Today, November 25th, is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. This day is observed globally to commemorate the lives of the Mirabel sisters who were murdered in 1960. Globally, an estimated 736 million women have experienced physical and or sexual intimate partner violence (UN Women). Additionally, 86% of women and girls live in countries without legal protections against gender-based violence (UN Women). We are fortunate that in Canada there are several protections in place to uphold a person’s right to live free from all forms of gender-based violence (GBV).

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women marks the first of 16 days of activism to end GBV, a time that is meant to raise awareness and draw attention to the seriousness and prevalence of this global human rights issue while advocating for the elimination of all forms of abuse and violence.