Speak Up

End gender based violence

Zonta says speak up against gender based violence. Unfortunately, this weekend 2-3 December more women died from domestic violence in Australia (Destroy the Joint and Counting Dead Women Australia). Currently the number stands at 58 dead as a result of domestic violence.

Charlotte Bunch, activist, writer and organiser in feminist social justice was there when the campaign against gender based violence started in 1991. In this year a team of 25 women from around the world who came together at the first Women's Global Leadership Institute at the Rutgers University in New Jersey, USA.

The first 16 Days of Activism

"We were trying to link violence against women with human rights, and somebody said, the Latin American women have declared International Day Against Violence on 25 November, and we have linked that to Human Rights Day , and that's 16 days. That's how the first 16 Days of Activism started," narrates Bunch.

Zonta Club of Caboolture raising awareness of the 16 Days of Activism and Zonta Says No to violence by displaying orange silhouettes in Caboolture organisations and businesses.

Time to speak up

"Wherever you are, take one simple action: Speak up! 
If you have experienced violence, you can speak up about your own experience.
Speak up (even) if you haven't experienced violence.
Speak up when you hear someone's story of violence and ask what you can do to help, how you can help that person get out of that situation.
Speak up when you hear people joking about violence against women, and say, That's not funny! That's a serious problem.

And to speak up effectively, you also have to learn more about the violence that exists in your community.  People need to speak up about the violence in their own lives, in their own community, in their own neighbourhood, family, and extended community first. As you do that, you can see linkages to violence against women in other places, " Bunch states.

1 in 3 women and girls

With one in three women and girls worldwide still experiencing violence, the need for action is urgent. We asked activists from around the world for their advice on what each of us can do in our lives, in our homes and communities today and every day.

If we all speak up, we can make a difference. Don't sweep domestic violence under the carpet. Speak up so one day our daughters can live without violence.

Zonta Club of Caboolture Says NO to gender based violence. Members at the Caboolture Town Hall lit up in orange lights during the 16 Days of Activism.

Learn more about domestic violence, read our other articles on 16 Days of Activism, advocacy campaigns or join Zonta Caboolture and help build better lives for women and girls.

Previous articles for the 16 Days of Activism campaign 2023:

Day 1: What is the 16 Days of Activism
Day 2: Why doesn't she just leave him?
Day 3: Climate Justice
Day 4: How digitisation is creating more problems
Day 5: Supporting Survivors
Day 6 Bystander Action
Day 7: Calling on Men and Boys
Day 8: Challenging Misogyny

Photo (Love Doesn't Hurt) by Sydney Sims on Unsplash
Photo (Silence is Violence) by Jason Leung on Unsplash