Feature: Liverpool turns orange as Britain says violence against women must end

Events took place across Britain on Friday to mark the United Nations' International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

In Liverpool, iconic buildings across the city's UNESCO World Heritage Site were illuminated with orange lights to draw attention to the special day.

Almost 1,000 women in Britain have been killed by men since 2009, most of them victims of domestic violence, one of the country's leading help charities reported Friday.

Women's Aid is preparing to launch what is called its Femicide Census, a ground-breaking piece of work that will show the "true and shocking" scale of male violence against women in England and Wales.

One of its findings is that between 2009 and 2015, 936 women have been killed by men. A total of 598 of these women (62 percent) were killed by their current or former partners and 73 (7.8 percent) by their own child.

"The dangers of misogyny and gender inequality are clearer right now than they have been for years and the voices of those trying to silence this truth are growing louder. Today we need to take a long, hard look at why the vast majority of victims of domestic abuse are women. And we need to state clearly what everyone can do to help," a Women's Aid spokesperson said.

Trades Union Congress general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Domestic violence doesn't stop at the front door. Many women find that the abuse follows women into work. Tragically, there have even been cases of women being murdered by abusive partners at work."

In Liverpool the famous waterfront Cunard Building, the spiritual home of the iconic Cunard Shipping Line, was one of many city center buildings bathed in orange lights for the day. The city's main police headquarters was also illuminated in orange.

Former government minister Jane Kennedy, now the city's police commissioner, said: "It is completely unacceptable that violence remains a part of daily life for some women and girls, either in the community or in their own homes."

"Today we are taking a stand against abuse to make it clear it will not be tolerated. By wearing orange and lighting up some of our most iconic buildings in this vibrant color, we are sending out a clear, visible message that we are supporting the campaign for a brighter future for women and girls, free from violence and abuse," she added. Enditem