16 Days of Activism Across Asia and the Pacific

Women’s rights organisations and feminist activists have officially concluded another successful 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign on 10 December.

For the past 30 years, the campaign has called on people to challenge discriminatory attitudes and advocate for improved responses to end violence against women for good.

This year the campaign was dedicated to ending femicide, referring to the killing of women because of their sex and/or gender. This type of violence is most often thought of as happening in private through domestic or family violence but can also be committed in public at the hands of non-family members and the state.

Here’s what some of our partners across the region have done to mark this year’s campaign and drive action to change attitudes that lead to violence against women and girls in their communities.

Cambodia

Credit: Banteay Srei

Throughout the course of the campaign, Banteay Srei ran a social media campaign where staff shared their thoughts on the importance of ending violence against women and girls and the role we can all play in creating a gender equal world.

They also ran a number of community events centred on the theme ‘Together to Stop Violence Against Women and Girls: From Awareness to Accountability.’ These events highlighted the importance of involving people at all levels of society in the fight against gender-based violence and were attended by community members, civil society organisations and members of the Cambodian government.

Credit: Banteay Srei

Banteay Srei celebrating the end of their 16 Days campaign and World Human Rights Day in Siem Reap. Credit: Banteay Srei

A 16 Days event ran by Banteay Srei and other local organisations in Phon Penh. Credit: Banteay Srei

A 16 Days event ran by Banteay Srei in Battambang Province. Credit: Banteay Srei

Gender and Development for Cambodia (GADC), along with Khmer Youth Association and Cambodia Young Women’s Network, ran a community event themed ‘Stronger in Solidarity: The Power of Women Migrant Workers in Addressing Gender-Based Violence in the Workplace.’ The event in Prey Vong Province was attended by over 120 people. This event was run alongside a campaign encouraging people to stand up for women’s rights, with members of GADC and the above organisations sharing messages to inspire others to advocate for gender equality, justice and women’s participation in social development.

Credit: JASS Southeast Asia

Image captured at Gender and Development Cambodia’s event along with Khmer Youth Association and Cambodia Young Women’s Network on addressing gender-based violence in the workplace. Credit: JASS Southeast Asia

Fiji

femLINKpacific presenting at the Republic of Fiji Military Forces for 16 Days. Credit: femLINKpacific

For their campaign, femLINKpacific created a series of video messages around diverse topics like the need for inclusive justice, the importance of young women’s voices being heard and the role we can play in ending violence against women and girls.

They also organised a number of convenings with rural women leaders, youth representatives, people with disabilities and members of the LGBTQI+ community to discuss issues related to ending gender-based violence. These forums provided them with a space to discuss issues like the barriers women face in accessing services, reporting violence or sharing stories and better ways to address gender-based violence within their communities.

As part of these convenings, some of the participants turned to art to share their experiences and thoughts on violence against women, engaging in artivism as a way to break the taboo that exists around these topics.

FemLINKpacific were also invited to present their work on Women, Peace and Security to the Republic of Fiji’s Military Forces, with members of their media network being present on-site to provide visibility to feminist media and rural women in their movement building work.

Participants presenting their work at a convening run by femLINKpacific in Tavua. Credit: femLINKpacific

Participants at a convening run by femLINKpacific in Nadi. Credit: femLINKpacific

During World Human Rights Day, femLINKpacific were joined by Fiji Women’s Rights Movement (FWRM) and other members of the Fiji NGO Coalition on Human Rights to mark the day with celebrations in Suva.

Throughout the 16 Days, FWRM also ran a social media campaign highlighting the stories of 16 women who were victim/survivors of gender-based violence with a simple call to action – Speak Her Name, Know Her Story. While confronting, these stories remind us exactly what is at stake in the fight against #GBV. You can read about their stories on FWRM’s social media.

Photos from the Human Rights Day even held in Suva. Credit: Fiji Women’s Rights Movement

Myanmar

In Myanmar, Ta'ang Women's Organization held a ceremony to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Over 600 people from 44 villages attended and pledged to take action to end gender-based violence.

Attendees at Ta'ang Women's Organization’s event to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women pledging to take action against gender-based violence and positively change community attitudes towards violence against women. Credit: Ta'ang Women's Organization

Art piece submitted to Shan Women’s Action Network. Credit: SWAN

For their 16 Days campaign, Shan Women’s Action Network (SWAN) ran an artivism campaign encouraging their community to create and share art around gender-based violence. Titled ‘Say ‘NO’ to Violence Against Women with your ‘ARTS’’, the campaign encouraged people to share their experiences of violence and the solutions they would like to see implemented to address it. You can find all the pieces on their Facebook page.

Women’s League of Burma also ran a number of activities for this year’s 16 Days campaign under the theme ‘Justice + Accountability = End System of Impunity.’ This included releasing a statement for the International Day of Violence Against Women highlighting the issue of gender-based violence in Myanmar – both in interpersonal relationships and at the hands of the military – and demanding action from authorities and officials to end the impunity around these acts. Read the full statement here.

They launched their campaign with a photo campaign encouraging people to take a stand against gender-based violence.

Throughout the campaign, organisations within WLB ran events around this theme. This included a three-day activism program for displaced women living in a border village in India, workshops held in the Southern Shan State and events held in refugee camps in the Karenni State.

WLB also created a number of videos from actors across their movement around this theme, highlighting the need for justice and accountability for acts of violence against women in Myanmar.

Papua New Guinea

Jean Jano, Programs Manager at EHFV and main facilitator at the information session, speaking to the crowd at a community forum in Madang Province. Credit: USAID PNG

In Papua New Guinea, Eastern Highlands Family Voice ran a 20-Day campaign starting on 20 November for World Children’s Day. As part of their campaign, they conducted a number of awareness and advocacy activities in Madang Province to show their solidarity and call for action to end gender-based violence in the country. This included running an open community forum to provide the community with information on violence against women.

Speaking at the event, Programs Manager Jean Jano from EHFV shared, “Remember that if someone is experiencing gender-based violence in the family or community, that you are not alone, and support is available.”

Members of Voice for Change’s Young Women Leadership Program participating in their first consultation meeting. Credit: Voice for Change

In the lead up to 16 Days, Voice for Change hosted the first consultation meeting of their Young Women Leadership Program. The young women from the program used this space to map out their messaging and advocacy strategies for the upcoming campaign, informing the activities they would then do during that time.

During the campaign, Voice for Change also hosted their second Provincial Women’s Forum. The theme was 'Celebrating Achievement through Collaboration' - focusing on the progress they have made to address gender-based violence in their communities.

Participants at Voice for Change’s 2nd Provincial Women’s Forum. Credit: Visuals of Typical Highlander

Solomon Islands

For this year’s campaign, Family Support Centre launched ‘Lukim Reportim’ – a film about a young girl with a disability who experiences violence from a family member and how her family received support from Family Support Centre (FSC). The launch was accompanied by a panel discussion on domestic violence and the work FSC is doing to tackle the issue in Solomon Islands. You can watch a recording of the launch on their Facebook page.

To mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, FSC set up a photo booth at a local multipurpose hall along with a float parade and invited people in the community to join them in standing up against gender-based violence. The event was an opportunity to educate the community on the issue and advocate for broader change when it comes to mindsets, attitudes and systems around violence against women.

They also held a number of community events across different provinces through their provincial committees. Through these, they held several awareness raising activities designed to provide local communities with more information on what gender-based violence is and what kind of services are available to them through FSC.

A 16 Days event held by an FSC provincial committee in Gizo, including a candlelit vigil for victims of gender-based violence. Credit: Family Support Centre

A 16 Days celebration held by FSC’s Buala GBV Provincial Committee. Credit: Family Support Centre

An awareness-raising workshop run by FSC for the Forum Fisheries Agency during 16 Days. Credit: Family Support Centre

Disability Women’s Empowerment Association (DWEA) – an organisation supported by People with Disabilities Solomon Islands – also ran a number of events in and around the capital of Malaita to highlight the issue of gender-based violence and how it affects women and girls with disabilities. This included convening talks at open markers and building relationships with local women’s groups and communities. DWEA also used this opportunity to more generally teach communities about disability and the particular challenges and barriers people living with disability experience in their day-to-day life. A key part of this was to help people gain an appreciation of the different abilities they have and the capacity they hold to advocate for themselves on issues like gender-based violence.

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign is a pivotal period for feminists and the women’s rights movement. Together we must call on governments, organisations and people everywhere to speak out against violence.

Violence against women and girls is not inevitable; it is preventable. Together, our message will be amplified across our region, and our voices will be heard.

Image captions

Cambodia

Fiji

Myanmar

Papua New Guinea

Solomon Islands