Sure, I’m a travel blogger.
But first of all I’m a woman, a woman with the special luck of having a small space in the web in which I can talk about the world, which unfortunately, is not always as beautiful as we would like it to be.
Which is why today, as a woman, I’m not going to talk about the joy of traveling, as I feel it’s my duty to raise a little awareness about the problem of domestic violence and violence against women in general.
You may not know it, but today November 25th is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, instituted by the United Nations.
To exercise violence against women is a crime (because abuse and domestic violence ARE a crime!) which associates first world and third world countries, magnified by ignorance and retrograde beliefs about the role of men and women. We would think that the situation is getting better, but last year in Italy the number of feminicides has rose to an unprecedented number, and this is obviously not ok.
If you are a woman which is fortunately not touched by the violence in first person, don’t let the guard down and keep listening: with 1 in 3 women in the world suffering abuses at some point in their life (source: World Health Organization), the chances of you knowing a victim of violence are not that slim.
If you are experiencing violence in your everyday life, you have been victim of abuses, or you know someone who is, please speak up. Please.
Remember that real love doesn’t hurt, and that it’s NEVER your fault for being abused. Please talk to someone before it’s too late.
Now I just want to show you some campaings from various countries against domestic violence. The whole world is fighting against this brutal and coward crime, what about you?
Please help me pass along the message that domestic violence is not acceptable, in any case. To destroy this crime, we need to talk about it. Thank you.
Cristina Luisa
Saturday 6th of December 2014
This is a powerful piece. Yes, we are travelers, but it also our right as women to talk about issues that affect us directly or indirectly. It's often difficult traveling the world and witnessing abuse- do you speak your mind? Do you not say anything because it's not your culture? It's a scary, fine line between respecting others' ways of life and respecting life itself. Thank you for writing this, and for sharing these statistics. It's 2014. Domestic abuse should not only cease to be a taboo, it should also cease to exist.
Anne Klien ( Meanne)
Tuesday 2nd of December 2014
Thanks for sharing. .... around us this is happening everyday but people involved are maybe just scarred to report it, its so sad but its true.
Sandra @ Tripper
Monday 1st of December 2014
Very powerful message and images. Thank you for raising awareness. As a woman and a member of Amnesty International since a teenager, I have been fighting for this cause for most of my life and yes we have taken small steps towards a better future but we still have a long way to go. In the western countries it starts with educating girls and boys regarding what domestic violence and human rights (women or men) are. In other countries it's a lot harder to change a whole culture over night but I believe it's possible. Women (especially westerners) won't talk about this if it's happening to them: we are now seen as independent and self-sufficient, we "know better" so many of them feel ashamed for "letting" themselves get caught in a cycle of violence. So they won't talk. I believe the best is to start learning how to read the signs if you suspect it's happening to a friend or a relative and help them to understand that isn't right or "love". In Portugal this year every week on the news we would hear of another woman being killed in a "crime of passion" (funny how they call it).
Stef
Wednesday 3rd of December 2014
Thank you for sharing your experience Sandra! It's so great that you're actively involved in fighting this terrible crime...we really need more people like you to do that to bring awareness to the subject!
Michelle - Very Hungry Explorer
Monday 1st of December 2014
Such a powerful post, well done Steph. Those stats are horrifying.