–95% of deepfake videos depict women.
- 1 in 3 female parliamentarians and 1 in 4 female journalists have received online threats, including death threats.
- Globally, 1 in 3 women will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.
- Every 10 minutes, a woman or girl is killed by an intimate partner or family member.
Each statistic represents a real life marked by trauma, danger, or loss.
Why This Day Matters
Violence against women is widespread, but not inevitable. It undermines public health, economic stability, education, and community well-being. Those who experienced violence often endure lifelong trauma, and many never report abuse due to stigma or inaccessible justice systems.
Marginalized groups, such as Indigenous women, women of color, women with disabilities, migrants, refugees, and women in conflict zones, face even higher risks and fewer protections.
November 25 confronts the silence that allows abuse to persist. It shifts responsibility from affected persons to the systems and perpetrators who enable violence.
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence
The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women also launches the 16 Days of Activism, running from November 25 to December 10 (Human Rights Day).
During this period, activists worldwide push for accountability, education, justice, and the transformation of social norms that perpetuate violence.
How You Can Participate
Ending gender-based violence requires both systemic reform and everyday action. You can:
1. Wear Orange
The color symbolizes hope and a future free of violence.
2. Join or Organize Events
Attend marches, panel discussions, vigils, or awareness activities.
3. Amplify Voices of People Who Experienced Violence
Share stories of resilience and recovery (only with consent and safety considerations).
4. Donate or Fundraise
Support shelters, hotlines, and feminist groups working directly with those who have experienced violence.
5. Educate Yourself and Others
Learn to identify abuse, online and offline, and understand its root causes.
6. Challenge Harmful Behaviours
Call out sexist jokes, blaming of affected persons, and language that normalizes violence.
7. Advocate for Stronger Laws
Encourage policies that protect people who have experienced violence, close legal gaps, and hold perpetrators accountable.
Conclusion
Ending violence against women and girls demands cooperation, courage, and continuous advocacy. Health systems, as first responders, must be equipped to identify, support, and protect those affected. Governments must strengthen laws. Tech companies must act decisively. Communities must reject harmful gender norms.
And every individual has a role to play. Together, we can create safe, just, and violence-free environments in homes, online spaces, schools, workplaces, and societies.
Let us stand united to end all forms of violence against women and girls, and the time to act is now.
