The annual event, which was first marked at the inauguration of the Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991, has since become a key day for those around the world working on protecting women and girls, especially those who work at the UN and other major international institutions.
I give this context to highlight how powerful this day is and could be. Instead it is the pointless international moment when global institutions pick and choose exactly which women and girls they seek to protect. On October 7, Hamas raped, killed and kidnapped women and girls in Israel. Those of us who have worked on violence against women and girls know this is a crime against humanity.
The brutality of what happened to Jewish women on October 7 was reminiscent of the war crimes committed against Yazidi women and girls in Iraq in 2014. They too were raped and kidnapped by terrorists who believed that, because of their ethnicity, they could be abused.
I remember my colleagues in the violence against women and girls sector standing up for Yazidi women against the Islamic State terrorists. I thought the same would happen with Hamas. Depressingly, I was wrong. I have been beyond distressed to see so many of my colleagues and counterparts ignore what happened on October 7.
Denne historien er fra November 28, 2023-utgaven av Evening Standard.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 28, 2023-utgaven av Evening Standard.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Why are England wasting time waiting for Tuchel?
Winning the World Cup is the aim, so the new boss should start now
He's been shot, and punched by Mike Tyson, but British boxing's great survivor is back on top and aiming to rule the world
This is where the magic happens,\" reads a big neon sign scrawled across the entrance to the offices of arguably the most powerful man in British boxing today.
How Sketch went from 'obscene' to era-defining
After arocky start, the glamorous and infamous restaurant is now an institution
Money is worth less than time'
He's quit Fendi, but what will Kim Jones do next?
London's Roman Amphitheatre
Guildhall Yard, EC2V
Liberals didn't notice they'd lost relevance in the all-consuming digital sphere
There are many reasons why Donald Trump might have won the election last week.
Do we have to die?
One neuroscientist thinks the answer is no
How to have a magical Christmas in Edinburgh
From cosy cobblestone streets to abundant Yuletide goings-on, few cities rival the Scottish capital in creating Christmas whimsy.
London's best festive restaurants
The social season is upon us once more. These are the city’s most coveted Christmas venues, which need to be booked soon so as to not miss out on the tinsel and tipples.
Rag'n'Bone Man
I struggle with being recognised... I'll never really feel comfortable with it'