Campaign Theme for 2007:

Don't Look Away



Ending violence against women and children is up to all of us! This information document will provide you with background information on the 16 Days of Activism against violence against women and children Campaign. You can play an active role in creating a safer South Africa.

Background to the Campaign

For the past seventeen years the 16 Days of Activism has marked activities around the world to end gender-based violence. The 16 Days Campaign has been used to create a global movement to raise awareness, to address policy and legal issues, to campaign for the protection of survivors of violence and to call for the elimination of all forms of gender violence.

The 25th of November, the day that marks the start of the Campaign, was declared International Day for No Violence Against Women at the first Feminist Encuentro for Latin America and the Caribbean held in Bogot�, Colombia in 1981. 

This day was chosen to commemorate the death of the Mirabal sisters in 1960 by the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. The day was officially recognised by the United Nations in 1999 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

In South Africa the campaign has brought together civil society organisations, government and business to raise awareness, by organising events and to raise funds to support victim support programmes.

The 16 Days of Activism against Violence and Child Abuse Campaign is an annual, UN-endorsed, awareness-raising campaign that begins on the 25th of November each year and runs through till the 10th of December.  The Campaign hopes to contribute to Government�s primary developmental objective of restoring to individuals their human dignity within the context of safer and more secure families and communities.

The key commemorative dates during the Campaign serve as useful platforms for highlighting the plight of vulnerable groups (women, children, the aged and the disabled) that suffer from this scourge.

While there has been much progress made, challenges still persist that hinder the effectiveness of the work being done by anti-VAW activists and organizations. The 2007 16 Days Campaign dedicates this year�s theme to overcoming those challenges and obstacles in order to gain long overdue results in the struggle to end VAW. In collaboration with others, the 16 Days Campaign seeks to help dismantle obstacles and overcome challenges posed by social attitudes and policies that continue to condone and perpetuate gender based violence

Who�s Involved

The Department of Provincial & Local Government (dplg) has been tasked by the Presidency to coordinate the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence and Child Abuse - Campaign 2007.  Our task is to coordinate the activities of all government departments and our civil society and corporate partners.  We aim to grow the campaign�s reach year-on-year with the support and commitment of our friends in all sectors, especially to reach the rural and peri-urban areas.

White ribbons

During the 16 days of the campaign white ribbons will be used to symbolise support and to create awareness about the campaign. The white ribbon (usually in lapel button format) symbolises the commitment of groups and individuals to promoting peace in the home, at work, in schools, in the workplace and in communities.

The Theme

The theme for the campaign is �Don�t Look Away�.

SMS Campaign

This year the Campaign will make use of an SMS Campaign to raise funds for NGOs and CBOs.  The SMS message will cost R5 and raised funds will once again be deposited with the Foundation for Human Rights for disbursement to NGOs and CBOs.  A short-code numbers supported by all three service providers is being organised and will be distributed to Campaign friends as soon as possible. The number is 31616.

Million Men�s March

This year we send out a particularly special request for business or civil society to participate in the �Million Men�s March� by registering employees and mobilising men and the boy child to be partners in the fight against gender-based violence. This initiative is mainly to bring about transformation and behavioural change amongst men and boys, but also to raise funds for the shelters and places of safety for the victims of abuse.

Making a difference

Here is how you can make a real difference:

• Making corporate donations to the Foundation for Human Rights or NGOs and CBOs working with victims and survivors of abuse
• Adopting a shelter for abused women and children with a view to contributing to the operational and financial management of these centres during the Campaign period and for the year that follows

Wear a white ribbon

A white ribbon is an inexpensive way to create awareness and show your commitment to non-violence.

We hope that Campaign 2007 will be bigger, better and more successful.  We can achieve this, and more, with everyone making a difference in their society.

Source: www.womensnet.org.za (Adapted for DGFC)