Orange the World

Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today and is a threat to millions of girls and women online and offline. It affects women regardless of their age, background, or level of education. This violence takes many forms, including physical, sexual, or psychological violence, as well as economic abuse and exploitation.

The 16 days between 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and 10 December, Human Rights Day, are known as the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign, a time to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world.

This year, as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women falls on a Sunday, UNESCO will start observing the day on Friday, 23 November, and will mark the 16 Days of Activism through a series of events under the overall theme: “UNESCO says NO to violence against women”.

Why the Umbrellas logo?

Under an umbrella, we stand united to fight physical, verbal and emotional violence, both online and offline and SAY NO TO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN.

Respond – Advocate – Prevent

The International Presentation Association (IPA) is an NGO with Economic and Social Status at the United Nations (ECOSOC) since 2000.   As a network of Presentation Sisters and Presentation People present in twenty countries, Presentation Ministries focus on ensuring human rights through advocacy and direct service to people.

Our unique mission is ‘to channel our resources, so that we can speak and act in partnership with others for Global Justice from a contemplative stance, in a spirit of oneness with the whole of creation’. The IPA’s Goal is: “to honour and advance the rights of women and children, indigenous and tribal people and the Earth”. In early 2020 IPA identified “Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children” as its UN specific Advocacy Focus. (Ann Marie Quinn, PBVM – Executive Director of the IPA)*.

This focus emerged from the IPA Priority Action “Women and Children”, intersecting with IPA’s Priority Actions to “Honour and Advance the rights of indigenous and tribal people and the rights of the Earth” as well as linking the Advocacy Focus with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s). The IPA work was almost derailed by the irruption of the COVID –19 global pandemic, until they realised this only made the IPA Goal and IPA UN Advocacy Focus even more relevant.

Members of the International Presentation Association (IPA) are leaders in their missions and professions, working in partnerships with women, children and their communities to educate and empower them with skills in all aspects. In countries where they are present, the Presentation People, empower women and children in indigenous and non-indigenous communities, in rural and urban areas, to take action against their human rights’ violations such as human trafficking, domestic and sexual violence, kidnapping and murder, by engaging them in leadership programs, community education, home-based counselling, advocacy and networking initiatives.

They also support women and children seeking migrant, refugee and asylum status by building skills that help them to integrate and participate in future roles in host communities. In collaboration with other partners in local contexts, the IPA further builds capacities to raise awareness about putting an end to forced marriages and about the necessity of establishing emergency and long-term accommodation support to young women and girls who are victims of gender-based violence.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Presentation Sisters People, have actively engaged in various projects for minimizing violence against women and children. Women and children of all ages and backgrounds must not be seen only as victims, but as agents of change and equal partners in eliminating violence. Formal and informal education is a powerful tool not only in responding to and advocating against violence, but also in dismantling gender stereotypes, hence preventing violence from occurring before it even starts.

A powerful resource tool

The International Presentation Association IPA) has developed a booklet entitled ‘Elimination of Violence Against Women & Children – Respond-Advocate-Prevent’  providing guidance and practical tools as to how to take action.

This is a helpful resource that can be used in work on the elimination of violence against women and children. Ending violence against women and children includes:

• primary responding to violence
• advocating for eradicating violence
• preventing violence before it even occurs.

The information provided in this booklet and the activities recommended can be used on their own or together,  as a step-by step guide to any project design. The booklet has been designed for individuals, groups, organizations and institutions across different spheres and at all levels that are actively working to end violence against women and children

It can be used as a toolkit to support projects and initiatives of all types and sizes, since it consists, inter alia, of a number of tools and tips that can be put together responding to a specific situation.

We hope that you will find this booklet useful and that you will further build upon the ideas presented to strengthen your work on the elimination of violence against women and children and on achieving gender equality. Elimination of violence against women and children can provide substantial health, social, and economic benefits, both nationally and globally, as well as for subsequent generations, in order for everybody to experience healthy and prosperous lives free from violence.  (Dr. Despoina Afroditi Milaki, IPA NGO Representative at the UN).

You can download this booklet IPA-Booklet_Elimination-of-Gender-Based-Violence HERE

See also

About the UNiTE campaign | UN Women

COVID-19 has presented us with new challenges which call for individual and collective solutions. Let’s continue our efforts all year round from 16 to 365 days of activism, to advance the human rights of women. A world without violence is possible and this moment demands unparalleled courage and joint action to make this vision a reality.

And

From Awareness to Accountability | Global 16 Days Campaign

Note: The information for this article has been extracted from the links include in it, where you can access all of the information in full.

The information in the International Presentation Association (IPA) Booklet  booklet is not designed to replace expert advice on any topic
covered. While every care has been taken to ensure the information is accurate at the time of publication (May 2021), the IPA takes no responsibility for any errors or omissions. (Author: Despoina Afroditi Milaki)  See also http://internationalpresentationassociation.org/