Behind International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
On 25 November until 10 December, United Nations celebrate International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. It takes 16 days to celebrate and will be closed on the same day of International Day of Human Right.
Do you know the history behind this campaign?
Las Mariposas — The Butterflies
Las Mariposas is the epithet of Minerva Mirabal, Patria Marcedez Mirabal, and Maria Teresa Mirabal. They were lived in Dominican Republic. They were recognized as an activist of human rights of Dominican Republic. Bravely, they were criticize the repressive authoritarian of General Rafael Trujilo. They were students of women school in Dominican, Immaculada Concepcion School.
As we can imagine, they were grown as a educated women. Minerva, Patria, and Maria red Pablo Neruda’s poems and enjoyed Pablo Picasso’s paintings when they were young.
The oldest, Minerva, was the first women in Dominica who succeed to be granted in Faculty of Law in Santo Dominggo University. It was the famous school in Dominica. Her sister, Patria and Maria, followed her path. Not surprisingly, if Minerva was only one who stood out in fight against Trujilo. Somehow the condition at the moment was related to Minerva, the Greek Goddess of War. It became one of the reasons why Minerva has grown as a bravest woman in Dominica.
It was all begin because Minerva is very susceptive of people’s fate, especially her friends under Trujilo’s power. There was a lot of people losing their family, because they just want to break regime of Trujilo. The dictator General actually had no worries to killed people if they tried against him.
When she was in college, Minerva joined an underground movement. She also red a lot of ‘left wing’ especially books with Marxism Conceptualization. At night, she was inspired and always listened to the Cuba’s radio listened speech of Fidel Castro, a revolutionary leader of Cuba.
She invited Patria and Maria to joined the activism and organized base of resistance in colleges, in smallholdings, etc. Las Mariposas, the butterflies, are their name code.
Minerva’s hatred to Trujilo has increased after Trujilo wanted to teases her and her sisters in a party. The girls rejected him, and made Trujilo, a man known as lady-killer got mad. On the other hand, the ladies also keep their spirit to dropping the power of Trujilo.
Then Trujilo brought Mirabal’s parents into the jail for unclear accusation. All the terrors he gave to Mirabal sisters failed because they kept against to every policies made by Trujilo. The General then took another way to shutted them by foil Minerva’s thesis. Her thesis titled “The Current Principle of Consumption The Dominican Republic’s Laws and Jurisprudence” didn’t pass because of Trujilo’s order. Not receding, Mirabal sister’s said, “We may submit, but should not be submissive.”
Minerva’s Love Story
When she was in college, Minerva met Manuel Aurelio Tavarez Justo. People usually called him Manolo. This guy wass member of Socialist Popular Party which also ressistent to Trujilo’s Power. The same vision between both of them made love grows easier. Minerva and Manolo married and they have two kids.
Mirabal’s sister -not only Minerva- also married with men of Socialist Party which also opposed Trujilo. However, this family had to face Trujilo’s regime that wanted to kill them.
At 25th November 1960, Mirabal sisters, Minerva, Maria, and Patria, they’ve just visited their husbands in jail. On the way home, Trujilo’s army was lurk them. The army blocked their way. Mirabal sisters just locked up by the army in the forest and killed them. The army thrown their body into the jeep, and push the jeep to the cliff.
United Nations censure Dominican Republic, especially Trujilo’s regime that responsible for the killed of Las Mariposas. Trujilo became a defendant, and United Nations established date of Mirabal’s dead as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
Nowadays, Mirabal’s sisters become an icon of feminist movement, especially in South America. One of the great quote made by Minerva;
“It is a source of happiness to do everything for our people who suffering, it’s sad if we just stay and denying all of this, right?”
“Maybe, the closest thing that we have to face is death. But, it don’t make us afraid. We have to continue the battle for something just started.”
The Mirabal sisters have a big dream to build justice and civilized society. They’ve just uphold freedom and democracy, not only for their family but also for the people of Dominican.
Minerva’s story make me believe as a woman, I have chance as the player in game of politics. Even if women stays as strategic part of politic war, on the other hand women could be a victims of the dictator regime. So, don’t forget to invite women in a battle of human rights.
Viva Las Mariposas! Viva Las Mariposas!
