16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST GENDER BASED VIOLENCE

The 16 days of activism against gender based violence is an annual international campaign that kicked off on the 25th of November and will run all the way up until the 10th of December, is is aimed at total elimination of violence against women. It all started in 1991 by activists at the inaugural women’s leadership institute and it has been observed in most parts of the world ever since.

This year, the campaign will continue its program activities to end gender based violence by focusing on the link between domestic violence and the world of work drawing on legal standards outlined in ILO.

During the pandemic there has been an alarming rise in domestic violence cases, a new report from UN women this data is based on 13 different countries during the pandemic, shows that 2 in 3 women reported that they or a woman they knew had been abused and victims rarely go to the police. The statistics have since increased before it showed that nearly 1 in 3 women have been abused in their lifetime but since the pandemic it rose to 2 in 3 women which is very alarming.

Australia recently put up measures to pay off individuals who were looking to leave an abusive partner, this will be a once off payment to encourage those victims that might be stuck in an abusive situation due to the lack of finances.

The global theme for this year’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which will run from 25 November to 10 December 2021, is “Orange the world: End violence against women now!”