As part of the international 16 Days Campaign Global Day of Action, we ask groups to organize public vigils, nonviolent demonstrations of one or more people in a public location, or peaceful marches on Monday, November 29^th – International Women Human Rights Defenders Day. No specific form for the vigil is required, and individual groups should create an action that best fits local campaign initiatives. To unify our actions, we simply ask that you reflect the commitments articulated in the Global Call to Action:

1.         Challenge militarism and end violence against women

2.         Strengthen women’s leadership to promote peace

3.         Realize human rights for all to achieve genuine security

Groups are also encouraged to add two additional demands that reflect local campaign goals (see the Call to Action). Please submit additional demands to 16days@cwgl.rutgers.edu to be shared with other campaign participants.

Tips for planning your action:

• Have everyone wear the same color (e.g. black) as a symbol of protest.
• Plan the vigil for a public location where many people will see you.
• Vigils can be stationary or may include a march.
• Vigils may be silent or may include spoken word, chanting, music, or other forms of expression.
• Make signs and banners with messages against violence against women and militarism.
• Distribute flyers or symbolic materials (e.g. ribbons) that communicate the purpose of the event.
• Publicize the action ahead of time and get media attention (see the sample press advisory on the back of this sheet or the media section of the Suggested Actions document in this kit for more ideas).
• Take pictures and submit them to CWGL – this is a powerful, visible way to document and show our solidarity with one another!

*These suggestions are based on Women in Black’s long tradition of protest and anti-militarist actions. “Women in Black is a world-wide network of women committed to peace with justice and actively opposed to injustice, war, militarism and other forms of violence.” For more information on the network, visit http://www.womeninblack.org/.

November 29^th is International Women Human Rights Defenders Day - a day set aside to recognize women human rights defenders and commemorate activism, advocacy and courageous acts of resistance.  In 2004, an international campaign Defending Women Defending Rights was launched for the recognition and protection of women human rights defenders who are activists advocating for the realization of all human rights for all people. The campaign asserts that women fighting for human rights and all activists defending women’s rights face specific violations as a result of their advocacy or their gender. For more information, check the women human rights defender campaign website: http://www.defendingwomen-defendingrights.org/.