Today, November 25, as we celebrate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we, the International Young Christian Workers, want to highlight the issues that young women are facing all over the world, from harassment to violence, discrimination and femicide, and we want to let those young women know that their cry has been heard.
"My boss wanted me to be alone with him all the time so he could kiss me by force. He was very aggressive. It became very difficult to say no to him. I didn't say anything because I had no choice and I needed the job. He ended up firing me because I was resisting him. That day I went home crying because I realized that I was unemployed again". - Gabon
In the last decades, humanity took steps toward the elimination of violence against women, but throughout this year only, all those steps have been demolished and humanity has taken hundreds of steps backward.
During this quarantine worldwide, women were the most impacted, either at work or at home.
Violence against women has highly increased all over the world, as well as family violence during social confinement.
"As of the 36th day of the quarantine (20th April 2020), the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations reported having registered through the Emergency Line alone, the chilling figure of 14,222 reported cases of violence, 125 rapes and 6 femicides.” And this is only in Peru!
We need to raise more awareness among people and let them break the traditions, stereotypes and ideas that prevent equality between men and women.
Once and for all, in these dark times we need to listen carefully to the cry of women and pay attention to their need for more justice in a world where they should be as free as men, where young women should not be afraid of being harassed, raped or killed just because they are women.
We need strong powerful women who are not ashamed or terrified.
And of course we need open-minded men who will help in this process, who will not be afraid of powerful women, who really believe that GOD created all of us as equals, and who are ready to support women in their lives.
