16 Days of Activism

Talking Points by Mr. Aeneas Chuma, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator

• It is indeed a great honour for me to be here with you today to promote our collective responsibility in the fight to eradicate violence against women as part of the 16 Days of Activism
• Two days ago, on 25 November, it was the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
• So from last Sunday and for 16 days and basically also the rest of the year, we must remind us all that we have a crucial role to play in ending the world’s most pervasive, yet least recognized human rights abuses
• Every year from 25 November to 10 December (International Human Rights Day) we mark the 16 Days of Activism for ending Gender-Based Violence with events and awareness raising campaign
• This year’s global theme for the 16 days “Orange the World: #HearMeToo” seeks to honour and further amplify the voices of the women and girls survivors of violence
• The HearMeToo message emphasizes that violence against women not only denies women and girls their basic human rights but that their voices and stories must be heard
• The strong and powerful and at the same time sad photos of survivors of gender-based violence that we have on display today, is showing us the women and girls behind the numbers
• The survivors of violence are real people, real women and girls, like your sister, your friend, your daughter, your mother. And we must remember that this crime can happen to anyone. And it happens every day, all the time and all over the world.