[Brussels, 28 October 2010] The Center for Women’s Global Leadership is preparing to launch this year’s ’16 Days’ campaign on the theme of ‘Structures of Violence: Defining the Intersections of Militarism and Violence Against Women!’. Join the campaign by downloading the Action Kit and preparing for a peace vigil or march on 29 November.
Download the Action Kit!
English, Spanish and French translations of the 2010 Take Action Kit materials are now available online at http://16dayscwgl.rutgers.edu/2010-campaign/take-action-kit/take-action-kit-2010. Hard copies can also be ordered online.
Join/organise a peace vigil or march on 29 November!
CWGL is encouraging all campaign participants to plan a peace vigil or peace march for Monday, November 29th in a show of visible, global solidarity against militarism & violence against women. Instructions for planning a peace vigil or march are also included in the kit – and we have white bandannas and promotional posters available. You can write to us to request these as well! We also ask that you send us two of your own specific demands for the global action to share with activists around the world via the 16 Days website.
Translate the Action Kit!
If you are interested in volunteering to translate any of the Take Action Kit documents into another language, please contact us and we would be happy to post your translations to share with other groups.
Publicise your activities!
Please share this information widely with your networks, and remember to email CWGL with information about your 16 Days activities for inclusion in the 2010 online International Calendar of Activities (Organization name, Location, Date(s), Description, Contact, Website, and any calendar or promotional documents).
About the 16 Days campaign:
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is an international campaign originating from the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute sponsored by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership in 1991. Participants chose the dates November 25- International Day Against Violence Against Women- and December 10- International Human Rights Day- in order to symbolically link violence against women and human rights and to emphasize that such violence is a violation of human rights. This 16-day period also highlights other significant dates including November 29, International Women Human Rights Defenders Day, December 1, World AIDS Day, and December 6, which marks the Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre.
The 16 Days Campaign has been used as an organizing strategy by individuals and groups around the world to call for the elimination of all forms of violence against women by:
- raising awareness about gender-based violence as a human rights issue at the local, national, regional and international levels
- strengthening local work around violence against women
- establishing a clear link between local and international work to end violence against women
- providing a forum in which organizers can develop and share new and effective strategies
- demonstrating the solidarity of women around the world organizing against violence against women
- creating tools to pressure governments to implement promises made to eliminate violence against women
Over 3,400 organizations in approximately 164 countries have participated in the 16 Days Campaign since 1991!