An Unpostponable Commitment: Ensuring a Life Free of Violence for All Women
Each year, on November 25, we commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, a date proclaimed by the United Nations to shed light on one of the most persistent human rights violations: violence against women and girls on the basis of gender. The choice of this date is inspired by the murder of the Mirabal sisters Patria, María Teresa, and Minerva, on November 25, 1960, for their opposition to the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. “Las Mariposas” (“the Butterflies”), as they were known, became a universal symbol of resistance and feminist courage.
Today, more than six decades later, their legacy continues to remind us that violence against women and girls is neither an isolated phenomenon nor an inevitable fatality, but a structural issue that transcends cultures, borders, and generations. The figures are alarming: according to data collected by UN Women, nearly one in three women worldwide has suffered physical or sexual violence at some point in her life. The World Health Organisation (WHO) warns that this violence has lasting consequences for the physical and mental health of victims, while also limiting educational and employment opportunities and perpetuating cycles of inequality. In 2023, an estimated 51,100 women and girls were killed by their partners or family members; an average of 140 victims per day. Paradoxically, the home remains the most dangerous place for many women. Violence is not a residual issue but a manifestation of power imbalances, gender stereotypes, and social tolerance that still prevail in our communities.
Recognising this reality, the international community has established a solid legal framework. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (DEVAW) affirm that gender-based violence constitutes a violation of human rights and obligate States to prevent, sanction, and redress it. However, treaties alone are not enough. States, civil society organisations, and international bodies must coordinate their efforts to build an effective protection architecture that recognises violence as a structural problem, not merely an individual one.
Despite regulatory progress, challenges persist. In contexts of humanitarian crises or armed conflict, the proportion of women suffering gender-based violence can reach 70%, compared to 35% globally. Moreover, violence also manifests in other forms: digital harassment, economic exploitation, forced marriages, and female genital mutilation, all of which require comprehensive, victim-centred responses. The most crucial point is not to see victims merely as objects of protection, but as agents of change capable of transforming the structures that oppress them.
Within this global framework in the fight against gender-based violence, People Help (PH) and FIBGAR have launched RAGAA – Raise Against Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan, an initiative aimed at raising awareness, documenting, and denouncing the systemic violence suffered by women and girls in Afghanistan. RAGAA was created to confront a deeply institutionalised system of oppression whose impact constitutes a crime against humanity that has not yet been formally recognised under international criminal law.
Through RAGAA, we raise our voices to denounce the dramatic situation faced by Afghan women, victims of a regime that has established a true gender apartheid. These are not isolated events, but deliberate State policies aimed at erasing any trace of autonomy, dignity, or freedom. Since 2021, the rise to power of the Taliban has brought extreme restrictions on women’s education, work, political participation, and public life, consolidating a model of total exclusion.
Gender apartheid, as an institutionalised system of domination, constitutes an extreme form of structural violence. Its recognition and sanction require an urgent international response. Faced with this reality, RAGAA calls for:
- The legal recognition of gender apartheid as a crime against humanity, promoting rigorous documentation of cases and the legal debate necessary for its incorporation into international regulatory frameworks.
- Effective international protection for Afghan women, through agile mechanisms for refuge, humanitarian assistance, and safeguards against imminent threats.
- Access to national and international justice, supporting legal strategies that allow victims to file complaints and pursue accountability before courts and international bodies.
RAGAA is grounded in a clear conviction: silence and indifference amount to complicity. For this reason, the initiative promotes public denunciation, exhaustive documentation, and the mobilisation of key actors—governments, civil society, international organisations, and global citizens—to end impunity and fully recognise the rights of Afghan women. Gender apartheid is a crime against humanity, and its eradication is both a legal and moral obligation.
Read the RAGAA manifesto
Learn more: www.ragaa4afghanistan.org
This day, therefore, goes beyond symbolic commemoration. From November 25 to December 10 (Human Rights Day), the global campaign “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” takes place, promoted by the United Nations’ UNiTE initiative. Under the colour orange, symbolising a future free of violence, the campaign calls for collective action on multiple fronts: education and awareness, prevention, strengthening support services, legislative reforms, and effective institutional responses. Beyond organising events or delivering speeches, the goal is to connect awareness with real transformation.
The inclusion of initiatives like RAGAA within this framework reinforces the understanding that the fight against gender-based violence is global and that no woman, in any territory, should be left outside the protection of human rights.
Eliminating violence against women is not only a matter of safety or social aid, but an essential condition for justice, democracy, and human rights. Promoting societies in which women can live without fear, discrimination, or structural violence is part of a broader agenda that includes transitional justice, accountability, the strengthening of the rule of law, and the guarantee of civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights. November 25 is not just a date on the calendar, but an invitation to reflect and act.
Behind every statistic there is a face, a story, and an unresolved decision. Every testimony, public policy, or improved law represents a step toward equality. The fight against gender-based violence demands persistence, institutional will, public investment, and social commitment. Only then can we honour the memory of the Mirabal sisters and the millions of women who continue to fight every day for their right to live free from violence.
Sara Zanon, collaborator at FIBGAR
