INTERNATIONAL: The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign

Date: 
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Source: 
suite101.com
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Peace Processes
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

With women the world over facing the fear of falling victim to violent crime on a daily basis, the 16 days of Activism begins with a call for action.

Every year the 16 Days Against Gender Violence Campaign kicks off all over the world to create awareness against gender based violence against women. With all women affected, from the old to the young to the girl child, these 16 days of activism highlight the violence against women and calls out for unity and togetherness in combating these issues.

Violence Against Women


The campaign begins on November 25, which is the Elimination of Violence Against Women Day and ends with a fitting conclusion on the 10th of December, Human Rights Day. As the themes of the campaign have changed every year, it brings to light the issues of violence that plague women in todays society. With violence taking the shape of honor killings, rape, domestic violence, acid burnings and dowry deaths, the call to action is now.

The sixteen days campaign will also make light of other important days on the calendar, such as December 1, which is World AIDS Day; another issue that strongly affects both rural and urban women, and December 6, the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre in 1989. During the massacre, 14 women students were killed by a lone gun-man; his reason? He opposed the affirmative action policies that the feminists at the École Polytechnique in Montreal were working to promote.

According to Amnesty International, one in three women has been abused physically or sexually with reports of domestic violence cases reaching well over 70 percent in some countries, the human rights advocates state, 'Violence against women and girls is a human rights violation, a public health epidemic and a barrier to solving global challenges like desperate poverty, HIV/AIDS and conflict. Violence and abuse devastates the lives of millions of women, knows no national or cultural barriers, and most importantly, it must be stopped.'

Call to Action: End Gender Based Violence

In 2009 the theme for the 16 days was "Commit ? Act ? Demand: We CAN End Violence Against Women", and this year the theme is "Structures of Violence: Defining the Intersections of Militarism and Violence Against Women.' As organisations all around the world gear up and run campaigns to continually create awareness in todays society against violence, one only has to pick up the latest newspaper to see the violence that tears the women of today.

The 16 days of activism call for:

Creating awareness of human rights and showing gender based violence as such a violation
Creating platforms and strenghtening existing structures to work with victims of violence and to work on creating safe places for women before violence occurs
Advocacy and lobbying for policies to be implemented to end violence against women, such as the enforcement of harsher penalties to offenders
Uniting women around the world to share information, strategies and strength in order to free themselves from being victimised
As women gather all around the world to commemorate their womanhood and fight against the atrocities and violence, it is important that womens voices are continually heard outside the days of the activities; in their communities, schools, workplaces and families, in order to continally create awareness and end the cycle of violence.

It has always been said that the key to a nations prosperity lies in its women; they are a nations nurturers, caretakers, lifegivers and life counsellors. With all the problems that women face in todays society, creating safe 'places' for women to engage in and discuss and strategize on how to address these issues is of vital importance.

Women Against Violence

As Maya Angelou said, 'Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can't practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.' Take courage women all over the world, and make your voices heard not only during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign, but during each and every day of your lives.