16 Days of Activism
PRONIA SUPPORTS THE CAMPAIGN: ‘16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST GENDER BASED VIOLENCE 2020’ | February 15, 2022
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day. This is the time of year when a whole lot of people come together and speak out on one topic: ending violence against women and girls. In the streets, in offices, in schools, in cities and in villages, people around the world galvanise to raise awareness and take action during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based-Violence.
PRONIA is supporting the call for action with a range of activities during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, 25 November – 10 December 2020 and is inviting the community to participate in various ways outlined below, in order to drive change.
Why does it matter?
Working with family violence and elder abuse programs for over 30 years, PRONIA is particularly aware of violence against women in all forms, which is far too often shrouded in silence, with violence sustained by cultures that don’t respond. Grasping the extent of the issue can be hard, since figures often only include those who report the problem. But PRONIA has dealt with hundreds of cases over the years, and that is why the organisation is supporting fully this cause and is working towards educating the community to change these discriminatory attitudes and behaviours.
During the COVID-19 lockdowns, violence against women occurred at an alarming scale in every country of the world including Australia. In many societies, this is accepted as normal behaviour and the global culture of discrimination against women allows violence to occur with impunity.
Violence against women is an international problem and as such, it requires global action. That is why, 16 Days of Activism is a crucial call for action as it shines a spotlight on the issue. These 16 days, PRONIA will be working hard to create public awareness about what needs to change in order to prevent it from happening in the first place in our communities, in our regions and in the world at large.
Who needs to be involved?
Everyone. Ending violence against women is everyone’s business. There are many ways you can make a difference, and you can start by participating in PRONIA’s 16 Days of Activism activities. This year, PRONIA supports the campaign of Respect Victoria under the theme, “Respect Women: Call It Out ‘Respect Is’ to coincide with the United Nations (UN) initiative 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
What I can do to get involved?
- Turn the world orange for 16 days. Use our Facebook selfie frame or virtual background to orange your social media profiles and raise awareness (available on PRONIA’s website from 25 November)
- Participate in the Walk Against Family Violence (details below) and wear something orange
- Get creative. Declare your objection to violence with a piece of art, a poem, any kind of artistic expression that resonates with you and share it on PRONIA’s Facebook page (details below)
- Know the real facts – One in three women and girls around the world are experiencing some form of violence in their lifetime. You can learn more about the different forms of violence by participating in PRONIA’s monthly family violence webinars. (pronia.com.au/events)
Walk against Family Violence – 25 November
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence will launch on Wednesday 25 November with the annual Walk against Family Violence (WAFV). PRONIA’s staff is participating in this event and is encouraging the community to take part. To register, visit the SAFE STEPS website, select ‘join a group’ and search for PRONIA – https://walk.safesteps.org.au/
Participants can ‘walk from home’ and the options for the walk are many, you can walk alone around the block, with a friend, or if there is a local group you can participate. Orange is the themed colour of 16 Days of Activism and all participants are encouraged to wear something orange during the walk. By doing so, we are raising awareness of family violence and violence against women in our communities. Pictures of all participants on the walk will be posted on PRONIA’s Facebook page.
Creative Expression against Gender-based Violence. PRONIA invites the community to speak out by contributing with a piece of art to share in PRONIA’s social media. In order to allow people to express themselves and raise their voices in their own way, the contributions are open to all art forms, such as painting, video, photography, poetry, music, and it doesn’t have to be created by you, it could be someone else’s as long as it resinates with you and you provide the credits. All contributions will be posted in the social media as part of PRONIA’s campaign during the 16 Days of Activism.
At PRONIA we believe that by sharing our art, we can go some way towards helping ourselves and our world. We can change our response to violence by speaking out, forming community, developing creative expression and celebrating our power. We are stronger when we come together.
Violence against women is not inevitable; it is preventable. During the 16 Days of Activism we all have the opportunity to speak out. Together, our message will be amplified, and our voices heard.
For more information about PRONIA’s 16 Days of Activism visit the website: www.pronia.com.au/events or call (03) 9388 9998.