The following statement was issued on 25 November 2025 by Commonwealth Secretary-General Hon Shirley Botchwey on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
Violence against women is perhaps one of humanity’s oldest and least punished crime.
It is committed in every region and in every community, often behind closed doors and often without consequences.
It is personal – for all of us.
If you have ever had to tell your sister to “be careful” just for existing, you understand.
If you have ever asked your daughter to “text me when you get home”, you understand.
Because one in three women suffer from physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. And if you are a young girl, a woman with a disability, or from minority groups, the risk is even higher. Each bruise, each insult and each threat is not isolated, but part of a machinery of control. We are not short of data.
What we are short of is the courage to dismantle that machinery that makes this violence seem ‘ordinary’ to far too many. And rightly, thirty years ago, the world came together in Beijing and called this what it is: a global emergency, a barrier to equality. Yet here we are, three decades later, watching rights roll back and violence take new forms - quieter, slicker, still brutal. The Commonwealth refuses to look away.
We are guided by the values in the Commonwealth Charter - values reaffirmed by our leaders - that gender equality must be a reality, not just a promise on paper. That’s why, through our new Strategic Plan, gender is at the heart of everything we do, because it is essential for justice.
We are working with governments and partners to do what must be done.
In countries where gender discriminatory laws make it harder for women to leave abusive partners and seek justice, we work with partners to reform them.
In economies where the cost of violence goes unnoticed, we have helped governments measure how much money they lose - and make a strong economic case for investing in prevention.
In communities where lack of income traps women in cycles of violence, we help break that cycle by investing in skills training, women-led businesses, and policies that improve their access to opportunity.
In decision-making spaces from climate policy to democratic participation, we work with member countries and partners to ensure they have a seat at the table and a voice in the outcome.
In civic spaces where women’s voices are too frequently sidelined, we work with partners to promote their rights to speak, mobilise and lead without fear.
All of this helps. But let’s be honest, none of it is enough on its own.
Not when the backlash is growing. We need a re-energised global movement – now – powerful enough to turn the tide and carry us toward justice. No excuse.
We owe this not only to the women we have lost, but to those who survive every single day. Because no woman is safe until all women are safe. And that safety begins where fear ends - in our homes, neighbourhoods, communities and countries.
Find out about our work to advance gender equality
