Roshni Saleem Chagan is a Network Engagement Fellow at GroundBreakers. Roshni’s research interests include Ethnic Politics, Migration Politics, and Human Security. She hopes to pursue an advanced degree in efforts to work with NGOs that help reform migration policy.
What is The International Day of the Elimination of Violence Against Women?
The United Nations General Assembly has designated November 25 for The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Gender-based violence (GBV) and violence against women and girls is a persisting human rights violation in our world that is not always regarded as such. The United Nations describes the manifestation of this violence in physical, sexual, and psychological forms which can include intimate partner violence, sexual violence, sexual harassment, human trafficking, female genital mutilation, and child marriage.
16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is a campaign introduced by the UN Women organization. This year’s theme for the event is “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect.” According to UN Women, “the colour orange continues to be a key tool unifying all activities,” which is why it was used to create a theme that emphasized the importance of uniting to fight GBV globally.
What is the “16 Days” Campaign?
The “16 Days” campaign was started in 1991 by a group of activists at the Women’s Global Leadership Institute at Rutgers University. The campaign’s goal is to amplify voices centered around GBV, connect survivors and those affected with resources, and to ultimately establish that violence against women is a violation of human rights.
For 16 Days in 2020, the United Nations is calling on countries, organizations, and individuals to take action to fund women’s rights organizations, health and social services, and to collect data about GBV, as it has been disregarded during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the course of the 16 days campaign, governments, civil society groups, and the private sector will host various events to engage in productive dialogue about GBV to foster collaborative efforts in dealing with the intensified GBV we see today.
“The Shadow Pandemic:” Gender-Based Violence and the COVID-19 Pandemic
“The Shadow Pandemic” is the name given to the increased GBV as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of the pandemic, many essential services such as domestic violence shelters and helplines have reached maximum capacity and are unable to help all of the people in need. The UN reports that survivors have limited information and are not always fully aware about the services available to support them.
GBV was prevalent before the pandemic but because of the existing lockdown measures and remote work environments around the world, GBV, particularly domestic violence, has intensified, with little to no external support for women and girls affected by it. According to UN Women, there are emerging data and reports of intensified violence against women and girls. The UN reported that domestic violence has intensified because of the following exacerbating factors: security, health, financial troubles, cramped living conditions, isolation with abusers, movement restrictions, and deserted public spaces. Another identified factor was the fact that many governments are redistributing money from initiatives that help women and girls escape GBV and putting that money towards COVID-19 emergencies.
What Can You Do?
It is easy to question what the individual can do to advocate against GBV. One tangible goal is to become advocates against GBV within our homes, communities, work, and school environments. It is up to us as organizers and people who care to challenge practices that perpetuate gender inequality, abuse, and violence against women. Other action items include: taking a stance on social media to stand in solidarity with the fight to end GBV, make the National Domestic Violence Hotline number known and accessible to your networks, donate money and resources to shelters that help survivors and those affected by GBV, organize events (in a socially-distanced, COVID-19-safe manner) to bring awareness and share information about GBV, and hold your friends and family accountable for the role they may play in trivializing GBV.
Other Organizations to Follow:
- National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV)
- CARE
- UN Women
- Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence
- Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP)
Follow the GroundBreakers 16 Days of Activism campaign on social media at @groundbreakershub.
Designs by Urooj Ali.
