On 25 November 2024, the United Nations General Assembly held a high-level meeting on Friday, calling on the signatory countries of the Beijing Declaration to intensify their efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. The day was in observance of the 25th anniversary of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The day was set 25 years ago to honor the Mirabal sisters, three Dominican women who were murdered in 1960 for their rejection of the horrors of the Trujillo dictatorship.
Minou Tavárez Mirabal, daughter of the murdered Minerva Mirabal and president of the Board of Trustees of the International Criminal Court Victims Trust Fund, spoke on behalf of the Mirabal family during the event. Also participating for the Dominican Republic was Minister of Women Mayra Jimenez.
The session at the UN began with a moving tribute to the Mirabal sisters, which was presented through a powerful audiovisual that also highlighted the significant impact of feminist movements in advocating for women’s rights and participation in society.
In her powerful speech, the former legislator Tavárez Mirabal combined verses from poet Pedro Mir with the harsh realities of gender-based violence, drawing on her personal experience and the painful history of her family’s martyrdom. She called on the international community to ensure that survivors and victims of this “war” are not forgotten and remain at the center of efforts to combat gender violence.
“When I was just four years old, my mother and aunts were violently taken from me. That tragedy placed me on the same path as so many women and girls who continue to fight in this ongoing war that we call ‘civilization,'” Tavárez Mirabal stated, addressing UN representatives, diplomats, and activists during the commemoration.
Tavárez Mirabal emphasized her deliberate use of the term “war” to describe gender violence, noting the staggering death toll: last year alone, 51,100 women and girls were killed by intimate partners or family members—an average of 140 deaths per day, according to UN Women data. She particularly highlighted the persistent threat of gender violence in the Dominican Republic, where, she argued, the state has yet to address the “debt” owed to the countless women and families affected by deadly violence this century.
“Too many lives have been lost for us to ignore that we are engaged in a war,” she added.
Reflecting on the historical roots of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Tavárez Mirabal reiterated that each 25 November is an opportunity to unite in the shared burden of loss, to commemorate the Mirabal Sisters, and to reaffirm the global commitment to end violence against women in all its forms.
“Every day, I carry with me the absence of my mother, Minerva, and my aunts, María Teresa and Patria. The three sisters, known as ‘The Butterflies,’ along with their driver Rufino de la Cruz, were murdered for opposing tyranny and injustice in our country. Every day, I carry with me the impunity that surrounds their deaths,” she said. “On this day, I have the chance to share this burden, to join with others, and to renew our commitment to ending violence against women in all its forms.”
Tavárez Mirabal also acknowledged the immense challenges in addressing gender violence but emphasized that solutions are within reach. She urged the implementation of education, public awareness campaigns, policies, and comprehensive support systems, including psychosocial, medical, and economic assistance for survivors.
“We must ensure that actions are both punitive and reparative,” she stressed, calling for effective judicial action against perpetrators and reparations for survivors. “Reparations offer recognition of survivors’ pain, their resilience, and the injustices they have suffered. They also focus on preventing the repetition of these atrocities.”
To fulfill the promise of “never again” made by the international community, Tavárez Mirabal called for sustainable support from governments worldwide. “Survivors must not feel forgotten or silenced; they must see a clear path to reclaiming their dignity, livelihoods, and future,” she said.
Minister of Women speaks at the UN commemoration
Dominican Minister of Women Mayra Jimenez also spoke during the 25th anniversary commemoration. She Called for a global financial pact to increase funding for the fight against violence. Jimenez said that the sacrifice of the Mirabal sisters was not in vain; it played a pivotal role in the restoration of democracy in the Dominican Republic. Sixty-four years later, they remain a beacon of hope, a source of inspiration, and a symbol of the ongoing struggle to eradicate all forms of violence worldwide.
The calls come at a time when violence against women and girls in the Dominican Republic continues to be a major social issue. ECLAC report revealed that in Latin America, Honduras leads with the highest rate of femicides, with 7.2 cases per 100,000. The DR sadly follows with 2.4 and Brazil is third with 1.4.
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National Geographic
26 November 2024