It’s Time to “Make it Happen,” End Domestic Violence

March 7, 2015

Since 1911, March 8 has been recognized as International Women’s Day, a day to mark the economic, political, and social achievements of women.

This year’s theme is Make it Happen:

For greater awareness of women’s equality
For more women in senior leadership roles
For equal recognition of women in the arts
For growth of women in businesses
For increased financial independence of women
For more women in science, engineering, and technology
For fairer recognition of women in sport

…and we’d add “For ending violence against women.”

There has been a groundswell of support for ending domestic violence and sexual assault this past year. President Obama, domestic violence survivor Brooke Axtell, and pop star Katy Perry appeared at the Grammys to speak out against domestic violence. The first-ever anti-domestic violence and sexual assault PSA aired during the 2015 Super Bowl, which set records for viewership with more than 114 million viewers per minute. Professional sports associations in America (including the NFL, MLB, and WWE) made significant first steps toward addressing domestic violence and sexual assault in the workplace.

Awareness has been raised. Now it’s time to Make it Happen. Now is the time to end domestic violence and sexual assault.

In a single day, more than 67,500 victims were served by domestic violence programs. In that same day, almost 11,000 additional requests for help were denied — more than half of those for emergency shelter or transitional housing. Nearly 11,000 times, when a victim sought help, they only heard, “No.”

This is unacceptable. When victims summon the courage to ask for help, we have the responsibility to ensure that the answer is “Yes.”

Help us make change. Let’s Make it Happen this year:

Change the Conversation. Talk to your friends and family about domestic violence. Simply by talking about it, we help to erase the stigma and show support for victims and survivors.
Get Involved. Donate. Contribute to conversations on social media. Take action and stand up for victims.
Watch YouTube’s #DearMe Videos. #DearMe is a global campaign, launched by YouTube this month, to empower girls and young women in which content creators write letters to their younger selves.
Watch the UN’s Live and Archived Webcasts. The United Nations is streaming key UN Women events, starting March 6, 2015.
Learn More about Domestic Violence. Learn about the signs and types of abuse. Read answers to frequently asked questions, like who’s affected? How can you help?
Learn More about International Women’s Day. Find an event near you, see what people have been saying about IWD, and access additional resources.