Image copyright EVN Image caption Antonio Tajani paused a summit on Brexit to show support for a UN campaign

With thousands expected to join rallies against sexist violence around the world, in the middle of a major summit on Brexit there was a gesture of solidarity from a top EU official.

As he spoke on stage, European Parliament president Antonio Tajani smeared red make-up under his eye, an act intended to symbolise the domestic violence suffered by many women.

"Violence against women is unacceptable. I learned this from my mother and I'm teaching it to my children," he later tweeted.

Mr Tajani was showing his support the UN's International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Marked each year on 25 November, the day is the start of 16-day campaign, calling on people and organisations to address violence.

According to the UN, it will affect more than a third of women globally during their lives.

The bulk of the support was on the streets, with rallies on Saturday and more to come on Sunday. Here are some of the best pictures.

Image copyright AFP Image caption In Istanbul, Turkey, women's rights activists clashed with riot police who fired tear gas at them as they tried to march to Taksim Square

Image copyright AFP Image caption In Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, demonstrators took part in a march to demand the decriminalisation of abortion

Image copyright Reuters Image caption In France, around 50,000 people joined protests on Saturday, including this one in Marseille

Image copyright AFP Image caption The high turnout was an answer to a citizen collective's call for a "feminist tidal wave" of outrage against gender violence, organiser Caroline de Haas said

Image copyright AFP Image caption Authorities said about 12,000 people joined this protest in the southern French city of Lyon

Image copyright AFP Image caption A Syrian Kurdish woman fighter watched other women demonstrate in the north-eastern Syrian city of Qamishli

Image copyright AFP Image caption In Barcelona, Spain, a woman held a placard reading "We are the voice of those who suffer in silence"

Image copyright EPA Image caption In South America, hundreds of Ecuadorian women came out under the banner "We want to live"

Image copyright AFP Image caption Meanwhile, a woman in the Italian capital, Rome, was also making her voice heard

Image copyright AFP Image caption These protesters in Athens, Greece, lay down at the spot where LGBT activist Zak Kostopoulos was killed in September

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