Over 100 people gathered in Bairiki, the capital of Kiribati, to march for the elimination of violence against women.

The participants included students from the Fisheries Training Centre and Marine Training Centre, the Kiribati Police Service, the Girl Guides, religious and women's groups, the Australian High Commissioner, representatives from UNWomen and Ministry of Social and Internal Affairs and members of the public.

Residents and commuters all paused to watch the procession and listen to the messages that encourage everyone to take a stance against violence.

To the solemn tunes of the Police Marching Band, we marched to the Bairiki Stadium. At the stadium, powerful and emotive speeches were held by the Australian High Commissioner and our Male Advocate, a community leader from Betio, who had attended our workshop on Gender Based Violence and Human Rights.

After the speaches, we marched to the nearby Maneaba to hear the representative from Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences (DVSO) Unit share the number of reported incidents in Kiribati in 2012. This was followed by a children's choir whose powerful voices filled the Maneaba and our hearts. While the children sang, we all lit candles and together pledged in English and i-Kiribati: "I hereby pledge; I will not be silent. I will not condone or commit acts of Violence". A minute's silence was held for the victims and survivors of violence.

The evening ended with a viewing of a dramatised film on Gender Based Violence, describing the avenues of support for victims and the responsibility of the community and police to help prevent and protect victims.