Every year, on November 25, the Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is commemorated.
A day that shouldn't exist — and yet, it does, because the incidents are not only not decreasing, but are increasing dramatically.
In 2024, over 50.000 women were recorded as victims of abuse, while international data is shocking:
Every 10 minutes, a woman is murdered.
A femicide.
A life that is lost.
A family falling apart.
A child who is left an orphan.
And all this, in a world that is theoretically "progressing".
A woman is not a vessel for pleasure, nor an object to satisfy someone's appetites. Sexual abuse and exploitation are not simply criminal behaviors; they are crimes that offend human dignity.
From a young age, many societies cultivate the wrong role models: that women should be pleasant, available, and obedient.
That its value is determined by how well it serves the needs of others.
In this narrative, the essence is lost: that the woman is a person, not an object.
The woman is the mother, the sister, the friend, the partner, the collaborator.
He is a human being with emotions, dreams, ambitions, life.
When a woman says "no," it should mean no.
And yet, in the 21st century, there are still people who believe that saying "no" is a game or indicates "shame."
These perceptions are not just unacceptable — they are dangerous and criminal.
They don't think that they are destroying lives.
That they leave wounds that don't heal.
That tomorrow their own children may become victims of the exact same violence.
Some women, like Ms. Bekatorou, managed to be heard and supported.
But thousands of others, like Nicole L., Maria D., Anna H., and countless anonymous women, were never vindicated.
They fight alone in the courts, against a mechanism that often pushes them into silence.
Many women do not report abuse immediately:
either out of fear,
either from shock,
or because they mistakenly trust that “the state will protect them”.
And when they finally go, they often hear the unthinkable:
"We have no right to intervene, since he didn't kill you."
This is how evidence is lost — bruises, DNA, testimonies — and the perpetrators walk free.
Women need to know their rights.
They need to speak up, complain, ask for help.
And if they can't do it themselves, someone from their own family must speak for them.
There are organizations that can protect a woman when the state does not.
And it's not just women:
There are children who are abused and remain silent out of fear.
Children who are threatened with the death of their parents if they speak out.
It is tragic that this violence continues.
And as long as society remains indifferent, violence is perpetuated.
I get angry when screams are heard and no one calls for help, no one intervenes.
And they themselves then appear on television as "good neighbors".
We must finally stop seeing these crimes as just another news story.
We must change — because we are society.
Rape is not an act of desire.
It is an act without consent.
An act that destroys the body, but especially the soul.
Physical wounds sometimes fade.
But the wounds of the soul remain.
And they torture the victim for a lifetime.
Call to Action — The Time is Now
It is not enough to remember women once a year.
It is not enough to light a candle in memory of the victims.
It's not enough to write angry posts on social media.
We must act. Now.
Let's educate our children in respect and consent.
To teach our sons that "no" means no.
Let's teach our daughters that no one has rights over their bodies.
Let's empower women who find the courage to speak out.
Let's protect those who cannot yet speak.
Let us stand beside them – not against them.
Let us demand from the state:
- stricter legislation,
- speedy justice,
- victim protection,
- real support structures.
Let us demand from society:
- to listen,
- to intervene,
- Do NOT close your eyes.
And from us ourselves:
let's not remain silent.
Silence is complicit.
Indifference kills.
**No woman alone.
No woman is afraid.
No woman is silent.**
November 25th is not a holiday.
It is a warning bell, a reminder, a cry.
**Either we change, or we mourn.
And I choose change.**
photo thedivorcelawfirm, https://pixabay.com
