16 days of activism against gender-based violence

From 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, International Human Rights Day, each year the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence campaign drives action to help end violence against women and girls around the world. This year, UNFPA Asia-Pacific and the kNOwVAWdata project will launch the #16Days of #VAWdata (data on violence against women). Throughout the 16 days UNFPA highlighted key data on violence against women from across Asia and the Pacific in the form of infographics, stories and videos.

UN Secretary-General's message for the International Day to end violence against women and girls

At long last, there is growing global recognition that violence against women and girls is a human rights violation, public health pandemic and serious obstacle to sustainable development. Yet there is still much more we can and must do to turn this awareness into meaningful prevention and response. See more here.

Empowering women and girls requires new efforts to end violence and harmful practices

Statement by Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, 25 November 2016

This is 2016 and yet one in three women worldwide still experiences or has experienced some form of physical or sexual violence, usually perpetrated by someone she knows. Moreover, millions of women and girls have been subjected to other forms of violence and harmful practices, such as female genital mutilation, which affect an estimated 200 million women and girls, or child marriage, with one in three girls in developing countries being married off before the age of 18. - See more here.

Violence against women – a heartbreak in Myanmar

“One Sunday morning a camp leader called me at home. A 15 year old girl had been raped on her way home from town the evening before. I immediately went to the camp and met with her parents. I explained to them that she needed urgent post-rape treatment, to prevent pregnancy as well as infection, including HIV. This treatment has to be given within 72 hours of an incident, so she could not wait. The parents agreed, and the mother and I brought the young girl to the hospital for emergency care.” - See more here.

What is their hate about?

Sex workers experience extreme violence – at work, in prison and police stations, in their neighbourhoods and in their homes, from family members, police, clients, intimate partners and strangers. This violence is gender-based. Male, female and transgender sex workers are targeted because they challenge traditional gender norms and are denied fundamental human rights – to equal protection under the law, protection from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, and to the highest attainable standard of health. - See more here.