16 Days of Activism Against Gender violence begins
16 days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence is being observed throughout the world.
It is an international campaign period which is used to reinforce national advocacy efforts towards eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls.
The commemoration starts from today the 25th of November to the 10th of December every year.
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) joins with other rights organizations worldwide to bring greater attention to violence against women, a pervasive and deeply entrenched human rights violation.
The 16 Days of Activism to End Violence Against Women involves groups all over the world who speak up for support services for survivors, call for greater prevention efforts, press for legal and judicial reform, and use international human rights instruments to address the issue.
This year the campaign calls for overcoming challenges and obstacles to gain long-overdue results in the struggle to end violence against women.
It pays particular attention to social attitudes and policies that continue to condone and perpetuate abuses.
Gender-based violence manifests itself in different ways in different societies.
It may range from psychological abuse and physical harm within the family to early marriage and other harmful practices.
As noted in a major report issued by the UN Secretary-General, all forms of violence against women represent unacceptable violations of human rights and together they form a major impediment to gender equality.
Within the UN system, UNFPA has been a leader in raising this important issue with governments and helping them to develop strategies to address it within their national action plans.
The 16 Days Campaign has been used as an organizing strategy by individuals and groups around the world to call for the elimination of all forms of violence against women by:
* Raising awareness about gender-based violence as a human rights issue at the local, national, regional and international levels
* Strengthening local work around violence against women
* Establishing a clear link between local and international work to end violence against women
* Providing a forum in which organizers can develop and share new and effective strategies
* Demonstrating the solidarity of women around the world organizing against violence against women
* Creating tools to pressure governments to implement promises made to eliminate violence against women
Since 1991, approximately 1,700 organizations in 130 countries have participated in the 16 Days Campaign!
Accra launch