Every year on November 25, the world marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Established by the United Nations in 1999, this day launches the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, running until Human Rights Day on December 10. It serves as a global reminder that one in three women worldwide experiences physical or sexual violence in her lifetime, and it calls governments, organisations, faith communities and individuals to take concrete action to end this preventable human rights violation.
On this significant date in 2025, the Women’s Ministries of the Inter-European Region (EUD) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church chose a strikingly simple yet profound symbol: a bowl filled with oranges. Each fruit bore a single word carefully etched into its peel—words the team believes “can change the world.”
Hope. Safety. Dignity. Healing. Respect. Strength. Love.
“One by one, we placed the oranges in the bowl to remind ourselves that ending violence is not merely a global campaign,” the EUD Women’s Ministries team explained. “It is a divine calling rooted deep in the heart of God.”
The team stressed that violence against women and girls is not “someone else’s problem.” It occurs in our neighbourhoods, workplaces, and—painfully—even within faith communities. Yet Scripture calls believers to be people who bind up the brokenhearted and who “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
“Every word in that bowl is both a prayer and a vision of what God desires for His daughters,” they continued. “It is a reminder that every woman is created in His image—worthy of protection, love, and freedom. When we stand together, speak together, and pray together, our small gestures become strong walls of safety for women rebuilding their lives after abuse, trauma, or enforced silence. Together we choose a different story: no to violence, yes to healing, justice, and hope.”
The symbolic act has been captured in a short, moving video accompanied by a clear call to action:
“Pray with us for women who are not safe today. Share this video to raise awareness. Reach out to a woman you know and love—your message could be a lifeline. Use your voice to build communities where every daughter of God can stand without fear. Because when Christian women rise together with courage and compassion, the world becomes a safer place for all of us.”
In a season often filled with slogans and statistics, the EUD Women’s Ministries have offered something quieter yet no less powerful: seven ordinary oranges carrying seven extraordinary words—reminding the church and the world that real change begins with hope, spoken and lived out together.
Watch the video from the EUD Women’s Ministries here.
