By Valentine Sebile, coordinator of Amnesty International’s 16 Days of Activism campaign
If you tried I bet you could list at least three examples of violence against women in your daily life. Think about those examples: Who is telling women how they should live and behave? Does it have to be this way? How can life be different? Who has the power to change things?
You have that power: By making it clear that violence against women is unacceptable, by speaking out in your school, workplace and home whenever women are insulted, belittled, or objectified, and by taking part in campaigns telling the authorities that these problems can and must be resolved.
The 16 Days of Activism is an international campaign that aims at raising awareness of gender-based violence. It runs from 25 November to 10 December.
During that time we hope you’ll use this blog as a platform to exchange views, ideas, photographs and any other related materials. The objective of the blog is to invite you to take action in the 16 Days. We want to share with you useful information on the issue and on our events so you can engage in the action wherever you are.
Launched in 1991, the 16 days of Activism are a great opportunity for organizations from all over the world to work together to reach people who aren’t aware of the issue.
This year, Amnesty International will focus these 16 Days on sexual and reproductive rights.
Why sexual and reproductive rights?
Event organised by AI Paraguay
Sexual and reproductive rights are essential if you want to decide for yourself-in a free and informed way- whether and when to have sex, start a family, have a child and stay healthy throughout – no matter who you are.
Respect for these rights is also essential to the dignity of each and every girl and woman and to their enjoyment of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being.
Sexual and reproductive rights are not just a “woman thing”. They affect all of us.
What is Amnesty International asking for?
We ask States:
- to ensure that girls and women are able to determine their own sexuality; to determine their own gender identity, regardless of the sex to which they were assigned at birth; to live in diverse family forms; to exercise their decision-making autonomy; to pursue a satisfying, safe and pleasurable sexual life.
- to ensure that all girls and women are able to make free and informed decisions regarding their sexuality and reproductive lives, and that they have access to reproductive and maternal health information and services.
- to prevent, investigate and prosecute acts of sexual and gender-based violence against women.
During the 16 Days we are focusing on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Indonesia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Nicaragua and Swaziland. In these countries, women face many barriers in their access to sexual and reproductive rights.
In Indonesia, women face great difficulties in accessing healthcare and in particular, contraception. Gender stereotyping with regard to sexuality, marriage and childbearing is supported by discriminatory laws, policies and practices.
In the DRC, Nicaragua and Bosnia-Herzegovina, women victims of rape and sexual violence have no access to justice because of the lack of protection from the States.
What’s Amnesty International doing over the 16 Days?
Event organised by AI Canada
All over the world our members will be taking part. They may be standing in the street asking you to sign a petition or they may invite you to take part in a public discussion on sexual and reproductive rights.
How can I take part?
You can take part in the 16 days of activism against gender violence by:
- signing our web actions on Nicaragua and Bosnia-Herzegovina
- taking part in different events organized by Amnesty International all over the world.
- downloading our banner and changing your profile picture during the 16 days. It will show your solidarity with the 16 Days of Activism campaign
gender bias is a world wide vice.The intensity may vary in developed, developing,and underdeveloped countries.The male irrespective of their nationality,religion and creed find it intolerable to grant equal status to women.The only solution is to enpower women.Once they start to share power their status in the society may improve.
violence against women should stop, we are no more in the middle ages ! people have to accept it as a basic notion as well as freedom.
Parar la violencia ahora, para SIEMPRE!
Indeed it is high time for us women to join together and affirm and assert our identity and dignity as women. I appreciate very much and keep up to the objectives of this campaign in our Organization.
Go Gender Equality!
i see old action reportsmon women. what about now, July 2011?
it is not possible to activate the “take action” box regarding the cases in Nicaragua
This is just tired misandry masquerading as ‘womens rights’. Of course violence against women is wrong, but so is violence against men. Why single out one gender. I have to say that I don’t think I could think of three examples of violence against women in my daily life – in fact that’s a simply remarkable statement – what on Earth do you mean? As for examples of women being insulted, belittled, or objectified – well of course that’s wrong, but men are portrayed in advertising, sitcoms and in popular media as being fools, idiots and inept simpletons on a regular basis – so what? Conflict – especially conflict between genders – is the basis for all drama. This whole campaign is deeply and fundamentally misguided.