UN Secretary-General's message on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

Violence against women and girls is the most widespread human rights violation in the world.

Every 11 minutes, a woman or girl is killed by an intimate partner or family member - and we know that other pressures, from the COVID-19 pandemic to economic turmoil, will lead to more physical and verbal abuse.

Women and girls also face unchecked online violence, from misogynistic hate speech, to sexual harassment, non-consensual use of images and grooming by predators.

This discrimination, violence and harassment targeting half of humanity comes at a considerable cost. It limits the participation of women and girls in all spheres of life, denies them basic rights and freedoms, and hinders the equitable economic recovery and sustainable growth our world needs.

Now is the time for transformative action to end violence against women and girls.

This means engaging governments to design, fund and implement national action to address these issues.

It means involving grassroots groups and civil society at every stage of decision-making.

It means ensuring that laws are applied and respected, so that survivors can see their right to justice and support.

Which means supporting public campaigns that challenge patriarchal norms and promote forms of masculinity that reject misogyny and violence.

And as this year's theme - "UNITE: Activism to End Violence Against Women and Girls" - reminds us, it means standing with activists around the world who are calling for change and supporting survivors of violence. I call on governments to increase funding by 50 percent for women's rights organizations and movements by 2026.

Let's take a stand and raise our voices in support of women's rights.

Let's declare with pride: We are all feminists.

Let's put violence against women and girls in the history books.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)