Nassau, Bahamas - Hon. Melanie S. Griffin, M.P., Minister Of Social
Services & Community Development, on the International Day For The
Elimination Of Violence Against Women (November 25, 2015):
Women activists against violence
against women have recognized November 25th as a day against
violence since 1981 as a result of the brutal assault in 1960 of the three
Mirabal sisters, political activists in the Dominican Republic on orders of the
Head of State, Rafael Trujillo. It was
in 1999 that the United Nations General Assembly designated 25th
November as the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women and
invited governments, international organizations and Non-governmental
Organizations (NGOs) to organize activities designated to raise public
awareness of the problem on that date.
The Declaration on the elimination of Violence Against Women defines
violence against women as “any act of gender based violence that results in or
is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological hard to women,
including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation whether
occurring in public or private life. It
encompasses but is not limited to physical, sexual and psychological violence
occurring in the family.
Gender-based violence, whether
sexual or domestic, is now universally recognized and understood to be a
violation of women’s human rights. This
violence results in a form of trauma that creates devastating, emotional and
mental health distress for victims.
These victim experience post traumatic disorder and clinical depression
at a much higher level than non-abused women.
For those who may also have experienced abuse in childhood whether
incest or child molestation or domestic violence, the risk of developing
emotional mental health distress is even greater.
The tragic loss of lives as a result
of domestic violence speaks volumes about the potential for lethality in toxic
intimate relationships and the urgency for us to address this problem.
The Government’s commitment to
confronting, combating, preventing and eliminating this scourge is manifested
in its pogrammes and activities, including the ongoing work of the Gender-based
Violence Task Force under the chairmanship of Retired Justice Rubie
Nottage. We look forward to receiving
their report and strategic action plan.
The United Nations has called on
countries around the world to drape their neighborhoods in orange and for
individuals to wear orange in recognition of this day and the 16 days of
activism that follows the day and end on December 10th – Human
Rights Day.
I encourage all citizens to join in
solidarity with this message of zero tolerance for violence against women and
wear orange on November 25th.