Campaign for 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence highlighted by local organization

Associated Country Women of the World and Southern Ontario Support is calling on locals to participate in the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence from Nov. 25 to Dec. 10. Contributed image

By Nancy Birss, Associated Country Women of the World

As a member of the international women’s organization Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW), I would like to share some information regarding an upcoming worldwide campaign called 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.

It is no secret that violence against women and girls is both a local and worldwide issue. Locally and in Canada, there are many stories of intimate-partner violence, abuse, abductions and trafficking of women and girls, homicides, missing and murdered. The stories are both sad and horrific. We only need to read and watch the daily news.

In Waterloo Region, a report in The Record published in December 2023 said the Waterloo Regional Police Services Board learned of disturbing statistics on incidences of human trafficking, intimate-partner violence and gender-based violence in Waterloo Region. According to the article, victims have ranged in age from 13 to 95 years old and 94 per cent were female.  Waterloo Regional Police Chief Mark Crowell indicated raising awareness of the problems and the local supports available is an important way to addressing the issue.

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence aims to do just that.

According to trends in police-reported family violence and intimate-partner violence in Canada reported by Statistics Canada from 2022, overall rates of family violence and intimate-partner violence were higher than in previous years, regardless of victim gender, with increases ranging from 2 per cent to 6 per cent. However, the rate of police-reported family violence was nearly twice as high for girls than for boys.

The large majority of victims of police-reported intimate-partner violence are women and girls, with the rate being especially high among those aged 12-24 years. In terms of age group and gender, intimate partner violence was almost seven times higher among women and girls in that age bracket.

The campaign of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence was spawned at the United Nations in June 1991. The Centre for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL), alongside participants of the first Women’s Global Institute on Women, Violence and Human Rights, called for a global campaign of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.

The 16 days begins Nov. 25 with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and ends with International Human Rights Day on Dec. 10 highlighting that violence against women is a fundamental violation of human rights.

According to the International Women’s Development Agency website, “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. Recent movements such as #MeToo and #TimesUp have propelled this issue onto the global stage.

“ … 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.”

ACWW/Rural Women in Action is bringing these issues to the forefront with the symbol of the hand stopping this violence. Many other women-led organizations in Canada and around the globe will be participating in and sharing a similar message.

The ACWW has consultative status at the United Nations, and now has associate status in United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). By sharing this awareness campaign, we want to help raise our collective voices and advocate for these and other women’s issues.

Southern Ontario Support (SOS) is a member society of ACWW and, as such, helps in raising awareness and funds for the advocacy and project work of the ACWW international organization. To learn more or donate and become a member, adding your voice to supporting women’s issues locally and globally, contact SOS president Nancy Birss at nbirss@uwaterloo.ca.

It is time once again to highlight the conversations and encourage awareness to educate ourselves and our communities – male and female, young and old – about safety, prevention, acknowledgement and resources for help.