photo courtesy of www.cwgl.rutgers.edu

It’s time.

From November 25 - December 10, take part in “16 days,” the international campaign of activism against gender based violence.

This year’s campaign runs under the theme “Commit. Act. Demand: We can end violence against women.” Each year, the campaign begins on November 25th, which is International Day Against Violence Against Women, and ends on December 10th, International Human Rights Day, in order to emphasize that gender based violence is a strong violation of human rights.

In 16 days, there are a lot of amazing activities worldwide, so we selected our favorites for you to check out over the next two weeks. Check them out after the jump!

-United Nations conference in NYC (where we are): On December 3rd, the United Nations will host a global celebration for the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The event will bring together speakers from around the world who will share examples of ways in which the Convention has helped implement women’s human rights and achieve gender equality in their country. For more info about the live webcast of the event, which will include a performance by friend of Breakthrough’s Sarah Jones, click here!

- Internet broadcast campaign: For the duration of the campaign, community radio producers from the Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Africa, Europe, North America, Latin America and the Caribbean will highlight the efforts of women and men working to bring an end to gender violence. The audio files of the participating radios and production groups will be available online at www.amarc.org. The programs featured will include documentaries, interviews, debates, poetry and music. Tune in to the station/language of your choice!

-Street theater in Lagos (we wish we could go): The Lagos-based women’s rights organization, Baobab Women, is joining the campaign to ensure that the media sensitizes more people on a local level to the prevalence and impact of gender-based violence. This year they are using street theater to build awareness in local schools and communities and organizing rallies along with other organizations such as Men Against Violence Against Women (MAVAW) to advocate against the cause. So if you happen to be in Lagos, check out some grassroots action!

You can access full calendar of the events here.

November 23, 2009 by ishita
Tags: 16 days of activism, Baobab Women, CEDAW, Center for Women's Global Leadership, human rights, International Human Rights Day, Lagos, Rudger's University, Sarah Jones, street theater, United Nations, violence against women, women's rights, World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters