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International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

25 November, 2021

1 in 3 women and girls experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, most frequently by an intimate partner. Only 52% of women married or in a union freely make their own decisions about sexual relations, contraceptive use and health care. 71% of all human trafficking victims worldwide are women and girls, and 3 out of 4 of these women and girls are sexually exploited. Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today. It is largely unreported due to impunity, silence, stigma and shame. This violence manifests in physical, sexual and psychological forms, encompassing:

  • intimate partner violence (battering, psychological abuse, marital rape, femicide);
  • sexual violence and harassment (rape, forced sexual acts, unwanted sexual advances, child sexual abuse, forced marriage, street harassment, stalking, cyber- harassment);
  • human trafficking (slavery, sexual exploitation);
  • female genital mutilation; and
  • child marriage.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is thus to end violence against women. As recommended by UN Women, ten ways to make a difference safely and impactfully are:

  1.  Listen to and believe survivors —  “We hear you. We believe you. We stand with you.”
  2.  Teach the next generation and learn from them — talk about gender roles, stereotypes, acceptance, consent, bodily autonomy and accountability to boys and girls.
  3.  Call for responses and services fit for purpose — shelters, hotlines, counselling, ongoing essential services, prevention measures, data collection to adapt and improve life-saving services for women and girls.
  4.  Understand consent – freely given, enthusiastic consent is mandatory, every time.
  5.  Learn the signs of abuse and how you can help.
  6. Start a conversation — download banners for social media posts here; on Instagram, use UN Women’s face filter to spread the word and encourage your community to do the same, use #orangetheworld, #16Days and #GenerationEquality.
  7.  Stand against rape culture – think about how you define masculinity and femininity, and how your own biases and stereotypes influence you.
  8.  Fund women’s organisations – donate to local organizations that empower women, amplify their voices, support survivors, and promote acceptance of all gender identities and sexualities.
  9.  Hold each other accountable – challenge yourself and others to reflect on behaviours and speak up when someone crosses the line; enlist the help of others if you don’t feel safe.
  10.  Know the data and demand more of it.

 

 

Image: Orange the World

Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!