Tens of thousands of people demonstrated yesterday Saturday in many countries on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, asking the states to take more and more effective measures.

“It’s over: our battle is global”: p Madrid some 7,000 people, according to the government, demonstrated behind this banner, a slogan that first appeared at a women’s soccer match between the national teams of Sweden and Spain.

Demonstrations were also held in Barcelona and the Sevillewith Spain considered a pioneer in Europe as it became the first country in 2004 to pass a law specifically condemning gender-based violence.

“Protect your daughters, educate your sons”, “Retreat is not consent”, “When I go out I want to be free, not brave”: read the banners held by demonstrators in several French cities.

“We don’t want to count dead people anymore,” said Maël Lenoir of the feminist collective “Nous toutes” (All of us).

In 2022 they were recorded at France 118 femicides, according to official figures. Since the beginning of 2023 French feminist organizations have already counted 121.

In Italya country where 106 femicides were recorded last year according to the national statistics agency (Istat), tens of thousands of people marched in various cities, including the Milan and the Rome.

The country is still in a state of shock after the murder two weeks ago of 22-year-old student Julia Ketchin by her ex-partner, also 22-year-old Filippo Tourette, who was finally arrested in Germany after a week-long manhunt.

Many rallies took place in Latin America, where 4,050 femicides were recorded in 2022, according to the UN regional agency.

In Argentina in the foreground was the defense of gender policies, after the election of the extreme liberal Javier Millay to the presidency, who during his election campaign declared that he wanted to abolish the Ministry of Women and was against abortion.

At Brazilin the beach Copacabana in Rio a line of shoes with women’s names symbolized the 722 femicides committed in the country in 2022.

“Caution, partisanship kills,” read many banners in the Santiago, Chile and “not one less,” another banner in Venezuela.

In Constantinople 500 women gathered in the Sisli district with slogans: “We will not remain silent” and “Women united against the violence of the male state”.

In 2021 the Turkey withdrew from the Istanbul Convention, an international agreement aimed at protecting women from domestic violence. Yesterday Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara’s withdrawal from the convention “does not affect our fight against violence against women”.

At USA US President Joe Biden criticized “the scourge of sexist violence that continues to cause suffering and injustice to far too many people.” “We know what is at stake: whenever and wherever women and girls are threatened, peace and stability are threatened,” he added.

“Violence against women is a toxic weed that infects our society and must be cut from the root (…) through education that puts the person and their dignity at the center,” Pope Francis pointed out.

Worldwide, 82 femicides are committed by partners or ex-partners every day, and an estimated 31% of women have been victims of physical or sexual violence at least once in their lives, according to 2018 World Health Organization figures.

In more than half (56%) of the murders of women and girls, the perpetrator comes from their immediate environment: a family member, former or current partner. The corresponding figure for men and boys is 11%, according to a UN Women report published in 2022.

November 25 was established as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in 1999, in honor of the three Mirabal sisters, political activists in the Dominican Republic who were murdered by the dictator Rafael Trujillo’s regime on November 25, 1960.

Protests in Argentina against violence against women

Thousands of people demonstrated yesterday Saturday in Argentina, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, demanding the defense of gender policies, after the emergence of the controversial extreme liberal Javier Millay in the presidency.

In the Buenos Aires, 4,000 to 5,000 people, according to an AFP journalist, took part in a demonstration and march to the parliament in May Square. Argentina’s national delegation only adopted a law on gender equality in 2017 and one that legalized abortion in 2020.

Mobilizations against violence against women also took place in other provinces.

“Stop the violence”, “For safe, legal and free abortion”, one read on the banners and placards held by the demonstrators in the capital, who marched to the presidential palace, flanked by supporters of left-wing factions, social organizations, human rights organizations…

“The statement of the president-elect He speaks according to which “violence has no gender” scares us a lot,” she told AFP Marcela Morera52 years old, whose daughter, Julieta, was a 22-year-old victim of femicide.

Javier Millay, who was elected last Sunday as president of the Latin American country, announced during his election campaign that he was going to abolish the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Diversity, which was established to prevent gender-based crimes and to to accompany the victims.

Mr Millay, who is due to take office on December 10, has also spoken out against abortion rights, as well as compulsory sex education.