16 Days to End Violence at Home and Around the World

Hundreds protest against gender violence in Madrid

Hundreds protest against gender violence in Madrid. Photo by Jorge Sanz. 25 November 2014. Copyright Demotix.

Of all the women murdered in 2012, almost half were killed by intimate partners or family members, according to the UN.

Gender-based violence is present in all social classes, and it affects both women and men, even more if their sexual preferences differ from the dominant norms. The World Heath Organization and other international groups have repeatedly warned against the threats that gender-based violence represents for societies’ progress, and still, this issue escapes most public organizations’ priority lists.This is why, US-based Rutgers University's Center of Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL) has launched a 16 day campaign “From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World”.

From November 25 to December 10, campaign participants “will highlight the systemic nature of gender-based violence and militarism which encourages inequality and discrimination”. The campaign also aims to connect conversations about gender based violence with those about Human Rights, which is why the campaign will connect November 25, the International Day against Gender Based Violence with December 10, the International Day of Human Rights.

Global Voices Coverage

Global Voices, through its coverage of social media stories around the world, is joining this campaign. We will publish stories, debates and conversations on social media around the world about violence in society and violence against women.

On average, 30% of women who have been in a relationship report that they have experienced some form of physical or sexual violence by their partner.

Brazil’s most prestigious university is facing accusations that it failed to investigate the rape of one of its students and the sexual assault of another — and pressured the victims not to report the incidents for the sake of the school's reputation.

When a woman in Afghanistan's western province of Farah lost her son to a Taliban attack on a police checkpoint earlier this week, she took matters — and an AK-47 — into her own hands. Having all but destroyed the Taliban detachment with round upon round of machine gun fire, the woman is now being hailed as a “symbol of courage” on Afghan social networks

Our religion gave women a place – motherhood. It gave a mother another place. It laid the heaven beneath their feet. Not beneath a father's, but a mother's feet. However, this might not be understood by everyone. You cannot explain this issue to feminists. They do not accept motherhood.

Mobile phone footage from outside New Delhi is shocking Indians this week, following the release of a video showing a clash after the attempted assault of two young women aboard a crowded bus in Rohtak, about 70 kilometers (44 miles) from the Indian capital(…) In the video, Aatri and Pooja defend themselves, unassisted by any of the other passengers.
 A number of videos of Central Asian women accused of prostitution and generally ‘shaming their nation and religion’ have been uploaded onto file-sharing platforms by anonymous users in recent times.
November 25 marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, a grave issue in many countries around the world. Street harassment, experienced by countless women as they walk through their cities, is one of the forms of violence. In Latin America, several videos have addressed the issue.
For the third year in a row, the city council of Rosario is doing what it can to fight violence against women, launching a public awareness campaign that bestows rewards on the best blogs that address gender-based violence.

We are following different campaigns, past and present, regarding violence in the home, social ideals oppressing women, and LGBT rights. And we are paying attention to conversations around gender equality, and the different ways in which women and men fight together against gender injustice. You can follow our special coverage during these days here, and the stories we have covered in the past aboutgender, LGBT rights, and human rights around the world.

Campaign resources:

You can also follow the campaign via Twitter through #16Days and #GBVTeachin.

If you have any questions about our particpation in the campaign, please get in touch with Laura Vidal, our Latin America community manager.