Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - On November 25, the Municipal Government, headed by Arturo Dávalos Peña, will commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women with an awareness campaign. The goal is to make the public aware of what this social phenomenon represents and to encourage citizens to be an active part in its prevention and elimination.

El Instituto Municipal de la Mujer (the Municipal Institute of Women, or IMM) is organizing a march to which educational institutions, private sector and government bodies have been called upon to bring this message to the entire population. Any person who wishes to be a part of the awareness campaign is invited to participate, or to organize their own march to help spread the message throughout the municipality.

"This date brings to mind the 'Naranja Únete' (Join Orange) awareness campaign, which we have been promoting all year to make more people realize the situations that cause violence, and that we have not really made much progress. In 2008, the United Nations launched a general campaign to end this issue, and we have been working intensely during this municipal government's term by instruction of Mayor Arturo Dávalos," said Marcela Lepe Quiroz, director of the IMM.

If you wish to help raise awareness through participating in the IMM's march, please wear something orange, a color adopted by the UN worldwide as part of their campaign to end violence against women.

The march will start at 6 o'clock this afternoon at Calle 31 de octubre, parade down the Malecón, and culminate at Los Arcos del Malecón, where there will be various awareness activities, including testimonies of those who have suffered from violence. There will also be artistic presentations and the message of the municipal authorities to get to work in the prevention and elimination of this social evil. Women, men, boys and girls of all ages are invited to join in these activities.

For its part, each month the Municipal Institute of Women of Puerto Vallarta spends time visiting different educational institutions to raise awareness and invite them to join this campaign to eradicate violence, and motivating public and private organizations to participate and invest their time in these actions.