The global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is a key international moment to call for an end to violence against women and girls. It runs from 25th November (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) until 10th December, Human Rights Day.
In support of this campaign, the United Nations Secretary-General’s “UNiTE by 2030” initiative calls for global action to increase awareness, galvanise advocacy efforts and share knowledge and innovations to help end all types of violence against women and girls. In 2023, the UNiTE campaign theme is Invest to Prevent Violence against Women & Girls. Soroptimists and UNWomen’s focus is on Tech-facilitated gender based violence against women and girls. What is that?
Technology-facilitated gender-based violence is any act that is committed or amplified using digital tools or technologies causing physical, sexual, psychological, social, political, or economic harm to women and girls because of their gender. These forms of violence are part of a larger pattern of violence against women, occurring online and offline, including intimate image abuse, doxing (revealing personal information), trolling (online harassment) and the sharing of deepfake images. It also encompasses misogynistic hate speech and efforts to silence and discredit women online, including threats of offline violence.
Digital violence can exacerbate offline forms of violence—including sexual harassment, stalking, intimate partner violence, trafficking, and sexual exploitation—through the use of digital tools like mobile phones, GPS and tracking devices. For instance, traffickers often use technology to profile, recruit, control and exploit their victims. Read more about it at UN Women’s https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/unite
What can you do?
- Read about the UNiTE Campaign and share the FAQs about gender based abuse on your social media to spread the word using hashtags and knowledge.
- Understand the facts about the new UK Online Safety Act enabling OFCOM to stop and penalise online platforms who fail to control content and access to personal data online
- Share #16days info and images you see online, in your place of work, school, local community to raise awareness of the campaign and enable awareness and action
- Put a poster up enable information sharing using the QR codes.
- Wear orange, gather to talk about how parents, teachers, leaders, councils and governments can harness technology’s use for good and empower individuals to stand against online and offline gender based abuse
- Challenge the negative influences of technology when you witness it, help create a world where everyone is treated with dignity
- Shift all digital conversations at every change towards respect and equality
- Look at what your local Soroptimist Club are doing and join them on their quest for change.
Soroptimists will advertise the need for action and take action nationally and internationally. Locally we will meet up on 25th November at Cowey Sale, Walton on Thames at 10.30am to walk and talk and then unite hands in solidarity, we invite you to join us. You might also see our flag flying in Weybridge beside Monument Green and the messaging we are sharing on a placard underneath over #16Days.
Soroptimists around the globe engage widely as advocates against abuse, violence, oppression and discrimination. Clubs in cities work with local partners, communities and schools to educate, enable and empower women and girls to change the status quo for the better.