16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence
24 November 2009
Commit ▪ Act ▪ Demand: We CAN End Violence Against Women! A message from the Center for Women’s Global Leadership on the occasion of the 19th annual 16 Days Campaign
November 25, 2009 marks the launch of the 19th international 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign - an annual campaign that runs from International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women through International Human Rights Day. The idea for the 16 Days Campaign originated at the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute (WGLI) organized in 1991 by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL), where 23 women from every region of the world met to discuss women’s leadership and the issue of violence against women as a fundamental violation of human rights.
A major component of the first 16 Days Campaign was the launch of a worldwide petition drive aimed at the United Nations World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna (1993). In a time prior to the widespread use of email or the Internet, the petition demanding that gender-based violence be considered a human rights violation was circulated to 124 countries and translated into 23 languages, and nearly 500,000 signatures were collected by the 1995 Beijing Women’s Conference. The campaign became a vehicle for increasing people’s awareness of the UN human rights system, and the spread of the petition created international consciousness about the 16 Days Campaign. While it was unlikely that the first WGLI graduates could have foreseen the incredible success of the campaign as a mobilizing tool, their dedication to working on this issue exemplifies how every action, no matter how big or small, can make a difference.
The 16 Days Campaign is unique because it is a global campaign that utilizes a human rights perspective, while remaining locally owned. CWGL produces a Take Action Kit based on the theme each year, but participants are encouraged to develop their campaign around the issues that are most relevant in their local context. Since the first 16 Days Campaign, over 2,800 organizations in 156 countries have participated, and the movement continues to grow. To find out what’s happening around the world, visit the full International Calendar of Activities or become a fan of the 16 Days Campaign Facebook page. CWGL is thrilled to be the hub of information on the campaign, and welcomes organizations and individuals to take advantage of these 16 days to work in solidarity with groups around the world and draw upon a period of heightened international attention to gain support for local efforts.
The 2009 theme “Commit ▪ Act ▪ Demand: We CAN End Violence Against Women!” celebrates the dedicated activism that has taken place over the last two decades and serves as a rallying call to remind us that we must continue to build momentum for the efforts to end gender-based violence. CWGL is pleased to partner with the new Say NO – UNiTE advocacy platform, and we believe that the Say NO website www.saynotoviolence.org will be a powerful forum for recognizing and linking the efforts of non-governmental organizations around the world whose dedication and hard work over the past two decades have transformed global opinion on issues of violence against women. We look forward to counting all of your 16 Days Campaign actions on our website as well as on the Say NO – UNiTE site!
Radhika Balakrishnan (Executive Director, CWGL) cwgl@rci.rutgers.edu
Keely Swan (16 Days Campaign Coordinator, CWGL) 16days@cwgl.rutgers.edu
