The Puerto Vallarta Institute for Women, directed by Sara Maria Chavez, announce that in observation of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the group will host a silent march along the Malecón on November 25 at 5:30 pm. Participants are asked to wear gold and gather at the Los Arcos Amphitheater on the Melecón in centro.
The date of November 25 was chosen by international organizers to commemorate the Mirabal sisters, three political activists from the Dominican Republic, who were brutally assassinated in 1960 during the Rafael Trujillo dictatorship (1930-1961).
The Puerto Vallarta Institute for Women reports that at least 20 cases of abuse against women are reported each month in the city.
During the press conference it was noted that women who receive help from the Institute for Women are mostly poor, and even in extreme poverty. Many of whom leave their situation and arrive in Puerto Vallarta from other states and attempting to find work, where many times it seems impossible.
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is observed internationally from November 25th until December 10th. In Puerto Vallarta the Institute for Women will host several conferences and classes dealing with abuse and prevention.
Facts about abuse against women:
- 35% of women and girls globally experience some form of physical and or sexual violence in their lifetime with up to seven in ten women facing this abuse in some countries.
- It is estimated that up to 30 million girls under the age of 15 remain at risk from FGM/C, and more than 130 million girls and women have undergone the procedure worldwide.
- Worldwide, more than 700 million women alive today were married as children, 250 million of whom were married before the age of 15. Girls who marry before the age of 18 are less likely to complete their education and more likely to experience domestic violence and complications in childbirth.
- The costs and consequence of violence against women last for generations.
If you know of a woman or child being abused, say something. You can save a life and give someone a chance at a new one.
