Beyond the Statistics: The 16 Days of Activism and the Fight for Safety
The push for a safer world takes centre stage for two weeks every year, bringing vital issues out of the shadows. Circling back to that time of the year again, the world once again unites to celebrate the 16 days of activism. From November 25th to December 10, the world comes together to combat gender-based violence during the 16 Days of Activism.
The campaign has deep roots in history. It began in 1991 when activists established the dates to honour the Mirabal sisters. They were political dissidents assassinated in 1960 in the Dominican Republic. The 16 days symbolically link the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (Nov 25) with Human Rights Day (Dec 10). This connection emphasises that violence against women is a human rights violation.
The urgency of the campaign, unfortunately, remains very high. Globally, nearly one in three women is subjected to physical or sexual violence in her lifetime. In South Asia, the situation is grim. In Bangladesh, 76% of women have faced intimate partner violence in their lifetime. This is according to the 2024 Violence Against Women, or VAW, survey carried out by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and UNFPA.
This violence is fundamentally related to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. GBV is a strategy to deprive women of control over their bodies and their decisions. Types of violence, such as reproductive coercion, include when a partner interferes with contraceptive use or forces a pregnancy. Abuse greatly increases the risks of unwanted pregnancies and STIs. SRHR clinics are often the first or the only point of contact for survivors seeking care. Integration of services is therefore crucial.
The UN Secretary-General’s initiative leads the global institutional effort, ‘UNITE to End Violence against Women’. The campaign calls on everyone to join forces in creating a future where every woman and girl can live free from fear.
What is even more unfortunate is the setting up of psychological control as a form of gender-based violence. When a partner does not allow a woman to use contraception or forces her to become pregnant, the act is a severe form of reproductive coercion. This intimate power abuse entraps survivors and limits their education, economic independence, and ability to leave a violent relationship.
Health services will, therefore, be truly for women when they are spaces where GBV and SRHR are treated as two sides of the same coin. A woman visiting a clinic for family planning or maternal health should be assured that her health care provider is also capable of asking about violence and providing comprehensive trauma-informed support, not just medical treatment. The 16 Days of Activism is indeed a struggle for bodily autonomy for all. Ending this crisis is not optional; it is a necessity in regard to obtaining real gender equality and human dignity for all.z
Sources:
- UN Women’s website
- WHO’s website
- UNFPA’s website
- The Daily Star