November 25 marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1999. One of the symbols that now represents victims of violence and femicide is women's red shoes placed in public spaces. But how did this day come about?
The origins
The establishment of this day arose from a tragic event that took place on November 25, 1960, in the Dominican Republic: Patria, Minerva, and Maria Teresa, three politically active sisters, were on their way to visit their husbands in prison. Stopped by agents of the Military Intelligence Service, they were brutally tortured, raped, and finally strangled. To make it appear that it had been an accident, they were put back into the car and sent plunging down a ravine. In 1981, during Colombia's first feminist gathering, it was decided that November 25 would be celebrated as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
There is still much to do
Unfortunately, this observance continues to be an urgent issue in a world that seems to have lost all common sense. In Italy, much has been done, from the law on stalking to the Red Code, but gender-based violence in families, intimate relationships, workplaces... continues to be a sad reality. But in the face of violence, we cannot and must never give up. That is why it is necessary to educate new generations, support victims, and promote real cultural change that puts mutual respect first and rejects any form of violence.
A luminous figure
On this day, we wish to remember the luminous figure of the Servant of God Santa Scorese. Santa was a young university student and an active member of Catholic Action, with a deep desire to be “for others” and therefore to embark on a missionary life once she had completed her studies.
She lived in Palo del Colle (Bari) with her family and carried in her heart the dreams and aspirations of a twenty-year-old woman. On her path, she met Giuseppe, a young man with mental health problems who began stalking her. His presence became a true torment. The persecution lasted three long years and, on her birthday in 1989, she also narrowly escaped being raped.
A “donated” life
At that time, there was no law against stalking, and even though her family contacted the local health authority to ask it to intervene with this troubled young man, Santa was forced to live under the protection of her parents, sisters, friends…
On the evening of March 16, 1991, Santa returned home after a Catholic Action meeting. She was alone. She reached the entrance, breathed a sigh of relief, and rang the intercom. She did not have time to get inside before Giuseppe attacked her from behind and killed her with sixteen stab wounds. Santa was 23 years old.
Some time earlier, she had said to her confessor: “If something happens to me, know that I have chosen God.”
On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we ask for the intercession of Saint Scorese, so that the hearts of all men may open to love, respect, and protection for women, so that no girl, no young woman, and no woman will ever again be afraid to walk alone in the street, stay at home with her husband, partner, or parent, or go to work…
Each of us can do our part. What do you think you can do to reverse the trend of violence against women and create a safer world for everyone?
