The Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd – Justice Peace calls on us to commit ourselves against gender-based violence
We will be posting every Day at Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd - Justice Peace and Twitter @gsijp. Like, share, comment and retweet. Looking forwarding to reading your comments.
Day 1 of the #16Days
Today, we commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and kick off our 2020 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign.
We’ll be posting daily on our social media about the ways that gender-based violence manifests and how we can take action against it and #EndGBV. Share, comment, and like our posts during the #16days.
We start our campaign thinking about how ‘Poverty is Gender-Based Violence.’ Check out these 5 links between poverty and gender-based violence. https://www.actionaid.org.uk/…/5-links-between-poverty…
To #ENDGBV we must also end poverty.
Day 2 of the #16Days and we are talking about physical violence.
Physical violence towards women and girls still runs rampant in all corners of the world due in part to lack of accountability of perpetrators of violence and cultural norms that view women and girls as less than making physical violence against them ‘okay.’
Holding perpetrators accountable means changing and implementing laws in addition to changing cultural and traditional norms.
These steps are necessary to #EndGBV
On day 3 of the #16Days learn more about cyberbullying as gender-based violence.
During the current COVID-19 pandemic time online has gone way up meaning that now more than ever we need to tackle cyberbullying and online violence.
Women and girls face online violence and harassment at higher rates than men and boys and now that many are spending more of their life online face increasing cyberbullying.
Head to Good Shepherd Asia Pacific Facebook page to learn more about staying safe online.
Day 4 of the #16Days and we are talking about emotional and psychological abuse as violence.
Gender based-violence isn’t always physical. Perpetrators of emotional and psychological abuse use verbal abuse, threats of violence and coercive tactics that cause short and long term psychological damage to the victims in order to control and manipulate. Both of these abuses often occur in conjunction with physical or sexual violence.
Learn more Facts about Domestic Violence and Psychological Abuse here: https://assets.speakcdn.com/…/domestic_violence_and…
Day 5 of the #16Days
Stalking is gender-based violence. The perpetrator will make themselves present in the victim’s life without consent. A majority of women and girls who have been stalked have been stalked by a past romantic partner or acquaintance and will often lead to more physical violence. Stalking can cause psychological damage for many women and girls who have experienced it.
Day 6 of the #16Days is focused on harassment.
Harassment is gender-based violence and can range from catcalling on the streets to verbal harassment at home to sexual harassment in the workplace. Forcing women and girls to have to change their paths home, daily activities, and life around avoiding the perpetrator
Harassment towards women and girls is often shrugged off because it is just the way things are. This harmful mindset needs to shift in order to #EndGBV
On day 7 of the #16Days we are celebrating 1 year of ILO Convention 190. ILO C 190 calls for an end of harassment and violence in the workplace and calls on governments to take steps to ensure that workers are safe from violence and have access to support systems when they face violence in the workplace.
Women face violence and harassment in the workplace at higher rates. They deserve to live in a world where they can work without fear of harassment and violence.
Celebrate one year of this historic convention by reading the document and checking to see if your country has signed on. If they haven’t, advocate for them to join the convention. https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO::P12100_ILO_CODE:C190
On day 8 of the #16Days we remember all the women and girls who are victims of human trafficking.
Not only is human trafficking a form of gender-based violence itself but women and girls being trafficked face countless acts of gender-based violence. This violence creates long-lasting trauma that survivors appropriate support to cope with.
The United Nations Third Committee is reviewing the resolution on Trafficking in Women and Girls this year. It calls on member states to combat trafficking, prosecute perpetrators, and support survivors with holistic services.
You can read it here: https://undocs.org/A/C.3/75/L.14
Use it to advocate for victims and survivors of human trafficking where you live.
Day 9 of the #16Days
Women and girls are sexually exploited at an alarming rate globally. The sexual exploitation of women and girls is an act of gender-based violence and without the ending of sexual exploitation gender equality will not be reached.
Sexual exploitation of women and girls is fueled by patriarchy, capitalism, inequality and demand. The demand for women and girls in the sex trade creates a global market for human trafficking and denies these women and girls their human rights. This need to #EndDemand is one of the many reasons that we support the Equality Model in our human trafficking advocacy.
Learn more about the model and ending sexual exploitation here: https://catwinternational.org/…/advocating-for-strong…/
Today, on day 10 of the #16Days, we are discussing the migration process and gender-based violence.
Women and girls face higher risks of human trafficking and sexual exploitation during their migration journey. Migrant women and girls face harassment, physical violence, rape and precarious conditions during migration.
The Global Compact on Migration looks to build a safe and holistic international migration system. The implementation of this compact is a step towards ensuring this system works for all migrants and protects women and girls.
Read more about the Compact here: https://www.iom.int/global-compact-migration
Day 11 of the #16Days is focused on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Female genital mutilation is a practice that continues globally even as laws are created that outlaw the practice. Part of this is lack of implementation and part is that FGM in many cultures is a traditional practice. Ending FGM requires stronger laws on ending FGM, better implementation of these laws and working with religious and cultural leaders to change mindsets about the practice.
UN ECOSOC Resolution A/C.3/75/L.15 is being reviewed this year and looks to increase efforts around ending FGM. Read the document and use it to advocate towards a world free of FGM. http://undocs.org/A/C.3/75/L.15
Day 12 of the #16Days
Girls from countries and cultures in every part of the world face the abuse of child, early and forced marriage. The practice of child, early and forced marriage strips girls of their potential, leaves them vulnerable to violence from their partner and their partner’s family including rape, emotional abuse and harassment. The chance of early pregnancy is much higher in girls in early and forced marriages causing major health complications for girls.
Resolution A/C.3/75/L.18 looks to tackle this violence. http://undocs.org/A/C.3/75/L.18
Use it to advocate against child, early and forced marriage.
Day 13 of the #16days
“Every day trans and diverse-gender people around the world are victims of violence to levels that offend human conscience.” Victor Madrigal Borloz Independent Expert on sexual orientation and gender identity
Violence and discrimination against the LGBTQ community is a violation of human rights. The United Nations seeks to combat this discrimination and violence through the UN Free and Equal campaign and the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The Independent Expert creates reports and recommendations to tackle this violence.
Learn more about the Independent Expert https://www.ohchr.org/…/sexualorientat…/pages/index.aspx
and UN Free and Equal https://www.unfe.org/ to learn how to take actionable steps towards protecting those who face discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Today, is day 14 of the #16Days and we’re discussing COVID-19 and gender-based violence.
COVID-19 has created many challenges and hardships globally including an increase in gender-based violence. Women and girls who are in lockdown in unsafe spaces have been faced with an increase in physical, emotional, and sexual violence. This pandemic is also taking girls out of school and women out of work infringing on their future success.
The UN Secretary-General has called attention to this issue and called for ‘Peace in the Home.’
Learn more about this call for peace and the UN’s response to COVID here: https://www.un.org/en/coronavirus so that you can take action to #BuildBackBetter
On day 15 of the #16Days we want to raise the issue of gender-based violence and race.
As the world continues to grapple with racism, we remember that women and girls of color face gender-based violence at higher rates than their white counterparts. Women and girls of color are at a higher risk of human trafficking and sexual exploitation and face continual inequality when trying to access services meant to protect.
Day 16 of the #16Days and #HumanRightsDay!
On this last day of the #16Days we talk about the violence that the Girl Child faces around the world.
Girls experience violence just because they are girls. This violence takes them out of school, causes long-term emotional trauma and physical trauma that keeps them from reaching their full potential, and leaves them devoid of their human rights.
Ending gender-based violence is crucial to the future of our world and gender equality.