The UN's 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is a globally recognised campaign aimed at challenging and combating violence against women and girls. It runs from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, until 10 December, International Human Rights Day.
One in three women worldwide experience physical or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime. Violence against women and girls is one of the most prevalent and pervasive human rights violations. This campaign's focus extends beyond an acknowledgment of the issue. It encourages concrete actions, advocacy, and the promotion of policies and programmes locally, nationally, and globally that can effectively address the harms of gender-based violence.
This year's theme
The global theme for this year’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is ‘Invest to prevent violence against women and girls.’ Violence against women and girls triggers a myriad of costs to societies in healthcare, education, social protection, and justice, and prevents women’s full participation in society. This year’s campaign is calling on governments to invest in women’s services that play a vital role in bolstering women’s empowerment and reaching those at risk of being left furthest behind, recognizing that race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and other marginalising factors compound women’s vulnerability to violence.
Join a series of events
The Women’s Staff Network with the support of the Report + Support team and the Staff Wellbeing Network, is joining the 16 Days of Activism by hosting a series of events on the theme of workplace support for people experiencing domestic abuse.
Domestic abuse often extends into the workplace. Hiding money or bank cards needed for travel to work, ruining work clothes, making a person late, causing injury or harm that leads to sickness absence, controlling a person’s working hours or their ability to participate in work-related social events are just some ways in which economic abuse and coercive control in particular impact on working life.
A safe and supportive workplace response can make a real difference to an individual’s ability to manage or leave abusive situations. Through our events, the Women’s Staff Network aims to raise awareness of some of these issues and encourage the university to take an active role in supporting employees experiencing domestic abuse.
