Media & News

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women – November 25

Toronto – November 23, 2015 – The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, commemorated each year on November 25, was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1999. The day was chosen to honour the lives of the Mirabal sisters from the Dominican Republic, who were violently assassinated on November 25, 1960.

The day pays tribute not only to the Mirabal sisters, but to all women around the world who have been victims of violence. Each year on this day, governments and non-profit organizations organize activities designed to raise public awareness of this important issue.

November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, is also the beginning of the "16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence," which concludes on December 10, International Human Rights Day.

UFCW Canada is proud to once again participate in the YWCA and Rose Campaign's #NotOkay social media initiative this year. The campaign calls on individuals to take a stand on violence against women by sharing their voices in response to any tweets, posts, videos, images, or clips that objectify, belittle, or attack women in society.

The goal of this campaign is to condemn this behaviour with the hashtag #NotOkay on popular social media sites. The hope is to use our collective voice to empower women and men to take action, however small, on the issue of violence against women.

Let's take over Twitter and Facebook on November 25 by sharing your posts at 12:00 p.m. (Noon, EST) using the hashtag #NotOkay. Getting involved in this campaign is simple:

  1. By posting with the hashtag #NotOkay on Twitter and Facebook, you can send a strong message that violence is not okay in any part of our lives.

  2. You can make your profile picture or cover photo a symbol of change by downloading and using the official #NotOkay profile and cover photos.

  3. Click here to download the #NotOkay sign. Take a picture posing with the sign and post it to your Facebook or Twitter account using the hashtag #NotOkay.

Starting this November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, take a stand against violence against women by participating in this important social justice campaign.

See it. Share it. Stop it!