16 Days Campaign Against Gender Violence Begins Today

by Ruth Fertig · 2009-11-25 06:30:00 UTC
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November 25th is the International Day for the Elimination of all Forms of Violence Against Women. Today also kicks off the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign, which runs through December 10th, International Human Rights Day. In linking a day devoted to ending violence against women with the day marking the U.N.’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the campaign makes a salient point: women’s rights are human rights.

Since 1991, organizations and individuals around the world have collaborated to plan a host of activities spanning the 16 days, with the goals of uniting their voices in opposition to gender violence, raising awareness of gender-based violence as a human rights issue, and amplifying their collective calls to action. This year’s theme is “Commit ▪ Act ▪ Demand: We CAN End Violence Against Women!”

2009 has already seen some big commitments to ending violence against women: the passage of U.N. Resolution 1888 mandating the protection of women and children from sexual violence during armed conflict; the U.N.’s decision to combine the disparate UN agencies devoted to women’s issues into one new, more powerful agency; the appointment of Melanne Verveer as the United States’ first ever Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues; and Hillary Clinton’s focus on women’s issues as “stability issues, security issues, equity issues.” Given these developments, there’s reason to be hopeful, but we need to hold both the U.N. and U.S. government accountable to make sure they follow through on their commitments.

The Center for Women’s Global Leadership, which has coordinated the 16 Days campaign since 1991, has outlined four key conceptual demands that seem especially relevant this year:

• Ensure women’s right to live free from violence and end impunity for all perpetrators.

• Protect the rights of both women human rights defenders and those who defend women’s rights, so that they can engage in advocacy free from threats to their physical and mental well-being.

• Build a stronger UN women’s organization that can advance women’s human rights and gender equality, implement global policies, and deliver results for women everywhere.

• Deliver the funding necessary to protect progress made to date towards achieving gender equality and women’s human rights at all levels worldwide.

Want to join the campaign? The Center for Women’s Global Leadership has everything you need to get involved, from a “take action kit” to a calendar of events.

How are you going to commit to the 16 Days campaign? What actions will you be participating in, and what are your own demands for ending violence against women? Please share!

Photo Credit: Center for Women’s Global Leadership

Ruth Fertig is a documentary producer and director and has worked with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault as a peer counselor, advocate and shelter volunteer.
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