16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence

16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence 

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (16 HAKTP) is an international campaign to encourage efforts to eliminate violence against women worldwide. As a national human rights institution in Indonesia, the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) initiates these activities in Indonesia. 

These activities were first commenced by the Women's Global Leadership Institute in 1991, sponsored by the Center for Women's Global Leadership. Each year, this initiative runs from November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to December 10, the International Human Rights Day. This timeframe was chosen to symbolically link violence against women with human rights, and to emphasize that violence against women is a form of human rights violation. 

Komnas Perempuan has been involved in the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign since 2001. In this 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign, it not only acts as the initiator but also as a facilitator of the campaign. This aligns with Komnas Perempuan’s specific working principle and mandate of partnering with the community to facilitate efforts related to preventing and eliminating violence against women. 

Why 16 Days? 

Eliminating violence against women requires collaborative work and synergy from various components of society, including women's human rights activists, the government, and the general public. Within the 16 days, women's human rights activists have sufficient time to develop an organizing strategy for a shared agenda, namely: 

• mobilizing a solidarity movement based on the awareness that violence against women is a human rights violation, 
• encouraging joint activities to ensure better protection for survivors (victims who have overcome their experiences of violence),
• inviting everyone to actively participate according to their capacity in efforts to eliminate violence against women. 

The strategies implemented in these campaign activities vary widely from region to region. They are heavily influenced by the campaign team's findings in each region regarding the local economic, social, and cultural conditions, as well as the political situation. Whatever the strategies may be, what is certain is that they are aimed at: 

• increasing the understanding of gender-based violence as a human rights issue at local, national, regional, and international levels 
• strengthening efforts at the local level to address cases of violence against women 
• building stronger collaborations to eliminate violence against women at local and international levels 
• developing effective methods to increase public understanding as a resistance strategy in the movement to eliminate all forms of violence against women 
• demonstrating solidarity among women's groups worldwide in efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women. 

What Happens in the Time Frame of November 25 to December 10? 

November 25: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 

This date was chosen to commemorate the deaths of the Mirabal sisters (Patria, Minerva, and Maria Teresa). They died on the same date in 1960 due to brutal murders carried out by the henchmen of the then Dominican Republic’s dictator, Rafael Trujillo. The Mirabal sisters were political activists who relentlessly fought for democracy and justice. They became a symbol of resistance against the dictatorship of the Dominican Republic's ruler at that time. They were repeatedly subjected to pressure and persecution from the authorities, which ultimately ended in their brutal assassination. 

This date also marks the existence and recognition of gender-based violence. This date was first declared as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in 1981 at the first Latin American and Caribbean Feminist Encuentros (Conference). 

November 29: International Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRD) Day: Women Human Rights Defenders call themselves by various names, some call themselves humanitarian workers, women activists, advocates, counselors for women victims, victim companions, social workers, or volunteers. International WHRD Day was first observed in 2004. This commemoration day aims to celebrate women's activism in defending human rights throughout the world, in all dimensions and contexts, both individual and collective. The aims of this day include recognizing the role of women in defending human rights and raising awareness of the importance of protection for WHRD. 

December 1: World AIDS Day: World AIDS Day was first proclaimed at an international conference of health ministers in 1988. This day marks the beginning of an annual campaign in an effort to mobilize public support and develop a program that includes activities to prevent the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus/ acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), as well as education and awareness of issues related to AIDS. 

December 2: International Day for the Abolition of Slavery This marks the day the United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others was adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly resolution No. 317(IV) in 1949. This convention is one of the milestones in the effort to provide protection for victims, especially vulnerable groups such as women and children, from the crime of trafficking in persons. 

December 3: International Day of Persons with Disabilities This day commemorates the birth of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons. This program of action was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1982 to increase public understanding of issues concerning persons with disabilities and also raise awareness of the benefits that can be obtained, both for the society and persons with disabilities, by integrating their presence in all aspects of community life. 

December 5: International Volunteer Day  

In 1985, the United Nations designated December 5 as International Volunteer Day. On this day, the UN invites organizations and countries around the world to organize joint activities as a form of gratitude and appreciation for those who have made significant contributions to society by dedicating their lives to volunteering. 

December 6: Day of Zero Tolerance for Violence Against Women On this day in 1989, a massacre took place at the Ecole Polytechnique Montreal (Montreal Polytechnic), Canada, killing 14 women students and injuring 14 others (11 of them women) using a .223 caliber semi-automatic rifle. The perpetrator committed the act because he believed that the presence of the women students was the reason he was not accepted into the university. Before finally committing suicide, the man left a letter containing his extreme anger at feminists and a list of 19 prominent women he hated. 

December 9: International Human Rights Defenders Day: The International Human Rights Defenders Day was first introduced in the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and adopted by the UN Secretary-General on December 9, 1998. 

December 10: International Human Rights Day: The International Human Rights Day, observed by organizations worldwide, commemorates the adoption of the historic Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the UN in 1948. It also serves as a moment to disseminate the human rights principles detailed within the declaration.