Today, 25th November, like every year, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is celebrated all over the world. The objective is to raise public awareness of a sadly current phenomenon that continues to generate alarming data in our country too.
The brutal killing of the young woman dates back to just a few days ago Giulia Cecchettin, at the hands of her ex-boyfriend Filippo Turetta. A story that profoundly shook consciences due to the brutality of the murder and the young age of the victim, just 22 years old. The data from the annual dossier of the Interior Ministry are horrifying: from the beginning of this year to today there have been over 100 feminicides. These numbers speak for themselves: we are faced with a cultural issue that needs to be changed, in the family and at school, through emotional and sexual education.
In memory of three activists
This day was established byUnited Nations General Assembly in 1999 in memory of Mirabal sisters, three political activists killed in 1960 in the Dominican Republic. It was November 25, 1960 when the three women were stopped on the road by agents of the Military Intelligence Service. They were on their way to visit their husbands in prison when they were taken to a hidden place, raped, tortured, beaten to death and strangled. Finally, thrown into a cliff, in their car, to simulate an accident.
The Mirabal sisters are considered revolutionaries for the commitment with which they attempted to counter the regime of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo, the dictator who, for over thirty years, kept the Dominican Republic in backwardness and chaos. Since 2009, this day has been symbolized by Red shoes. The idea was born in that year from an installation by the Mexican artist Elina Chauvet, Zapatos Rojos. The work was created in a square in homage to her sister, killed by her husband, and to Mexican women who were victims of violence.
A gesture that can save lives
There are numerous cultural and institutional initiatives planned in various Italian cities for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. It should be remembered that there is a help sign that women in danger can use, on the street or in any public place. It is necessary to know it to be able to understand it and intervene promptly to save a life.
To help women in danger, during the pandemic, a period in which cases of domestic violence increased due to forced isolation, a gesture that later became international was created: the Signal for Help. This simple gesture done with one hand can in some situations be truly effective in saving a life, but it is important to know how to recognize it. Created by the Women's Funding Network and the Canadian Women's Foundation, it involves folding the thumb of one hand into the palm while keeping the other four fingers up and then closing them into a fist. Among the initiatives scheduled for today, in Rome, starting from 9.30, "now enough with violence against women" will be staged, a sport, dance and fashion event in support of the International Women's House.
(Photo: Pixabay)