Globally, more than five women or girls are killed by a member of their own family every hour. In Latin America and the Caribbean, a woman is murdered every two hours for reasons related to her gender, according to ECLAC. This led the United Nations to establish the Orange Day on the 25th of each month, to continuously mobilize wills and actions in favor of eradicating violence against women and girls.
The Orange Day is a reminder that the commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, every November 25, has proven to be insufficient in the face of the plague of aggressions and femicides.
These situations of violence extend across a wide range of behaviors, from psychological intimidation, to financial coercion, to physical attacks and vicarious violence against loved ones, especially children, affecting one in three women at some point in their lives.
Figures from the Gender Equality Observatory of Latin America and the Caribbean establish that Brazil, Mexico, Honduras, Argentina and Colombia are the countries with the highest rates of femicides, followed by the Dominican Republic, Peru and Venezuela.
Who is More Prone to Gender-Based Violence?
This silent epidemic of abuse permeates all strata, with women under 35 years of age being at the greatest risk of suffering violence at the hands of their partners, according to data from the United Nations Population Fund.
The same organization points out that "women and girls living in poverty are more vulnerable to sexual exploitation, including human trafficking. On the other hand, those who suffer domestic or intimate partner violence have fewer options to escape violent relationships, due to their lack of income and resources".
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Taking all these variables into account, Orange Day is an opportunity to do activism by helping those at risk and building bridges to survivors. How to do it? UN Women has a list of different ways to safely and effectively create change.
How to Get Active on the Orange Day
Believe Them
The first step is to believe the complainants and listen to what they have to say, without judgment. Two-thirds of rape and sexual assault cases in the United States are not reported to police because survivors fear they will not be believed, because they fear the victim-blaming culture, and many are unsure if their case is an assault, according to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network).
Promote Education About Girls' and Women's Rights
Encourage conversations in your family and community about gender stereotypes, consent and different forms of violence.
Demand Respectful Services
Third, demand services where survivors can go without stigmatization and with a respectful and supportive approach, with attention to their specific needs.
These are some ways, but not the only ways, in which each person can get involved in Orange Day and promote real change within their community. How do you think you could get more involved in this crusade?
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