Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Women in the Solomon Islands march in parade for 16 days of activism against gender based violence.

Women in the Solomon Islands march in parade for 16 days of activism against gender based violence. 16 days of activism is an international campaign to end aggression against women around the world. Organizations stand together globally to demand an end to violence against women. It began on Nov. 25, which is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and ends Dec. 10, which is Human Rights Day

Aggression can be rape, sexual harassment or domestic violence. These things happen as a result of the dominant patriarchy in some countries.

This year’s theme is Orange the World: Generation Equality Stands against Rape

Rape is act of forced and nonconsensual sex that leaves the victim traumatized. Studies by the Center for Disease Control show that one in every six women has been raped. The issue of rape and misogyny is perpetrated when the criminals’ actions are justified with the simple statement: “Boys will be boys”. Also, the attacks women face when they report rape or sexual abuse: “You’ll ruin his life” is telling of the systematic problem. Another problem is victim-blaming. Women are constantly being blamed for rape because of the way they dress, how much they had to drink or saying “no” when they actually meant “yes”. These problems can make it harder for women to report rape and sexual assault and for justice to be served.

Studies show that 35% of women have faced sexual violence with a non-partner and up to 70% of women experience sexual violence with an intimate partner in their lifetimes.(unwomen.org)
137 women across the world are killed by a member of their own family every day.
It is estimated that there are 650 million women and girls in the world today who were married before age 18. (unwomen.org)
15 million adolescent girls faced forced sex. Most of them were from boyfriends, husbands or partners. (unwomen.org)
23% of female undergraduate university students reported having experienced sexual assault or sexual misconduct in a survey across 27 universities in the United States in 2015. (unwomen.org)
More than one in three women have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact at some point in their lives. (cdc.gov)
51.1% of female victims of rape reported being raped by an intimate partner and 40.8% by an acquaintance. (nsvrc.org)
91% of the victims of rape and sexual assault are female. (nsvrc.org)
30% of the women were between the ages of 11 and 17 at the time of their first rape. (nsvrc.org)
20% – 25% of college women and 15% of college men are victims of forced sex during their time in college. (nsvrc.org)

There’s a lot we can do to support the fight against rape. Urging victims to report is really important as only few number of victims report acts of aggression. Organizations like RAINN. The National Sexual Assault Hotline is also confidential and free. There are also ways you could text and email, you can also text/call about someone else.
WJ has spoken multiple times against toxic masculinity and sexual assault. In Health, we learn about consent, consensual relationships, sexual assault and rape at universities and healthy relationships. Through multiple clubs and presentations, a clear view of gender equality has been established. We’re just waiting for the world to follow.
Let’s all wear orange on Tuesday, Dec. 10 to demand an end to violence against women!

For More Resources:

“16 ways you can stand against rape culture.” UN Women, 18 Nov. 2019, medium.com/
@UN_Women/16-ways-you-can-stand-against-rape-culture-88bf12638f12.

16 Days Campaign

16 Days of Activism 2019. Produced by United Nations, 2019.