The Hellenic Parliament was lit up in orange on Wednesday evening, as part of an international campaign aimed at tackling violence against women.
As part of the initiative, the slogan “No to violence” was projected on the building.
Orange the World Campaign
25 November has been designed as the Orange Day by the UNiTE to End Violence against Women Campaign. The colour orange symbolises a brighter future, free of violence. It also serves as a means of demonstrating your solidarity in eliminating all forms of violence and it is therefore used as the colour of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. As a show of solidarity, the UNESCO globe will be illuminated in orange.
Greece’s first woman president, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, called for action towards adopting a zero-tolerance policy on all violence against women, while ensuring support for the victims of domestic abuse.
She stressed the need for “a change in family and societal paradigms” through education and counselling.
“It will take time to debunk the stereotypes that originate in gender inequality and which ideologically underpin the phenomenon, often stigmatizing the victim instead of the culprit, nourishing a collective tolerance toward actions that are immoral and reprehensible,” she said, adding the law must be strictly enforced in prosecuting cases of domestic abuse.
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One third of women in the EU have experienced physical and/or sexual violence since the age of 15
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35% of women in the EU have experienced controlling behaviour from their current or previous partner
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About 50 women lose their lives to domestic violence every week
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Some 74% of Europeans believe that violence against women is common in their country