16 Days of Activism & White Ribbon Day

Saying NO to violence against women

We are a supporting organisation of White Ribbon Day (25 November) - the day to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, where people wear a white ribbon to show that they do not condone violence against women.

25 November also kicks off the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence, which runs until 10 December – International Human Rights Day. These two symbolic dates underline violence against women as a grave abuse of human rights.

This year you can take action on the following key campaigning issues...

End Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the Solomon Islands

	“...They came and one of them  grabbed my arm and one closed his hand over my mouth. They held me down and took my clothes off and raped me. They were very violent and I had bruises all over my body. I wanted to die desperately and I was crying and crying thinking of my children...”   - A 37 year-old woman who lives in Mamanawata settlement, Solomon Islands.

The Solomon Islands has one of the highest rates of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in the world.

SGBV is an entrenched, systematic and widespread human rights problem in the Pacific, impacting on average two in three women in the region.

It has a devastating impact not only on individual women, but on communities and on the Pacific region as a whole.

Sexual and gender-based violence is the ultimate physical manifestation of discrimination and this discrimination against women is pervasive in almost all spheres of Pacific societies, especially in the way women are treated in law.

This issue is compounded by the fact that few countries possess specific legislation outlawing gender-based violence.

That's why this year during the 16 Days of Activism we're calling on the Solomon Islands government to enact legislation to address this violence

Sign our petition calling on the Solomon Islands Prime Minister immediately take action to enact and enforce laws to adequately protect women from this grave human rights abuse.

Learn More

Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the Pacific: Killer facts

Stop Gender-based Violence in the Pacific Fact Sheet

Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) and the Pacific Island Forum

Protect Human Rights Defender Norma Cruz

Violence against women, including rape and killings, is a widespread human rights concern in Guatemala.

Norma Cruz has for years faced threats and attacks for standing up to violence against women and fights for justice.

Norma works for the Survivors Foundation, (Fundacion Sobrevivientes), which documents cases of violence against women.

Her family and relatives have also suffered from threats and attacks, yet despite repeated calls for action, perpetrators of these abuses are rarely investigated and brought to justice.

Sign our petition calling on the Guatemalan government to effectively investigate and prosecute those responsible for the threats and attacks against Norma Cruz in 2010, and allow organisations such as the Survivors Foundation to operate without fear.