The 16 Days of Activism against Violence against Women are part of an annual international campaign that begins on November 25 and ends on December 10.
It is used worldwide by activists and organizations committed to the fight against this violence to call for global action to raise public awareness, mobilize advocacy efforts, and create opportunities to discuss the challenges to be met and the solutions to be provided.
According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 3 women aged 15 and over worldwide has experienced physical and/or sexual violence at least once in her lifetime. During times of crisis, the figures increase, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic and recent conflicts, humanitarian crises, and climate disasters.
This violence, largely perpetrated by intimate partners, has direct consequences on women’s physical and mental health, exposing them to unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, or sexually transmitted infections, such as HIV/AIDS. It therefore constitutes a major public health issue.
Although pervasive, gender-based violence is not inevitable. For Médecins du Monde, this commitment has been reflected for years in our programs, both in Canada and internationally, in our advocacy for sexual and reproductive health and rights – SRHR, women’s rights, and the rights of LGBTQ2S+ persons, and in our fight against the many gender inequalities and forms of discrimination that hinder the exercise of the right to health and a life free from violence.