16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence

Eswatini Daily News
26 November 2021

The United Nations yesterday launched the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence from 25 November 2021 to 10 December 2021, under the Global theme set by the UN Secretary-General’s UNITE campaign “ Orange the world: End Violence against Women Now!”

The UN Secretary General called violence against women and girls an abhorrent crime and public health emergency, The newly appointed Executive Director of UN Women highlighted that GBV is a shadow pandemic that remains a global crisis everywhere.

To mark the day a report was launched measuring the shadow pandemic – violence against women during Covid 19 where 13 countries were surveyed, it was found that one in two women experience some form of abuse and violence during Covid 19 pandemic and only one in 10 women victims would go to the police to report.

This is something the UN Chief Antonio Guterres called the most pervasive and pressing women rights issue in the world today. The latest figures from UN Women confirmed that during the Covid 19 pandemic, levels of violence against women and girls have increased.

Almost a quarter of women reported that household conflicts had become more frequent. A similar proportion said they felt less safe at home. Violence in any part of the society affects us all.