What are the 16 Days of Activism?
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence is an annual international campaign that begins on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and goes until December 10, Human Rights Day. This campaign started in 1991 to call out and speak up on gender-based violence and to renew our commitment to ending violence against women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals.
What is Gender-Based Violence?
Everyone has the right to live free from violence. However, many Canadians across the country continue to face violence every day because of their gender, gender expression, gender identity or perceived gender. This is referred to as gender-based violence (GBV) and violates human rights.
If you look closely, you will see the roots of GBV all around you, in media messages that objectify women, in the jokes that demean LGBTQ2 (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Two-Spirit) people and in the rigid gender norms imposed on young children.
Who is affected by gender-based violence?
While violence affects all people, some people are more at risk of experiencing violence because of various forms of oppression, such as racism, colonialism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia and ableism. Certain populations, based on key statistics, are more likely to experience GBV, including:
- women; young women, and girls;
- Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual (LGB) and people of other sexual orientations than heterosexual;
- Transgender and gender-diverse people;
- women living in Northern, rural, and remote communities; and,
- women living with disabilities.
For more information visit https://women-gender-equality.canada.ca/
Ways you can get involved:
- Wear Purple on Friday, November 25, to show support and raise awareness about gender-based violence; take a photo and share it on social media. Remember to use #16Days and tag us so we can share your post @ConsentBelongsHere on Instagram
- Donate and support students' efforts to end gender-based violence. Students of INDG 3106 are collecting donations of feminine and personal hygiene products, socks, underwear, etc., for True Self Nebwewendizwin and Ojibway Women's Lodge. Donation boxes will be in the Office of Indigenous Initiatives and the NUSU Student Centre main foyer from now until December 6.
- Honour Indigenous victims of gender-based violence, November 28. A Minute for our Relatives, a student-led Biidaaban Community Services Learning initiative, will feature drumming, dancing and spoken words. November 28 at noon in NUSU Student Centre.
- Listen and learn from ResilientInuk, Vanessa Brosseau, on November 28. Vanessa shares her missing sister Pamela's story on her verified Tik Tok account, "Resilient Inuk," where she has over 118,000 followers and over 2.6 million likes. Learn more about MMIWG2S – Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit in Canada, and how Vanessa leveraged social media to raise awareness, advocate, and educate.
- Educate yourself and others. Build skills and confidence in preventing gender-based violence in our community by attending a Consent Belongs Here workshop. Sexual Violence Respond Training on December 2 and Bringing in the Bystander on December 5. Both workshops are RSD approved and applicable for the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response certificate.
- Show up and support our community. The North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre is hosting 16 Days of Activism Community Gathering beginning at 9:00 am on Thursday, December 1. The gathering will feature lunch, information booths and keynote speakers on femicide, violence, MMIWG2S, and racism.
- Support survivors and speak out against gender-based violence on December 6 at the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women march and candle-lit vigil. March will leave Nipissing University's front foyer at 5:30 pm and head to the NUSU Student Centre for a brief memorial and warm refreshments.
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