The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence
From 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women), to 10 December (International Human Rights Day), organisations and individuals across the world will come together to take action, as part of the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence campaign.
- Rwanda: Between 250,000 and 500,000 women were raped during the genocide. A decade later, 67 per cent of survivors were HIV positive. (UN 1996)
- DRC: An average of 48 women and girls are raped every hour in the Democratic Republic of Congo (American Journal of Public Health 2011)
- Colombia: Every 14 days a Colombian woman is a victim of forced "disappearance" according to a 2001 report by the Women and Armed Conflict Work Table. (UNIFEM 2001)
- Philippines: In 2009 the number of violence against gender cases reported to the police rose by 37.4 percent from 2008. (Philippine Commission 2010)
- Afghanistan: Afghan women and girls who suffer abuse are mostly abused by family members, including intimate partners (92 per cent). (UNIFEM 2006)
- Europe: Between 40 and 50 per cent of women in European Union countries experience unwanted sexual advancements, physical contact or other forms of sexual harassment at their workplace. (European Commission 2006)
- United Kingdom: In the United Kingdom 13 per cent of all raped women report the assault to the police (Joni Seager, 2003).
Gender violence can be physical, sexual or psychological. It takes many forms and affects women and men of all ages in every culture and society. It doesn’t just impact on individual lives; it also fractures communities and stalls development.
This year’s theme, “From Peace in the Home to peace in the World” highlights the connections between gender based violence at all levels – from the private to the public. It emphasizes that our behaviours “at home” reach out and influence peace throughout the world.
CAFOD has long since worked to achieve peace, security and equality across the world. Alongside our partners, we address gender violence in many ways, be it providing medical help and counselling for survivors of violence, or legal and practical support to ensure every person can live with dignity and security. And we’re speaking out, to raise awareness and change attitudes to gender violence.
CAFOD is part of the We Will Speak Out coalition against sexual violence. Please add your voice to this vital campaign.
With your generosity, we can continue to work with partners around the world to eliminate gender violence and its effects. |
CAFOD is part of the We Will Speak Out coalition, which campaigns against sexual violence. Add your voice today |
We stand in solidarity with people affected by gender violence. Pray for a fairer, safer world for all. |
