The International Day For Elimination of Violence Against Women - With a Focus on Rape!
In the year 1999, the United Nations General Assembly declared November 25, as the International Day for elimination of violence against women and invited governments, International Organizations and NGOs to organize activities designated to raise public awareness of the problem.
UNIFEM (United Nations Development Fund for Women) also observe this day every year.
Say No-UNiTE to End Violence against Women is a global call for action launched in November,2009, on ending violence against women and girls.
It is presented by UNIFEM as a contribution to advance the objectives of the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon's campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women through social mobilization.
However, from the year 1981, women activists had been observing November 25, as the International Day for elimination of violence against women.
On 20 December, 1993, the General Assembly adopted the 'Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women' November 25, has got its own story and significance.
This date was taken in the memory of Mirabal sisters, political activists of the Dominican Republic, who were brutally assassinated on November 25, 1960, on the orders of the ruler of Dominican Republican, Rafael Trujillo.
The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women also launches the 16 Days of Activism and campaign against Gender Violence, which runs from November 25, through 10 December, Human Rights Day.
The Right to be free from violence has been recognized as a human right in several International human rights conventions and treaties.
According to Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development, "However, violence against women continues to be the reality of women's lives even today.
It is an endemic problem that knows no national boundaries, no cultural boundaries, no class or caste boundaries and no religious boundaries.
Violence against women continues to be perpetrated by men, by women, by trans-national actors and by the state.
It continues unabated in situations of armed conflict and in times of peace.
It continues to takes place outside and inside the home.
" Rape against Women:- Throughout the world women are the victims of domestic violence, mental cruelty and rape.
In particular, the rape against women is on the increase in countries like US, South Africa and India.
In India, according to the National Crime Records Bureau, rape, the most heinous crime against women has increased by 73.
3 % since 1971.
Though India has the dubious distinction of the third highest number of rape cases, next only to US and South Africa, unfortunately only 20 % of the perpetrators of this crime against women are convicted.
The case of the rape victims is even more pathetic.
As per the National Crime Records Bureau, 2007, among the rape victims, 57.
7 % are in the age group of 18 to 30 and 9.
5 % victims are in the age group of below 15.
It is needless to mention that 80 % of the persons or culprits who committed rape against women go Scot-free due to the antiquated criminal law, especially as against rape.
The Indian Penal Code was enacted in the year 1860 and so the penal law is 150 years old.
It has been a fertile source of income for the lawyer's community.
Whenever the government comes forward with any radical change or amendments either in the civil or criminal laws, in particular in the Criminal Procedure Code, it has been stoutly opposed by the lawyers.
The judgments pronounced by the judges of the High Courts and Supreme Courts in India, that become the precedents for deciding the subsequent cases of rape are not helpful either, because they deliver judgments only on the basis of the existing laws that have a number of loopholes.
Hence, they are actually helpful to the lawyers community to thrive and come up in their life, by acquitting 80 % rape convicts to go Scot-free.
The net result is only about 20 % rape accused are convicted that too involving an inordinate delay.
Recently, a rape victim at last got justice after languishing for a very long period of 20 years.
Therefore, one can very well imagine the plight of most of the rape victims.
India needs more stringent laws to reduce the victims of rape and to convict more persons who commit the rape against women.
It is also our bounden duty on this day to eschew violence against women in any form besides spreading the message far and wide.
UNIFEM (United Nations Development Fund for Women) also observe this day every year.
Say No-UNiTE to End Violence against Women is a global call for action launched in November,2009, on ending violence against women and girls.
It is presented by UNIFEM as a contribution to advance the objectives of the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon's campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women through social mobilization.
However, from the year 1981, women activists had been observing November 25, as the International Day for elimination of violence against women.
On 20 December, 1993, the General Assembly adopted the 'Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women' November 25, has got its own story and significance.
This date was taken in the memory of Mirabal sisters, political activists of the Dominican Republic, who were brutally assassinated on November 25, 1960, on the orders of the ruler of Dominican Republican, Rafael Trujillo.
The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women also launches the 16 Days of Activism and campaign against Gender Violence, which runs from November 25, through 10 December, Human Rights Day.
The Right to be free from violence has been recognized as a human right in several International human rights conventions and treaties.
According to Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development, "However, violence against women continues to be the reality of women's lives even today.
It is an endemic problem that knows no national boundaries, no cultural boundaries, no class or caste boundaries and no religious boundaries.
Violence against women continues to be perpetrated by men, by women, by trans-national actors and by the state.
It continues unabated in situations of armed conflict and in times of peace.
It continues to takes place outside and inside the home.
" Rape against Women:- Throughout the world women are the victims of domestic violence, mental cruelty and rape.
In particular, the rape against women is on the increase in countries like US, South Africa and India.
In India, according to the National Crime Records Bureau, rape, the most heinous crime against women has increased by 73.
3 % since 1971.
Though India has the dubious distinction of the third highest number of rape cases, next only to US and South Africa, unfortunately only 20 % of the perpetrators of this crime against women are convicted.
The case of the rape victims is even more pathetic.
As per the National Crime Records Bureau, 2007, among the rape victims, 57.
7 % are in the age group of 18 to 30 and 9.
5 % victims are in the age group of below 15.
It is needless to mention that 80 % of the persons or culprits who committed rape against women go Scot-free due to the antiquated criminal law, especially as against rape.
The Indian Penal Code was enacted in the year 1860 and so the penal law is 150 years old.
It has been a fertile source of income for the lawyer's community.
Whenever the government comes forward with any radical change or amendments either in the civil or criminal laws, in particular in the Criminal Procedure Code, it has been stoutly opposed by the lawyers.
The judgments pronounced by the judges of the High Courts and Supreme Courts in India, that become the precedents for deciding the subsequent cases of rape are not helpful either, because they deliver judgments only on the basis of the existing laws that have a number of loopholes.
Hence, they are actually helpful to the lawyers community to thrive and come up in their life, by acquitting 80 % rape convicts to go Scot-free.
The net result is only about 20 % rape accused are convicted that too involving an inordinate delay.
Recently, a rape victim at last got justice after languishing for a very long period of 20 years.
Therefore, one can very well imagine the plight of most of the rape victims.
India needs more stringent laws to reduce the victims of rape and to convict more persons who commit the rape against women.
It is also our bounden duty on this day to eschew violence against women in any form besides spreading the message far and wide.