So here I am two days past Thanksgiving on Thursday, one day after Black Friday, and I’m having trouble remembering what day of the week today is. Saturday, Saturday, Saturday, November 25th. Small Business Saturday, Jenna Bush Hager’s, Nekki Shutt’s and John F. Kennedy, Jr.’s birthdays (which I find notable), National Cake Day (which I find yummy), National Play Day with Dad, National Parfait Day, National Eat With a Friend Day; and oh yes, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Seriously?
Only two days after being thankful, practicing kindness, warm and fuzzy at home with Pretty, a delicious meal of traditional Thanksgiving goodies delivered to us by our friend Jenn Thursday afternoon, a Gamecock Women’s basketball game Friday afternoon when our team scored 101 points – the fourth game out of five we’ve played this season that hit triple digit scoring. And now National Day slaps me upside the head with the news that Saturday, November 25th. is also the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. We went from cake to chaos in less than a hot minute, but this story is important on any day. My thanks to the National Day folks for the reminder of the murders of the Mirabal sisters in the Dominican Republic and for five facts about violence against women.
“On November 25, 1960, three Mirabal sisters of the Dominican Republic were assassinated by henchmen of dictator Rafael Trujillo. The sisters, who had been active in movements against the Trujillo regime, were beaten and strangled to death, then placed in a Jeep that was driven off a mountainous road in order to make their deaths appear accidental. In December 1999, the United Nations General Assembly designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The date marks the beginning of 16 days of remembrance and activism, culminating in International Human Rights Day.”
5 FACTS ABOUT VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
- It’s an epidemic. An estimated 35 percent of women worldwide have been physically and/or sexually assaulted by a nonpartner.
- It’s up close and personal. Some studies show that up to 70 percent of women have experienced violence from an intimate partner.
- It’s spreading. Women and girls account for 71 percent of all human trafficking victims.
- The numbers are staggering. More than 1 in 10 females have experienced forced sexual acts in their lives.
- Times are changing. At least 140 countries have laws against domestic violence and sexual harassment.
Last night I watched as thirteen women and children were released from captivity by Hamas in Gaza to return to Israel. Their lives, the lives of their families, the women and children of Ukraine, the women and children living in tents along the Mexican border with Texas, starving women and children in Africa, Gaza, and America – these women who struggle for safety, food, shelter, peace for their families – their lives are forever changed by their circumstances that often include violence against them.
The more things change, the more things stay the same. No. In 2024 let’s elect people who will work for peace and protection of the most vulnerable in our population at home and around the world. Ask hard questions of the folks who will be running for office at the local, state and national levels. Make sure the policies they support are the ones you believe are true.
Onward. Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
I'll Call It Like I See It 