ABOUT

The UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE to End Violence against Women Campaign invites
governments, UN agencies, civil society organizations and individuals
from all countries of the world to mark the days between 25 November and 10 December
(the 16 Days of Activism) by coming together to step up efforts to end violence against women and girls.

1. Background
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign which takes place each year and runs from 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to 10 December (Human Rights Day), also encompassing other important key dates. Widely known as the ‘16 Days Campaign’, it is used as an organizing strategy by individuals and organizations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls. It was originated by the first Women's Global Leadership Institute in 1991 and is coordinated by the Center for Women's Global Leadership.

In support of this civil society initiative, each year, the United Nations Secretary-General’s campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women calls for global action to increase worldwide awareness and create opportunities for discussion about challenges and solutions. In 2014, the UNiTE campaign called on governments, UN entities, civil society organizations and individuals across the world to ‘orange their neighbourhoods’ to raise public awareness about the issue of violence against women and girls. As one of the official colours of the UNiTE campaign symbolizing a brighter future and a world free from violence against women and girls, the colour orange was once again a uniting theme throughout all events. The initiative called on all people in all parts of world to take action in their communities, play their part and stand up against violence against women and girls.

2. 2015 Call to Action: “Orange the World: End Violence against Women and Girls”
This year is a critical juncture for global efforts to prevent and end violence against women and girls. It marks the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BDPfA), the most progressive blueprint ever for advancing women’s rights. Also, as a new global development framework, the Sustainable Development Goals, comes into force in September, now is a crucial time to advocate to ensure that violence against women and girls is high on political and public agendas, prominently placed within the new global development framework, and prioritized in its implementation.

In 1995, violence against women was highlighted as one of twelve critical areas of concern in the BDPfA but the UN Secretary-General’s report on Beijing Implementation presented twenty years later and relevant national reviews show that despite progress, levels of violence against women and girls remain unacceptably high worldwide. Slow and uneven implementation of national and legal frameworks, the insufficient attention paid to the prevention of the occurrence of violence, and persistent discrimination, gender inequality, discriminatory norms and gender stereotypes remain major obstacles to eliminating violence against women and girls.


This is why the UN Secretary- General’s UNiTE to End Violence against Women Campaign invites governments, UN agencies, civil society organizations and individuals from all countries of the world to mark the days between 25 November and the 10 December (the 16 Days of Activism) by coming together to step up efforts to end violence against women and girls. This year we want to KEEP THE WORLD ORANGE THROUGHOUT THE 16 DAYS so we invite you to consider organizing your activities not only on 25th November, but on the other days too. Join us, take action to orange the world, and show your support for political commitments to be matched with meaningful ACTION and adequate RESOURCES to reduce the prevalence of violence against women and girls worldwide.