25.11/XNUMX For the international day against violence against women

In the shadow of current world events, the grotesque grimace of gender-specific violence and its interlocking with all forms of violence worldwide are shown again.

Berlin, November 25.11.2022, XNUMX. The International Day against Violence against Women is a day of action focused on combating discrimination and violence against women, girls and members of the LGBTQIA* community who are subjected to patriarchal violence. He reminds how much violence women and girls are still exposed to and how enormous the social problem of gender-based violence is worldwide.

No matter where in the world, violence against women and girls is part of everyday life. While the revolution in Iran is led in particular by women and girls, women in Afghanistan have been bravely opposing the Taliban for over a year, and in the inhumane refugee camps in Yemen, Sudan, Greece and Italy it is women and girls who trying to survive the day somehow. Their courage, strength and power deserve our unconditional respect and solidarity. So this year, the international day against violence against women, could not be more important to draw attention to the right to self-determination over one's own life and body and to combat violence against women and girls. Just this week, investigative research by CNN shows how sexualised violence is being used systematically against detainees in Iran and underscores how gender-based violence will always be a question of power and hierarchies.

And it is in particular the interlocking of multiple forms of discrimination that we need to become (more) aware of in all forms of patriarchal violence. A disabled woman, a homeless girl, a trans woman, a refugee – they all have their own experiences because of their multiple identities. A migrant woman who is homeless and has a precarious residence status in Germany is exposed to deep-rooted violence and therefore needs special protection.

Women and girls around the world are deprived of their human rights because they are the ones affected by physical and psychological violence, from domestic violence to rape as a strategy of war. On this day, then, we should be clear that the scope of gender-based violence goes far beyond physical violence and encompasses any action that results in physical, sexual, psychological, economic, or even digital harm or suffering. In order for women to be able to realize their self-determination and their human rights to a truly non-violent life, far-reaching legal, political and social progress is still required. And that is a task for society as a whole that affects us all worldwide.

DaMigra eV is a member of the Istanbul Convention alliance. The press release of the Istanbul Convention Alliance on the International Day against Violence against Women can be found on the Istanbul Convention Alliance website.

DaMigra eV represents the interests of women migrant organizations and their concerns and advocates equal opportunities, equal participation and the equality of women with a history of migration and refugee experience in Germany. DaMigra follows the approach of anti-racist feminism.