“No Excuse”: A Global Call To End Violence Against Women

By United Nations Photos: UN/Loey Felipe/YouTube Screenshots On the 25th anniversary of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, world leaders and advocates gathered at the UN Headquarters to confront a stark reality: violence against women and girls remains a pervasive global crisis. With the theme “No Excuse,” the event served as a powerful call to action against gender-based violence, highlighting both progress and the urgent work still required. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres pointed out in his message for the Day, the statistics are sobering: “Every day, 140 women and girls are killed by members of their own family, […] we must confront the hard truth: our fight is far from over.” The President of the General Assembly, Philémon Yang, set the tone for the commemorative event, emphasising: “Let us use this International Day as an opportunity to exchange best practices, identify critical gaps, and strengthen our commitment to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls.” Progress amid challenges Over the years, significant strides have been made in the fight against gender-based violence. The UN Spotlight Initiative, in partnership with the European Union, has shown that progress is possible. Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed shared...