When it comes to November, there’s a whole bunch of important dates that come to mind...

Thanksgiving Day probably tops the list, but there’s one period that we may not remember. FYI, it’s one of the most important periods of the year: 16 Days of Activism! Some of us might not even know what this time is all about. Here are all the things you need to know. Let’s go!

1. WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence (GBV) is a campaign coordinated by individuals and organizations globally to create awareness and highlight issues faced by women, ranging from sexual harassment to gender based violence.

2. HOW DID IT BEGIN?
Its origin dates back to 1991 during the first edition of the Women’s Global Leadership Institute, which was organised by the Center For Women’s Global Leadership at Rutgers University.

3. BACKGROUND
How did it all come about? On the 25th of November, 1960, three sisters were murdered in the Dominican Republic. Their names were Patria Mercedes Mirabel, Maria Argentina Minerva Mirabel and Antonia Maria Teresa Mirabel. They fought as political activists to end the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo’s regime. The Dominican people turned against him for assassinating three young unarmed women. In 1999, November 25th was designated as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

4. START AND END DATES
25th of November, which is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, marks the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism and it concludes on the 10th of December, which represents Human Rights Day.

5. THE 2017 THEME
The theme for this year is, “From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Make Education Safe for All”. The colour orange, which symbolizes a bright and optimistic future, is flagged throughout the period of this event. Annually, a new theme is introduced or the campaign continues with a previous theme. These are some of the powerful themes from previous years:
- Demand Women's Human Rights in the Home and in the World (1997)
- Democracy without Women's Human Rights… is not Democracy (1993)
- Violence Against Women Violates Human Rights (1991/1992)

6. SIGNIFICANT DATES
Here are some dates during this period that you may want to look out for:
- November 25th - International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
- November 29th - International Women Human Rights Defenders Day
- December 1st -World AIDS Day
- December 3rd - International Day of Disability
- December 10th - International Human Rights Day and the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

DID YOU KNOW?

7. ONE IN THREE WOMEN
One in every three women worldwide has experienced some form of violence (physical or sexual) in their life time.

8. REPORTING ABUSE
In most countries, less than 40% of women who experienced any sort of violence sought any kind of help. Of those, only 10% went to the police to report their abuse.

9. MOST EXTREME FORM OF VIOLENCE
Gender based violence is the most extreme form of discrimination.

10. MOST SURVIVORS KNOW THEIR ATTACKERS
More often than not, women experience sexual and physical violence inflicted by family members or former/current sexual partners.

11. OVER ONE HUNDRED MILLION WOMEN HAVE EXPERIENCE ABUSE
Around 120 million girls worldwide have experienced forced sexual intercourse or forced sexual acts at some points in their lives.

12. INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE
Between 2005 and 2016 in 81 countries, it was recorded that 19% of women in the age bracket of 15-49 experienced physical/sexual violence by an intimate partner/husband.

13. OVER A THIRD OF WOMEN ARE MURDERED BY SOMEONE THEY KNOW
Globally, as many as 38% of murders of women are committed by a male intimate partner.

14. CONSENSUAL SEX
Only 52% of women between 15 and 49 years who are married or in a relationship make their own decisions about consensual sexual relations which proves that marital rape is indeed a thing.

15. CYBER ABUSE
One in every 10 women has experienced cyber harassment (inappropriate advances, offensive photos and messages, sexually explicit emails, etc.) since the age of 15.

16. STAND UP AND BE COUNTED
It is everyone’s duty to create awareness about this issue.

We need to actively take actions to end this pandemic and change the mindsets of people in our communities. In the words of Lupita Nyongo, “…I hope we can form a community where a woman can speak up about abuse and not suffer another abuse by not being believed and instead being ridiculed…”
Let’s all work together to eradicate gender based violence, once and for all! #16DaysOfActivism #NoToGBV

Share your stories with us via Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and let us know about your personal experiences, as well as what #16DaysOfActivism means to you! If you want to see what MTV Shuga are doing over this period, then follow #ThisIsMyStory