16 days of activism against gender-based violence

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The United Nations (UN) Women has announced the theme of its "16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence" campaign that will take place from 25 November, namely the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, to 10 December.

This year's activities will take place under the 2020 global theme of "Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!"

Announcing the theme to the world, UN Women has notedthe increasing gender-based violence across the globe amid the COVID-19 pandemic:

"As the world retreated inside homes due to the lockdown measures introduced to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, reports showed an alarming increase in the already existing pandemic of violence against women.

"You can make a difference during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and protracted state of crisis it has generated across the world. You can support women and girl survivors of violence to stay safe and free of violence."

'Elevate the voices of young feminists'

Within this context, UN Women has said, "Take action during this year's 16 Days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence" and summarized the main principles of the campaign briefly as follows:

• Honour and acknowledge women's movements and their leadership in the 16 Days of Activism and in preventing and ending violence against women and girls in general.
• Apply a human rights-based approach and focus attention on the most underserved and disadvantaged groups of women and girls in efforts to prevent and end violence against women and girls.
• Take a respectful and 'do no harm' approach to the telling and retelling of survivor stories, only with their informed consent and under conditions in which they have agreed.
• Everyone in society has an important role to play in ending violence against women and girls and we all must work together across sectors to address the various aspects of violence against women and girls.
• Fostering critical examination of gender roles, regimes and practices, while seeking to create or strengthen equitable gender norms and dynamics for fundamental, lasting changes for women and girls.
• Elevate the voices of young feminists: While the world's reviewing progress made over the past 25 years since the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action, it is time to create platforms to elevate voices of the next generation feminists who are shaping their future.
• The colour orange continues to be a key tool unifying all activities, with buildings and landmarks lit and decorated in orange to bring global attention to the initiative.

(EMK/SD)