About International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is a United Nations day held every 25 November, and in 2026 it falls on Wednesday, 25 November 2026. The date marks the murder of the three Mirabal sisters in the Dominican Republic in 1960, and it opens the 16 Days of Activism, which run until Human Rights Day on 10 December.
What is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women?
It is a United Nations day held every 25 November, and in 2026 it falls on Wednesday, 25 November 2026. The General Assembly set the date by resolution 54/134 on 17 December 1999, though women's movements in Latin America had already been marking it since 1981.
The UN's own figures give the scale. About 50,000 women and girls were killed by an intimate partner or a family member in 2024, which works out to one every ten minutes. The UN also reports that 38 per cent of women have faced violence online, and 73 per cent of women journalists.
Who were the Mirabal sisters?
Patria, Minerva and María Teresa Mirabal were three sisters from the Dominican Republic who opposed the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. On 25 November 1960 they were killed on their way back from visiting their imprisoned husbands, and the deaths were staged as a road accident. Their murder is widely seen as one of the things that turned the country against Trujillo.
Women's movements adopted the date in their memory at the first Feminist Encuentro for Latin America and the Caribbean, held in Bogota from 18 to 21 July 1981. The UN followed almost twenty years later.
What are the 16 Days of Activism?
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence run from 25 November to 10 December every year. The end date is deliberate: it is Human Rights Day, and the point is that violence against women is a rights question, not a private family matter. UN Women runs the UNiTE campaign through these days, which is why buildings are lit orange and the day is sometimes called Orange Day.
- 25 NovemberThe day itself
The 16 Days open. Governments, schools and companies hold events; landmarks are lit orange.
- 1 DecemberWorld AIDS Day
Falls inside the 16 Days, linking violence with women's inability to negotiate safe sex or get treatment.
- 3 DecemberInternational Day of Persons with Disabilities
Disabled women face higher rates of violence and have fewer ways to report it.
- 10 DecemberHuman Rights Day
The 16 Days close on the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948.
What do the numbers look like in India?
The National Crime Records Bureau recorded 4,48,211 cases of crimes against women in 2023, up slightly from 4,45,256 in 2022. That is a rate of 66.2 cases per lakh women. The single largest head was cruelty by a husband or his relatives, at 1,33,676 cases, followed by kidnapping and abduction at 88,605 and assault on women at 83,891. Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of cases; Telangana had the highest rate against population.
Those are registered cases only. Survey data gives a different view of how much never reaches a police station: UN Women's India figures put the share of women aged 15 to 49 who faced physical or sexual violence from a partner in the previous twelve months at 18.4 per cent, drawn from 2018 data.
India's main civil law here is the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005. It is worth knowing what it covers, because most people assume it is only about beating. It treats physical, sexual, verbal, emotional and economic abuse as domestic violence, and a woman can ask a magistrate for a protection order, a residence order so she is not thrown out of the house, monetary relief, compensation or custody of children. Breaking a protection order is itself an offence.
At work, the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013 requires every workplace with ten or more employees to have an Internal Committee. Where there are fewer than ten, or where the complaint is against the employer, a Local Committee set up by the District Officer takes it.
Where can a woman get help in India?
| Route | What it is | How to reach it |
|---|---|---|
| Women Helpline 181 | A free line answered at any hour that connects callers to police, hospitals and shelters. | Dial 181 |
| One Stop Centre (Sakhi) | Police help, medical aid, legal advice, counselling and short-term shelter under one roof. 770 centres were operational across states and union territories, and more than 10 lakh women had used them by 2024. | Through 181, or the district's Sakhi centre |
| Emergency number 112 | The all-India emergency line, which the child and women's helplines are being linked to. | Dial 112 |
| SHe-Box | The Women and Child Development Ministry's online portal for sexual harassment complaints at work. | Online, via the ministry's site |
| Domestic Violence Act application | A civil case before a magistrate, filed with help from a Protection Officer, a legal aid lawyer or a service provider. | District Protection Officer or District Legal Services Authority |
What to write on 25 November
No greeting. The best messages here do one of three things: carry a number, state a fact, or tell one woman she is believed.
Do
- Put 181 in the message. Somebody reading it may need it and not know it.
- Believe her the first time, without asking for proof or for her side of the story to be balanced.
- If you run a team, say plainly that your Internal Committee exists and who is on it.
Avoid
- Do not write "Happy" anything, and skip flowers and hearts.
- Do not ask a survivor in a group chat how she is doing. Ask privately.
- Do not share her story, her photo or her case details without asking her first.
- Avoid "both sides" framing on a day about people who were killed.
Today, 25 November, opens the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence. Our Internal Committee under the 2013 law is active, and the names and contact details are on the noticeboard. Use it if you need it.
No pressure and no questions. I believe you, I'm not going anywhere, and if you ever need a place to sleep at short notice, my door is open.
The three Mirabal sisters were killed on 25 November 1960 for opposing a dictatorship. The UN chose their date. The 16 Days run from today to Human Rights Day on 10 December.
On 25 November, one number worth saving in every phone in this building: 181, the women's helpline, free and answered day or night.
NCRB recorded 4,48,211 cases of crimes against women in India in 2023, and the biggest single head was cruelty by a husband or his relatives. Registered cases are a floor, not a total.
Counsellors, protection officers, Sakhi centre staff: you take the calls the rest of us only read about. On 25 November, thank you, and take your leave.
Read next: International Women's Day, International Day of the Girl Child, International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM and Human Rights Day.
How to wish someone on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
Nothing about this day is celebratory, so no wishes and no "Happy". The useful message either carries a helpline number or states one fact. If you are writing to a woman you know is in a violent home, keep it private, keep it short, say you believe her, and do not put anything in a family group she cannot delete.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Hindi + recipient language.
When is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in 2026 and 2027?
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is on 25 Nov every year. Only the weekday changes.
- 2026
- 2027
Frequently asked questions
When is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in 2026?
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 2026 falls on Wednesday, 25 November 2026.
Why is 25 November the day against violence against women?
It marks the murder of the three Mirabal sisters, Patria, Minerva and María Teresa, killed in the Dominican Republic on 25 November 1960 for opposing the Trujillo dictatorship. Women's movements adopted the date at the first Feminist Encuentro for Latin America and the Caribbean in Bogota in July 1981, and the UN General Assembly made it official by resolution 54/134 in 1999.
What are the 16 Days of Activism?
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence run from 25 November to 10 December each year, ending on Human Rights Day. Governments, schools, companies and civil society groups use the period for campaigns, training and events, and landmarks are lit orange for the UN's UNiTE campaign.
Where can a woman report domestic violence in India?
Call 181, the free women's helpline, or 112 for an emergency. A One Stop Centre, known as a Sakhi centre, gives police, medical, legal and counselling help in one place. A case under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 is filed before a magistrate, usually with help from a Protection Officer or legal aid lawyer.
Is domestic violence only physical?
No. Under India's Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, domestic violence covers physical, sexual, verbal, emotional and economic abuse. Withholding money, stopping a woman from working or constant humiliation all fall within it.
What should I write on 25 November?
Skip greetings. Write one of three things: a helpline number such as 181, a single verified fact, or a private line to a woman you are worried about saying that you believe her and that you are available. Do not post anyone's story without her consent.
Why is orange used for this day?
Orange is the colour of the UN's UNiTE campaign against violence against women, so buildings and landmarks are lit orange on 25 November and through the 16 Days. That is why the date is sometimes called Orange Day.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .