November 25, 1999:  The United Nations General Assembly passes a resolution designating November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.  The original resolution, introduced by the Dominican Republic, was in response to, and in remembrance of, the 1960 murders of three sisters: Maria, Teresa, and Minerva Mirabel.

The UN reports that:

• 35% of women and girls worldwide experience a form of physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime.
• An estimated 133 million girls and women have experienced female genital mutilation primarily in Africa and the Middle East where the practice is most common.
• Worldwide, more than 700 million women alive today were married as children, 250 million of whom were married before the age of 15.

The United Nations designated “16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence” a campaign that runs from November 25 to December 10 “Human Rights Day” calling to end violence against women and girls around the world.