The establishment of International Day of Elimination of Violence Against Women was as a result of Political Activists known as Mirabal Sisters in November 25th 1960. Sister Patria, Minerva and Maria Teresa Mirabal, were the three political activists who actively opposed the cruelty and systematic violence of the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. These three women were clubbed to death and dumped at the bottom of a cliff by Trujillo’s secret police.
The Mirabal sisters became the symbol of the feminist resistance, and the day was formally recognised by United Nations in 1999. In summary the sixteen days begins with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and ends with International Human Rights Day on 10 December– highlighting that violence against women is a fundamental violation of human rights.
The dates for the campaign were chosen to link violence against women and human rights and emphasize that gender-based violence against women is a violation of human rights: since 1991, the campaign has been active between November 25, the International Day Against Violence Against Women, and December 10, International Human Rights Day.
The Global 16 Days Campaign is an organizing strategy for individuals and groups around the world to call for the elimination of all forms of gender-based violence against women and to:
- Raise awareness about gender-based violence against women as a human rights issue at the local, national, regional and international levels
- Strengthen local work around gender-based violence against women
- Establish a clear link between local and international work to end gender-based violence against women
- Provide a forum in which organizers can develop and share new and effective strategies
- Demonstrate the solidarity of women around the world organizing against gender-based violence against women
- Create tools to pressure governments to implement commitments to eliminate gender-based violence against women
Over 6000+ organizations in approximately 187 countries have participated in the Global 16 Days Campaign since 1991, with a reach of 300 million.
Why does this matter?
Violence against women continues to occur at an alarming scale in every country in the world. Too often it is accepted as normal behaviour and the global culture of discrimination against women allows violence to occur with impunity. Speaking out against women’s rights abuses is something that women’s rights organisations, across the globe, do every day. From lobbying governments to improve laws and services to working with communities to change discriminatory attitudes and behaviours, organisations and individuals are working all over the world to respond to and prevent violence against women.
However, violence against women is a global problem and it requires global action. Calls for action like the 16 days of Activism are crucial because they shine a spotlight on the issue of violence against women. They are a moment to create public awareness about what needs to change to prevent it from happening in the first place at local, national, regional and international levels.
What is Gender Based Violence?
According to UNICEF, Gender-based violence (GBV) is the most pervasive yet least visible human rights violation in the world. It includes physical, sexual, mental or economic harm inflicted on a person because of socially ascribed power imbalances between males and females. It also includes the threat of violence, coercion and deprivation of liberty, whether in public or private. In all societies, women and girls have less power than men especially over their bodies, decisions and resources. Social norms that condone men’s use of violence as a form of discipline and control reinforce gender inequality and perpetuate gender-based violence. Across the globe, women and girls especially adolescents face the greatest risk.
Forms of Gender Based Violence
Gender-based violence takes numerous forms:
- Intimate partner violence
- Sexual violence
- Child marriage
- Female genital mutilation
- Trafficking for sexual exploitation
- Female infanticide
Other forms of GBV includes: Verbal abuse, forced marriage and abortion, psychology violence, family or spouse abandonment
According to UNICEF, Approximately one in three women and girls worldwide will experience physical or sexual violence in her lifetime. So in other not to be a victim, we must know the factors that enhances GBV. The following are the factors:
- Armed conflict
- Insecurity
- Male Patriarchy
- Economic instability/dependence
- Gender inequality across policy making tables e.t.c
Understanding the plights of Survivors of GBV
- Survivors of gender-based violence suffer devastating short and long term consequences that affects their physical and mental health.
- Women and girls may experience severe physical injuries, unwanted pregnancies and exposure to HIV or other sexually transmitted infections.
- Depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and limited ability to complete daily tasks, and suicidal thoughts are also common.
- Survivors are often subjected to victim-blaming or ostracized from their families and communities and this puts them at significant risk of poverty, isolation and further violence.
- Some survivors are forced to marry their perpetrators especially in cases of sexual abuse of under aged , that results in teenage pregnancy.
- Others face retaliation for reporting their experiences or seeking support – including at the hands of family members.
- At its worst, gender-based violence can result in death, like in situations of ‘honour killings’.
The fight against GBV can not be fought only by an individual hence the concept of the 16days of activism to call for collective actions towards ending GBV.
Who needs to be involved?
To end violence against women, we need to challenge the attitudes that perpetuate, rationalise and normalise that violence, and deny women’s right to safety. Men are overwhelmingly the perpetrators of gender-based violence and women a few of the times. To see that violence is truly eliminated, the attitudes of men need to change. Shifting these behaviours is hard and slow, but gender equality means all of us, and working with all genders is the only way to see true change.
We need to work with both women and men across board to put an end to gender-based violence by awareness-raising through social media platforms and violence prevention programs. During the 16 days we need to highlight the issues of violence against women in around us as well as the action which we need to take to drive change.
What do we stand to benefit from a society free of Gender Based Violence?
- A society free from all forms of GBV is a society that is safe for everyone, a society with equal opportunities for all genders
- A society were the opinion of everyone is respected and important, a society where everyone is respected and valued
- This will by extension lead to drastic growth and development, and foster a peaceful society and the world at large
- It is hoped that with us all we can achieve a society free of GBV.
Conclusively, it takes everyone, every agency, every organization to be intentional about putting an end to GBV.
Facilitator: Mrs. Yemi Faboyo-Agbede, Deputy Superintendent of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Ondo State.
