Cotroceni Palace to light up in orange on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

The Cotroceni Presidential Palace will light up in orange today to observe the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, agerpres reports.

The Presidential Administration says in a press release that it is joining the "Orange the World: End Violence against Women Now!" campaign on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. As part of the campaign, which runs from November 25 to December 10, flagship institutions around the world will light up in orange, the colour symbolising the fight against violence against women.

According to the Presidential Administration, the 16 days of activism dedicated to this campaign are designed to raise public awareness and increase public information on violence against women and on gender discrimination, and, as a sign of solidarity, the Cotroceni Presidential Palace will light up in orange at 18:00hrs, EET.

In Romania, domestic violence continues to be an alarming problem, made worse by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Romanian Police General Inspectorate, in 2020 approximately 27,000 cases of domestic violence were reported, with 80% of the victims being girls and women.

"It is extremely important that the victims immediately report any type of aggression, and that each reported case of domestic violence is being dealt with responsibly. At the same time, we have a responsibility, each of us, not to be indifferent to this worrying phenomenon and to encourage the victims to seek help. Public authorities and the public need to work together and develop actual strategies to deter these acts of violence and protect the rights of victims," reads the release of the Presidential Administration.

In Romania, the campaign "Orange the World: End Violence against Women Now!" is organised by the International Soroptimist Union of Romania (USIR) and the National Agency for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men (ANES), as part of this year's homonymous global United Nations campaign.