Bangkok (AsiaNews) - A white ribbon pinned to a dress, to remember the tragedy of domestic violence and abuse against minors and women. This is the campaign-event scheduled for tomorrow, November 25, throughout Thailand, in conjunction with the International Day of United Nations "against violence against women."

To promote the awareness campaign, Issar Somchai, Minister for Social Affairs and Human Development, has coined the slogan: "White ribbon day... An innocent power to stop the violence." The figures for 2009 reveal that incidents of physical or mental violence effects 34.54% of women and 51.13% of children. Following this the cases of sexual abuse, around 14.33%, although the figure is underestimated because in many cases the incidents are not reported.  

The minister has announced a project aimed at solving the family problems. In 2009 the government created 4252 help centres dedicated to domestic violence, another 1600 will opened by the end of next year. "Violence against women and children - highlights Issar Somchai - and cases of abuse in the home are a silent threat, because in most cases the victims do not have the courage to speak. We promote this campaign on behalf of all these victims. "

The initiative is supported by the Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who noted that today's society is "living at a critical moment" because the need to cope with economic problems makes it impossible for couples to devote themselves entirely to the family. "Most children, he adds, are not growing up "within a family unit” and "this is not a good sign in view of improving the quality of life." The vice-minister Nuanpan Lumsum invites "all men" to pin on their shirts or jackets, "the white ribbon" to testify that "they do not ignore cases of violence against women and undertake not to commit abuses of any kind."

Recent statistics on a sample of about 1,500 people shows that the cause of the violence depends 38.82% on the "decline of society" and 21.28% on "economic problems". The Department of Welfare adds that in 2004 only 91 women reported cases of rape in the home, 89 in 2005. Actual figures, according to the Ministry, are much higher, but many victims “are afraid and fear social exclusion ".