International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is observed annually on November 25. Officially recognized by the United Nations in 1999, this day aims to raise awareness and take action against gender-based violence. Its historical roots, however, trace back to the 1960s and the assassination of the Mirabal sisters in the Dominican Republic. On November 25, 1960, Patria, Minerva, and María Teresa Mirabal—activists opposing the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo—were brutally murdered by the regime’s security forces. Known as “Las Mariposas” (The Butterflies), they became symbols of women’s resistance against tyranny and oppression. In the following decades, women’s rights activists across Latin America and the Caribbean adopted this date as a symbol of the fight against gender-based violence.
Violence against women manifests in various forms, including physical, sexual, psychological, and economic abuse. It is pervasive across all societies and political systems, deeply entrenched in patriarchal and class-based structures often reinforced by religious institutions. Statistics show that 70% of women worldwide experience violence daily. According to the World Health Organization, 200 million girls aged 5–10 undergo female genital mutilation (FGM) annually, with one million dying from its complications. The suicide rate among women is twice that of men, and every 12 seconds, a woman faces assault or mistreatment. Millions of young girls are forced into marriage without choice, and over 2 million women worldwide are coerced into sex work each year. Globally, more than 137 women are killed daily by intimate partners or family members, and one-third of women experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.
These atrocities are not confined to specific regions or cultures but are embedded within global systems of power, perpetuated by patriarchy and capitalism. Sexual violence, in particular, serves as a tool of social control, ranging from honor killings and gang rapes in the Middle East and South Asia to the use of rape as a weapon of war in Africa and the Middle East.
Economic violence is another critical mechanism of oppression. Neoliberalism, as a stage of global capitalism, exacerbates this violence. Privatization, cuts to public services, and the expansion of informal economies have rendered women vulnerable as a cheap and disposable labor force. Women earn, on average, 20% less than men for equivalent work, and over half of all women work in the informal sector, devoid of legal protection or job security. The rollback of public funding under neoliberal policies forces women to shoulder greater domestic and caregiving responsibilities, reinforcing traditional gender roles and trapping them in cycles of exploitation.
Sexual and gender minorities, particularly LGBTQ+ individuals, face compounded violence under these systems. Homosexuality remains criminalized in over 60 countries, with some imposing the death penalty. Transgender individuals, especially transgender women, experience alarmingly high rates of violence, including murder. These intersecting forms of violence, shaped by gender, sexual identity, class, nationality, and ethnicity, underscore the need for an intersectional approach to address and dismantle systemic violence.
The state-sponsored murder of Jina (Mahsa) Amini in September 2022 ignited the “Jina Revolution,” a movement opposing patriarchy, ethnic and class discrimination, and political repression. Women from Kurdish and Baloch communities, situated at the intersection of gendered and ethnic oppression, played pivotal roles in this uprising. The movement also created space for sexual and gender minorities to voice their demands, demonstrating the transformative power of solidarity among oppressed groups.
From a socialist standpoint, violence against women is integral to the mechanisms of power reproduction within capitalist systems. Capitalism commodifies women’s bodies, exploits their unpaid domestic labor, and reduces labor reproduction costs. Neoliberal globalization intensifies these trends by creating precarious and informal employment opportunities for women in the Global South, perpetuating poverty and inequality. This system exploits women as cheap labor while subjecting them to social and economic repression.
Pathways to Change: Structural and Multidimensional Approaches
To combat this crisis, a structural and multidimensional approach is essential. Discriminatory laws must be repealed, and gender equality policies enacted. Economic reforms, such as equitable wealth distribution, increased funding for public services, and job security for women and gender minorities, are critical. Education and awareness campaigns, particularly about intersecting forms of violence, can help transform societal mindsets. Moreover, international solidarity among women’s movements, workers, and LGBTQ+ communities is a powerful force for change.
The Jina Revolution reminds us that the liberation of women, oppressed ethnic groups, the working class, and other minorities is unattainable without fundamental changes to political and economic structures. The slogan “Women’s liberation is society’s liberation” calls for a fight against all forms of domination and exploitation to create a world where all people, regardless of gender, class, or identity, can enjoy freedom and equality.
