SANTIAGO – Thousands of people gathered on Friday in the center of Santiago to protest violence against women on the eve of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

A crowd of around 5,000 joined the two-hour march organized by the Chilean Network against Violence towards Women, bringing traffic along one the city’s main arteries to a standstill.

Protesters were pleased by the large turnout, calling for an end to gender-based violence both in Chile and around the world.

According to the protest organizers, 61 femicides have been recorded in the country so far this year, in addition to the 36 women who have committed suicide.

Women in Chile have called on authorities to amend the law on gender-based violence, as the current legislation only accounts for violence within marriages and relationships.

The United Nations designated Nov. 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women to commemorate the Mirabal sisters, who were assassinated on Nov. 25, 1960, for opposing the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic.