7 sobering facts about violence against women

TheInternational Day for the Elimination ofViolence Against Womenon Nov. 25has its origins in the 1960assassination of three of the fourMirabalsisters Antonia,Mariaand Patriciawho werepolitical activists in the Dominican Republic. Their fourth sibling, Blgica, passed away in 2014.The sisters, knownas the Unforgettable Butterflies, became a symbol of the endemic violence againstwomen around the world.

On the 15th year of this annual commemoration, designated by the United Nations to honour the memory of the Mirabal sisters,these disturbing statisticsunderscore the issues that women globally continue to face.

1 in 3

Girls and women worldwide who have been victims of physical or sexual abuse athome, on the streets or during war, according to the World Health Organization. In most casesthe perpetrator is anintimate partner, the WHO's research says. (World Health Organization, 2013)

20 to 24

The age range ofwomen at greatest risk of experiencingviolence by an intimatepartner in Canada. In 2013 in this age group there were1,128 incidents per 100,000 population. (Statistics Canada, 2013)

4.5 million

Estimated number ofpeople around the world are victims of forced sexualexploitation. Of those, 98 per centare women and girls. (International LabourOrganization, 2012)

700 million

Women worldwide whowere married as children,250 million ofwhom were married under the age of 15. Girls who marry before they are18 are less likely to complete their education and more likely to experiencedomestic violence and complications in childbirth, according to UNICEF. The United Nations says childmarriage is mostprevalent in Niger, Bangladesh, Chad, Mali and the Central African Republic.(UNICEF, 2014)

133 million

Girls and women who haveundergone genital mutilation. It is practiced in 29 countries, topped by Somalia, Guineaand Egypt. The UN says incidences of this type of physical abuse areabout one-third lowerthan30 years ago. (UNICEF, 2014)

1 in 2

Womenmurdered worldwide in 2012 who were killed by their partnersor family members. In comparison, one in 20 murdered men died in such circumstances during the same period.(World Health Organization, 2013)

11,766

Women murdered in the U.S.by current or former malepartners between September 2001 and June 2012, according to FBI records. That's nearly double thenumber of U.S. troops killed in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. (Upworthy/ FederalBureau of Investigation, 2013)

Frank Elbers is a freelance reporter and a Fellow in Global Journalism at the Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto.