International Day of Action and Remembrance for the Elimination of Violence against Women

In 1999, a UN resolution designated the 25th of November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The official establishment of the special day of action dates back to the kidnapping, rape, torture and murder of the three Mirabal sisters in 1960 by the military intelligence service of the Dominican Republic. Latin American and Caribbean women's rights activists addressed this as early as 1981 to establish a day against gender-based violence. Since then, women's and human rights organisations worldwide have organised annual actions against violence against women.

Violence Against Women

Women experience violence because of their gender. Violence against women is an expression of an imbalance of power between the sexes. There are many manifestations of violence against women: physical violence, sexualized violence and harassment, psychological violence and structural violence that limits personal freedoms and life opportunities. Violence against women is widespread.

Every 3rd woman aged 15 and older in Germany as well as worldwide is affected by sexualized and/or physical violence (World Health Organisation 2018, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights 2015). Almost 2 out of 3 staff and students at higher education and research institutions who participated in the UniSAFE survey in 2022 have experienced at least one form of gender-based violence since they started working at their institution.

The 25th of November at Freie Universität Berlin

Since 2019, Freie Universität has been participating in the worldwide activities on the 25th of November with its own events and publications to set an example against gender-based violence. The events, publications and other activities have so far been initiated and organised by the Central Women's Representative Team, the Margherita von Brentano Centre and the Working Group Against Sexualized Harassment, Discrimination and Violence.

Violence against Women Campaign 2024

Events of the Years 2019 - 2023