16 days of activism

From 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign is a time to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world. The international campaign originated from the first Women's Global Leadership Institute coordinated by the Center for Women's Global Leadership in 1991.

In 2017, the UNiTE Campaign marked the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence under the overarching theme, “Leave No One Behind: End Violence against Women and Girls”— reflecting the core principle of the transformative 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“Leave No One Behind: End Violence against Women and Girls” reinforces the UNiTE Campaign’s commitment to a world free from violence for all women and girls around the world, while reaching the most underserved and marginalized, including refugees, migrants, minorities, indigenous peoples, and populations affected by conflict and natural disasters, amongst others, first.

As in previous years, the colour orange was a key theme unifying all activities, and buildings and landmarks will be lit and decorated in orange to bring global attention to the issue of violence against women and girls.

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For more information see the action plan.

In 2016, the UNiTE campaign strongly emphasized the need for sustainable financing for efforts to end violence against women and girls towards the fulfilment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

One of the major challenges to efforts to prevent and end violence against women and girls worldwide is the substantial funding shortfall. As a result, resources for initiatives to prevent and end violence against women and girls are severely lacking. Frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals, which includes a specific target on ending violence against women and girls, offer huge promise, but must be adequately funded in order to bring real and significant changes in the lives of women and girls.

To bring this issue to the fore, the UN Secretary-General’s campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women’s call for the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence in 2016 was ‘Orange the World: Raise Money to End Violence against Women and Girls’. The initiative provided a moment to bring the issue of sustainable financing for initiatives to prevent and end violence against women to global prominence and also presents the opportunity for resource mobilization for the issue.

See what happened »
For more information see the action plan.

The year 2015 marked the 20-year anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the most progressive road map to gender equality. World leaders met in March at the United Nations 59th Commission on the Status of Women and in September at the 70th General Assembly to take stock of the progress made and commit to take action to close the gaps that are holding women and girls back. This year a new Sustainable Development agenda, which for the first time includes specific targets and indicators on ending violence against women, also replaced the Millennium Development Goals.

In 2015, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women invited you to “Orange the world: End violence against women and girls.”   

See what happened »
For more information see poster and toolkit.

The 2014 theme was  “Orange YOUR Neighbourhood.” Participants around the globe took the UNiTE campaign to local streets, shops and businesses, organizing “Orange Events” in their own neighbourhoods, reaching out to your neighbours, local stores, food-sellers on the corner of your street, gas stations, local cinemas, barbers, schools, libraries and post offices. Orange lights were projected and orange flags hung on local landmarks and local ‘orange marches’ were organized on 25 November to raise awareness about violence against women and discuss solutions that would work for specific communities.

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For more information about “Orange YOUR Neighbourhood, 2014” see flyer and toolkit.

The overall theme for Orange Day in 2013 was ‘Safe Spaces for Women and Girls’, highlighting the recommendations of the agreed conclusions of the 57th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW57) which took place in March.

From 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December 2013, Human Rights Day, UNiTE called for a global action to “Orange Your World in 16 Days.”

As part of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence, organizations and activists organized local and national 'orange' events. From marches, marathons and panel discussions to radio and television programmes, concerts and film festivals, Orange Your World involved governments, celebrities, media, civil society organizations and the United Nations system on the ground and on social media to raise awareness and public engagement.

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Watch this video showcasing actions around the world to Orange the World in 16 Days:

Check out our influencers for #Iwearorangebecause: