On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Women Journalists Without Chains pays tribute to women across the globe.

Designated by the United Nations on 25 November, this day stands as a universal reminder that women continue to endure some of the most severe forms of abuse and discrimination. Protecting women is not only a moral imperative—it is a binding legal duty that rests upon states, societies, and institutions alike.

Despite decades since the adoption of international instruments such as CEDAW and the UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, progress remains painfully slow. Women continue to endure violence in multiple forms: domestic and community abuse, exclusion from decision‑making, legal discrimination, and increasingly, digital violence—now one of the most dangerous arenas of harm in the modern world.

Violence against women is not an isolated incident or aberrant behavior; it is a deeply entrenched phenomenon rooted in cultural, social, and legal structures. Addressing it requires robust legislation with genuine deterrent power, effective protection policies, educational curricula that instill equality and human rights from the earliest years, and responsible media discourse that dismantles stereotypes rather than perpetuating them. Economic and political empowerment is equally essential: women with access to education, employment, and political representation are less vulnerable to abuse and more capable of reporting violations and seeking protection.

Violence in Conflict Zones

The organization highlights the most severe forms of violence in conflict settings, where legal protections collapse and women become primary victims.

• Palestine (Gaza and the West Bank): Women have suffered grave violations including direct killings, arbitrary detention, torture, displacement, and severe psychological and physical harm caused by war. Reports, including those documented by Women Journalists Without Chains, show unprecedented increases in the killing of women and injuries to mothers and children as a result of indiscriminate bombardment and the breakdown of protection systems and health services.
• Sudan: Women face widespread sexual violence and exploitation in camps and displacement areas amid near‑total collapse of justice institutions and absence of accountability. Field testimonies confirm that gender‑based violence has become part of daily life for women and girls, exacerbated by the proliferation of armed groups and the absence of state authority. Confronting these crimes is both a national and international responsibility.

Digital Violence

Digital abuse is no less destructive than physical violence. Thousands of women across the Arab region are subjected to online blackmail, image leaks, defamation, and privacy violations. These crimes devastate victims’ social, family, and psychological lives, and in some cases drive women to suicide. The lack of specialized legislation, weak investigative units, and insufficient training for security agencies in handling sensitive digital cases compound the crisis.

• Yemen: Women face escalating violence amid state collapse, disintegration of justice systems, the rise of extremist discourse, and declining legal and social protections. Electronic blackmail has emerged as one of the most dangerous threats, with local organizations recording sharp increases in reports of leaked images, threats, and defamation. These crimes destroy family life, educational prospects, and professional futures. In a society where entrenched patriarchal norms often blame women rather than perpetrators, victims are left trapped in fear, shame, and stigma. The absence of specialized investigative units and inadequate legislation leaves women among the most vulnerable groups to both digital and societal violence.

Calls to Action

Women Journalists Without Chains stresses that any serious effort to combat violence against women must begin with reforming national legislation to make it stricter and more effective. Protection systems must be comprehensive, including safe reporting centers, immediate protection measures, and psychological and legal support free from discrimination or stigma.

WJWC calls for:

• Integrating human rights education and gender equality into school and university curricula.
• Modernizing media discourse to become a partner in protection rather than a source of harm, through codes of conduct that prohibit hate speech, incitement, and discrimination.
• Ensuring women’s economic and political empowerment and guaranteeing their presence in decision‑making bodies, as exclusion perpetuates cycles of violence.
• Enacting advanced laws to combat digital violence, establishing specialized monitoring and investigative units, and providing immediate protection for victims.

At the international level, WJWC urges the global community to place women’s protection at the heart of humanitarian efforts, relief programs, and reconstruction initiatives. This requires genuine funding for protection programs and the establishment of justice systems that are gender‑sensitive and capable of prosecuting perpetrators without immunity or exception.

On this day, Women Journalists Without Chains reaffirms its commitment to defending women’s rights, documenting violations, amplifying victims’ voices, and working with national and international partners to shape fairer and more equitable policies. Every woman has the right to a life that is safe, dignified, and free from all forms of violence.

Released by:

Women Journalists Without Chains
November 25, 2025