The 16 days began in 1991 to symbolically connect violence against women (VAW) to human rights through their international days on the calendar. In the last three decades, we have seen the 16 days be a catalyst for raising awareness about systemic violence that is rooted in patriarchy, misogyny and sexism. The 16 days allows us to connect with community members worldwide seeking to advance and broaden an understanding of women’s rights, trans and gender-diverse rights and gender-based violence and the action required to end it.
The IIWR-MB hopes that these 16 Days will remind you of the folks in our communities who show up every day and continue to work to make the dream of a violence-free world possible. We invite you to join us as we “Orange the World” by wearing a ribbon or an orange piece of clothing, lighting up your home, workplace or social media orange, and taking part by supporting those working every day to end gender-based violence. Follow along on Instagram, Facebook LinkedIn or Twitter to see what we are sharing!