Every 10 minutes. That’s how often a woman is killed by an intimate partner or someone in her own family globally. Femicide is the most brutal, visible, and extreme manifestation of the cycle of gender-based violence that women and girls endure. However, nearly one in three women have experienced other physical and/or sexual violence at least once in their lives. If there is no accelerated action, nine million girls will still marry in childhood by the year 2030. Over 230 million girls and women have undergone female genital mutilation. The United Nations recognizes rape as a tactic of war, and acknowledges that it can be a war crime, a crime against humanity, or part of a genocidal campaign. The shame should be the burden of the perpetrators, but unfortunately it’s borne by victims.
For these reasons and more, GRANquinte, a local group of the Grandmothers Advocacy Network, is engaging again in 16 Days of Activism to End Violence against Women and Girls. The global initiative begins on November 25 and continues to December 10 and has come to be known as the Orange Campaign, the colour having been chosen by the United Nations as a symbol of a brighter future for women around the world as we raise awareness and mobilize resources to bring an end to this fundamental human rights violation.
The 2025 campaign will focus on one of the fastest-growing forms of abuse: digital violence against women and girls. According to the United Nations, cyberviolence worldwide is as harmful to women and girls as physical violence. So why don’t we treat it in the same way? Survivors feel fear, panic and depression and see adverse effects on their work, relationships and social lives. Sometimes digital violence moves offline, threatening physical safety.
Gender-based violence is not a women’s issue.
Men have a critical role to play. We would like to see more men calling one another out and encouraging each other to get help. The importance of involving boys and men in creating a fairer, more inclusive world cannot be emphasized enough.
Violence against women and girls is pervasive but it is not inevitable. Unless we stay silent. Speak out, add your voice to call out violence. Orange the World. Reach out on social media to raise awareness. Know what your workplace policies say about violence and harassment; take a course; participate in an event. Call for funding and strategies to prevent violence against women and girls. Donate or give your time to organizations supporting victims of violence. The urgent need to fund women’s organizations fighting violence against women and girls cannot be overstated. Women’s rights organizations serve as the frontline champions in the drive for a more equitable and violence-free world.
GRANquinte is selling lawn signs to be displayed from November 25 to December 10. They can be purchased from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Belleville library on November 19 and Trenton library on November 28 or by phoning 613-962-0285.
Every effort invested in preventing violence against women is a step towards a safer, more equal and prosperous world.
The following was submitted by GRANquinte
