Bill > AJR48

Introduced Session

This joint resolution designates November 25 of each year as the "Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in New Jersey." In 1999, the United Nations General Assembly designated that date as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and invited governments, international organizations and nongovernmental organizations to organize activities on that date each year to raise public awareness. Violence against women is a human rights violation and a consequence of discrimination against women, in law and in practice, as well as a consequence of persistent inequalities between men and women. A 2017 report by the UN Secretary-General, using data for 87 countries from 2005 to 2016, found that 19 percent of women between ages 15 and 49 years said they had experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner in the past 12 months. In the most extreme cases, violence against women can lead to death. In 2012, almost half of all women who were victims of intentional homicide worldwide were killed by an intimate partner or family member, compared to 6 percent of male victims. Gender inequality persists worldwide. As stated by the UN Secretary-General, achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls will require more vigorous efforts, including legal frameworks, to counter deeply rooted gender-based discrimination that often results from patriarchal attitudes and related social norms. In 2008, then-UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the "UNiTE to End Violence against Women" campaign to further raise public awareness and increase political will and resources for preventing and ending all forms of violence against women and girls in all parts of the world. UNiTE leads the "16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign," which aims to mobilize people to bring about change. The 16 days from November 25 to December 10 culminate in Human Rights Day. Violence against women is a problem in New Jersey as well. According to the most recent data, as set out in the New Jersey State Police Domestic Violence Offense Report, 63,420 domestic violence offenses were reported by the police in New Jersey in 2016, a 3 percent increase over the previous year. Women were the victims in 74 percent of these cases. Of the 52 domestic violence-related homicides in New Jersey in 2016, 36 homicide victims were women.

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Yvonne Lopez (D)*,  Angela Mcknight (D)*, 

Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee (on 12/01/2022)

Official Document