Today Is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

[Content Note: Violence.]

Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which begins the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, ending on December 10, Human Rights Day.

In 2007, I wrote this, which was the first time I wrote about working my teaspoon:

Today is the final day of the 16 Days of Action Against Gender Violence, during which I suppose I have blogged exactly as often as always about violence against women, in America and abroad. Sometimes it feels like it's all I ever write about; sometimes it feels like I can't possibly write about it enough to do the issue justice; often, those feelings exist within me simultaneously. All I ever do is try to empty the sea with this teaspoon; all I can do is keep trying to empty the sea with this teaspoon.

...Gender violence is still a problem, every day.

So really, the best thing—indeed, the only thing—I can do to honor International Human Rights Day and the conclusion of the 16 Days of Action Against Gender Violence is this: I promise to keep working my teaspoon, even when my arms are tired.

Every day.

That doesn't feel like enough to say, and yet it is all I can say. I am committed to advocating against violence on all days.