Image from the Pixel Project
This post concludes our series for 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a global solidarity campaign that runs every year from November 25 – December 10.
By Jackie Zammuto & Saara Ahmed
As the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign comes to a close on Human Rights Day today – signifying the important recognition of all forms of sexual and gender-based violence as a violation of our fundamental human rights – we’d like to share 16 stories and actions we came across during the campaign.
During the 16 Days, WITNESS launched a six-part video series on “Conducting Interviews with Survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence” to accompany our written guide released earlier this year.
The video series provides tips and insight based on first-hand experience from trainees, experts, leading activists and survivors expanding on: considerations for filming, creating appropriate questions, safety & security, interviewing techniques and the effects of trauma on survivors. We also released the written guide in French and Spanish, both can be found here (Arabic coming soon).
Our 16 Days blog series highlighted a handful of activists and organizations that are addressing violence that exists in our communities.
Below is a list of noteworthy news and action items that we came across throughout the 16 Days Campaign. Please share your own news, campaigns and efforts in the comments section!
Videos:
1) Tactical Tech: “25 films: How to see gender” list of videos put together by Nancy Schwartzman and Bishakha Datta.
2) “The Autocomplete Truth” by UN Women uses the Google search feature to prove that discrimination towards women and gender is still prevalent.
3) Breakthrough released a new animated video “Be That Guy” with the message: #BeThatGuy who stops violence against women in it’s tracks.
4) Human Rights Watch released a short video from South Africa that explores the work of the award-winning South African photographer and activist Zanele Muholi.
5) Series of PSAs by UN Women.
6) The American Association of University Women and Women and Girls Lead are showcasing films that spotlight Native American women leaders, such as “Young Lakota,” now on PBS.
Action & Activism:
7) CWGL – The Center for Women’s Global Leadership are the original leaders of the 16 Days Campaign and continue to provide resources and guidance to activists around the world.
8) Bust the Myth – Stop the Violence campaign hosted by the World Association of Girl Guides and Girls Scouts.
9) @takebackthetech #16Days campaign focuses on defining the line between private and public spaces online.
10) Amnesty International organized an action to call for accountability for Mexican torture and rape survivor, Miriam Isura López Vargas. Watch a video about Miriam’s case.
11) The International Campaign to Stop Rape and Gender Violence in Conflict supports #SurvivorsSpeakOut across the globe to prevent sexual violence, protect survivors and prosecute perpetrators. Join their Campaign.
12) The #Justice4Liz campaign campaign in Kenya demands that the rapists of a 16 year old schoolgirl be arrested and prosecuted. Sign the petition calling for justice.
13) On December 10, tune in to #16Days on Twitter for a tweetathon hosted by UN Women in support of the UNiTE campaign.
In the News:
14) Worsening Violence Against Syria’s Women – Interview on Syria Deeply with Lauren Wolfe and Rafif Jouejati.
15) One year after the brutal Delhi rape case, the BBC’s Johanna Jolly speaks with three women in India about resisting rape throughout the country in a radio report Resisting Rape.
16) Rape doesn’t define you (and it isn’t caused by alcohol) – Co-founder of Know Your IX talks about rape prevention PSAs for the holidays.