STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

Today is the start of a 16-day annual global campaign to stop, speak and take action against gender violence.

News Alert Box: Day 16, Dec 10: 'Women's Agenda For Change' Day 15, Dec 09: Measuring the Cost of Violence Day 14, Dec 08: The Abuse of Domestic Workers in our Homes Day 13, Dec 07: "Shadows of Fear", a song by Reshmi Revi Day 12, Dec 06: Are You Afraid of Feminists ? Day 11, Dec 05: "Do not send me flowers", a poem Day 10, Dec 04: Poster 2 from ZeroTolerance.org.uk. Day 9, Dec 03: Women and Armed Conflict Day 8, Dec 02: Poster from ZeroTolerance.org.uk. Day 7, Dec 01: HIV/AIDS and violence against women. Day 6, Nov 30: The Campaign for a Domestic Violence Act. Day 5, Nov 29: Domestic violence hurts children too. Day 4, Nov 28: Bill of Rights for Battered Women. Day 3, Nov 27: Lisa's story. Day 2, Nov 26: Why women stay in violent relationships. Day 1, Nov 25: Facts and figures do not lie.

Why 16 days and why this time of the year?

The 16 Days of Activism is an international campaign, which developed from the First Women's Global Leadership Institute in 1991 in the USA. Participants of the Institute chose the dates in order to symbolically link violence against women with human rights

The 16 Days highlights four significant dates.

25th November commemorates the anniversary of the murder of the Mirabal sisters who were brutally murdered by the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic in 1960.

1st December is World Aids Day to mark global effort to face the challenges of the AIDS pandemic. Furthermore the link between violence against women and their vulnerability to HIV infection is indisputable.

Montreal Massacre - On the 6th December, fourteen young female engineering students were shot dead at Montreal University in Canada in 1989. The gunman opened fire in two classrooms and the cafeteria after ordering 48 men in the room to leave, before opening fire, the gunmen shouted " You are all a bunch of feminists, and I hate feminists!"

International Human Rights Day 10th December celebrates the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaimed in 1948. All governments acknowledged that everyone is entitled to all rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration without distinction of any kind such as race, color, sex…" In Malaysia, Women's Aid Organisation organises public education series with media to be part of the 16 days of activism.

• In 1998, WAO worked with The Star to produce a 16-day series on VAW.
• In 1999, WAO worked with ERA radio with public announcements on VAW.
• This year WAO will work with Sin Chew Jit Poh to highlight International Day Against Violence Against Women with a 5 day series AND produce its own 16-day series on her website.

Related links:

• Read more about the meaning behind the 16-Days.
• See Rutgers University's 16-Day Website.