2022-03-09 12:15
In support of the civil society–led, 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign (25 November – 10 December), the UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE by 2030 to End Violence against Women campaign (UNiTE), is a multi-year effort aimed at preventing and eliminating violence against women and girls (VAWG) around the world. Managed by UN Women, UNiTE calls on governments, civil society, women’s organizations, young people, the private sector, the media, and the entire UN system to join forces in addressing the global pandemic of violence against women and girls. Read more.
The UNiTE campaign has proclaimed the 25th of each month as “Orange Day”, a day to raise awareness and take action to end VAWG. As a bright and optimistic colour, orange represents a future free from violence against women and girls.
Orange Day calls upon activists, governments, and UN partners to wear the colour orange, mobilize people and raise awareness, and take action to prevent and end VAWG, not only once a year, on 25 November (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women), but every month.
This Orange Day, 25 February, in the lead-up to the 66th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 66), taking place 14–25 March under the priority theme, “Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes”, the UNiTE campaign will focus on the linkages between VAWG and climate change.
For more details about the intersections between climate change and eliminating VAWG, as well as to find out about concrete actions and solutions, read the UNiTE action circular for February–March 2022.
To address the escalation of violence against women and girls in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, in April 2020 the United Nations Secretary-General urged all governments to make the prevention and redress of VAWG a key part of their national response plans for COVID-19. The appeal was answered in a statement by 146 Member States and Observers who expressed strong support.
As a follow up to the Secretary-General’s call, the Secretary-General’s Executive Committee also adopted a “Political engagement strategy” for the entire UN system to mobilize commitments and action to end gender-based violence in the context of COVID-19.
All governments are called to make commitments and undertake policy actions around four key action areas: Fund, Prevent, Respond Collect. More details can be found in the UNiTE Campaign’s bimonthly action circulars in 2021:
Join Say NO–UNiTE on Facebook and Twitter, and sign up to get email alerts, to become part of a global network of people committed to realizing a future that is free from violence against women and girls.
