There is a simple expression that says there are two sides to every coin.  Well, here is an article that will justify that saying.  First, I’ll start with the bad news and then I’ll end on a good note.  Bear with me as I go through the bad news.  It’s ghastly.  Oh, and I should mention, this article is in recognition of Nov. 25; ’’International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.’’  That should give you a heads up - pun intended.

First, the bad news: violence against women is on par with that of the Holocaust.  Every year we lose 1.5 to 3 million women to gender-based violence, according to the Economist.  Women face: bride burnings, honor killings, stoning, early marriage, sex selective abortions, female infanticide, sexual trafficking, female genital mutilation, domestic violence, incest, rape, sexual harassment, pornography, dismemberment, mutilation and murder.  If you’re counting, that’s at least 16 forms of violence, or human rights abuses.  Statistically, one in three women will suffer from violence in their lifetime.

In the world, there are several hot spots, in particular, where the life of a woman is given a low value.  In Russia, a woman is killed every hour.   There are only 10 shelters in the entire country.  In Juarez, Mexico, young women, 14 to 22 years old, are raped, mutilated and killed.  Their bodies are discarded in the desert. This has been going on since 1993.  No one has been legitimately convicted.  In Guatemala, 2200 women have been killed in five years.   Exceptional cruelty and sexual violence characterize the killings.  On the continent of Africa, in countries undergoing conflict, mass rape, often resulting in HIV infection, has been inflicted upon women and young girls.  Gang rapes and rape with instruments such as weapons or sharp objects have been widely used.  These are just a few of the injustices directed at women in the world today.  Often the perpetrators are men; often the injustice is compounded with impunity.

Now, for the good news: Men have been educating themselves and organizing themselves to help in a cause that was once traditionally met with silence, or believed to be an inevitable part of a woman’s life, or (gasp) scorned feminists as male-bashers.  Now, people who fight child abuse are not adult-haters.  And people who fight poverty are not rich-bashers.  So, let’s set the record straight, this is not about hate.  This is about raising awareness and working towards the elimination of violence based on one’s gender.

Violence against women, although it’s existed for centuries or longer, was just recognized in the 1990s as a human rights abuse by organizations such as the UN.  At the same time, a handful of Canadian men decided to speak out on the issue.  These men started the white ribbon campaign.  The campaign starts on Nov. 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and ends December 6, the anniversary of the Montreal massacre where a gunman barged into a Montreal college screaming ’’I hate feminists,’’ then targeted and killed 14 women.

In the U.S., there are similar groups: Men Against Sexual Violence, Men as Partners Program, Men Can Stop Rape, and others.  As well, authors are taking up the cause. Bob Herbert, a New York Times columnist, has recently written two columns about misogyny.  And Jack Holland wrote ’’Misogyny: The world’s oldest prejudice.’’  Many other articles, books and studies are being done by men today.

In Asia, men are showing signs of doing likewise.  Over in Japan, a group of about 20 men in Tokyo formed the National Chauvinistic Husbands Association.   Their goal?  To become loving husbands!  Not to be outdone, Korea has recently published a book called ’’Male Feminists.’’  In it, the author explains how feminism is fair and ideal, and how it can be beneficial to men as well as women.

So there you have it, two sides of a coin.  In honor of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, I applaud the brave men who have taken up this cause.  You, like all feminists, face ridicule, silence and rejection.  Despite these challenges, you courageously defend your principles of justice.  You strive for non-violence and harmony.  You are welcome new faces.   You are lending credibility to a cause that does not just face women, but also the children and men that love them.

Nov. 25 is followed by 16 Days of Hope to eliminate gender-based violence.  Men, you are giving us hope and we thank you for it.

The writer is an editor of ESL books in Mapo-gu, Seoul.