2005 International Calendar of Campaign Activities

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

AUSTRALIA | BANGLADESH | INDIA | MONGOLIA, KOREA, CHINA, JAPAN, PHILIPPINES | PAKISTAN | SRI LANKA | UNITED NATIONS

Women Human Rights Defenders Campaign
Contact: whrd@apwld.org
Women Human Rights Defenders: Defending Women Defending Rights
The women human rights defenders campaign is an international initiative for the recognition and protection of human rights defenders, particularly women, who are advocating for the realisation of all human rights for all. It brings attention to the forms of violations women human rights defenders face in their advocacy for human rights as well as the specific violations against other human rights activists defending the rights of women. In addition, it focuses on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists, who are also targeted because of their sexuality and the human rights they are fighting to uphold. From 29 November to 2 December 2005 an International Consultation on WHRDs was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka as part of the campaign. The aim of the consultation was to bring attention to the need for special protection of WHRDs and other human rights activists defending the rights of women from different countries worldwide. The international consultation focused on articulating the concept, rights and entitlements of WHRDs; identifying the specific vulnerabilities, violations and abuses committed against them; and drafting recommendations and strategies to improve the protection for them. For more information, and to access the report from the consultation, please check the WHRD website at www.defendingwomen-defendingrights.org.

Coalition of Women from Asia and the Middle East (CWAME)
Contact: cwame@cwame.org
A member of CWAME wrote a paper on domestic violence in immigrant and ethnic communities of Asia including West Asia (Iran and the Middle East) and South Asia. The paper will be published in Persian in a major LA publication and will be posted to an electronic publication with more than 400,000 viewers every day from Iran and all over the globe. The below referenced site published the first in a series of community education pieces during the 16 days campaign. The title of this article, translated from Persian, is “Domestic Violence, a Public Discourse not a Private Matter.” It focuses on the issue of domestic violence in the immigrant communities of West Asia and the Middle East in US.
http://www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php?/zanan/more/5428/

AUSTRALIA

Amnesty International
Contact: klappin@amnesty.org.au; http://www.amnesty.org.au/Act_now/campaigns/stop_violence_against_women/16_days_of_activism.
Amnesty International Australia has numerous events planned for the campaign this year. Please click HERE for their calendar of events.

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BANGLADESH

Promoting Human Rights and Education in Bangladesh (PHREB)
Contact: phreb.bangladesh@gmail.com
PHREB held the following activities for the 2005 16 Days campaign:
School Campaign:

• School Workshop on violence against women and girls
• School Cultural function on ending violence
• Bringing Human Rights to classroom
• Leaders of Tomorrow Club for women’s human rights

Adolescent Girls Alliance:

• AGA members will be trained on women’s rights and violence
• AGA members rally will be organized to campaign against violence towards young girls

Young Women Alliance:

• Young Women Alliance members will celebrate international human rights day with their own plans.

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INDIA

India University Bangalore, The Law and Society Committee of the National Law School
Contact: lawandsociety@nls.ac.in
The Law and Society Committee is a student-based body that engages with the student community in creating alternative spaces within law school and in creating awareness of social issues. They hold talks, film screenings, plays and discussions on the same. This year they would like to create awareness on the issue of violence against women and are planning to hold 16 Days in law school. A poster competition on the theme 'stop violence against the girl child' will be held, along with films, poetry reading and hopefully a play.

Orissa Media Centre (OMC), in association with Looking Beyond, Kolkata and Network of Asia Pacific Youth (NAPY)
Contact: orissamediacentre@gmail.com

As part of the wider global 16 Days campaign, Orissa Media Centre is organizing a series of activities during 16 Days. Starting from 25th November to December 10th, the campaign will aim to spread awareness on Gender based violence and help create a culture that does not support violence against women and girls, a culture that welcomes and celebrates the birth of a daughter in their family and gives her a right to live her life as she wants, provides her with all opportunities that her brother gets and treats her as an individual who has equal rights as any man in the society. In Orissa, son preference is a socio-cultural reason leading to gender-biased violence and discrimination. As a result, very often parents and other stakeholders decide everything for a girl from the day she is conceived to the day she dies. The girl seldom has choice about anything in her life and is expected to bear in silence the violence she faces everyday in her life. “Speak Up! Act Non-Violent!” is the Campaign theme that Orissa Media Centre is following this year with the idea that the human rights of women and the girl-child are an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights. Any violations of these rights are incompatible with the dignity and worth of the human person, and must be eliminated. During the Campaign OMC aims to organize the following activities: 

• Two-day workshop on Violence Against Women, ­25 Nov. 05
• Railway Campaign: Exhibition of a poster series on the issue of Violence Against Women and girls in rural areas with posters, Bhubaneswar Railway Station
• Campaign in 11 schools on Violence Against Women: female teachers from rural areas have been invited to participate and a background paper on violence against women in Oriya for teachers has been produced
• 6 December, highlighting the Montreal Massacre in one central school in a rural area
• 1 December, World AIDS Day
• press and electronic media throughout the campaign

Click HERE to view a press release on the railway poster exhibition.

School of Human Genetics and Population Health
Contact: samadrita@vsnl.net
The School of Human Genetics and Population Health had the following schedule for the 2005 campaign:

Swadhina
Contact: swadhina@vsnl.com
From 25th November, till 10th December, many groups all over the world campaign and register their protest against all forms of Gender Violence. Every year, Swadhina joins them in this shared activism, which we believe will bear definite fruits. In this period we re-affirm our commitments to work against all forms of domestic violence on women in our society, all forms of dowry harassments and killings and all forms of gender discrimination – from wages to working excessive time. Swadhina events in 2005 included:

• 25 Nov, 2005: Start wearing badges (white ribbons): Kolkata, Ghatsila, Kanyakumari, Mayurbhanj. Wear one badge in solidarity with these issues and share other badges with your dear ones.
• 26 Nov, 2005: Seminar/Poster Exhibition: Ghatsila
• 27 Nov, 2005: Training Slum Women on Health:How To (blood pressure/thermometer/blood sugar):Kolkata
• 28 Nov, 2005: Poster Exhibition & Discussion for Slum Women: Kolkata
• 29 Nov, 2005: Write-up competition on the Theme for Slum Women: Kolkata
• 30 Nov, 2005: Training Village Women on Health: How To (Blood pressure/thermometer/bloodsugar): E Singbhum
• 1 Dec, 2005: AIDS Day: Kanyakumari, Mayurbhanj, East Singbhum
• 4 Dec, 2005: Women’s Health Camp: East Singbhum
• 5 Dec, 2005: Start Village Women’s Health Insurance Scheme, East Singbhum
• 6 Dec, 2005: Wearing Badges: Garbeta. Write up competition on the Theme for village Women: Garbeta
• 7 Dec, 2005. Women’s Health Camp: Garbeta
• 8 Dec, 2005: Start Village Women’s Health Insurance Scheme, Garbeta
• 9 Dec, 2005: Start Village Women’s Health Insurance Scheme, Mayurbhanj
• 10 Dec, 2005: Human Rights Day Meet: Kolkata

Women Action for Development (WAD) and civil society organizations in Manipur
Contact: wad_imphal03@rediffmail.com
INTERNATIONAL FORTNIGHT PROTESTING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN’05
MASS RALLY ON 30 NOV. 2005
Flagged off by the Vice Chancellor of Manipur University, Prof. Dr. N. Bijoy at 11:30 am, a historic rally was organized at Imphal in Manipur. Nearly 2000 participants – Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Meiteis, hill peoples, plain peoples, men, women and children - took part in the rally. Starting from Hapta Kangjeibung through Telepati and Lamlong Lamkhai and back, it closed with a dance drama on violence against women at the Open Air Theatre adjacent to Hapta Kangjeibung.
Today in this small state of Manipur, incidents of violence against women and child are occurring everyday. The numbers of unreported cases are more than the reported ones. To mention a few of the terrible incidents:

• Killing of woman who is sleeping with her child for mere jewelry
• Teachers in educational institutions preying on girl students
• Looking sexually at women at workplace
• Firing at areas with mainly women and children
• Raping of girl child by uncles or neighbours
• Throwing of mother and two children together in well
• Security Forces eve teasing and raping women
• Torturing and killing of women in the name of dowry or not giving birth to children
• To use women in the fight among armed groups and used of women as human seal by state forces
• To use small children in hotels and domestic labor
• To cause death of women by not maintaining good hospitals
• Brothers looking down upon sisters and harassing them
• Eve teasing on public roads
• Sell out abroad in the name of providing jobs
• Harassment of women and child in the families of drug users

All the above-mentioned points indicate the disrespect to women and violation of their rights. All these are due to the non-performance of government offices and not punishing the guilty which also leads to increase in crime.
To check this trend and reverse them, all of us can do the following together:

• To do effort to establish State Women Commission
• To work for keeping Family Court and Counseling Centre in every district
• To open women cell in every police station
• To strengthen the Manipur Human Rights commission
• To enact the Protection of women from Domestic Violence Bill 2005 in the state
• To make understand the rights of women through legal awareness.
• To keep enough infrastructure for women in markets (Toilet, drinking water, crèche)
• Family court and session court provide timely and just judgments
• Armed revolutionaries keep a code of conduct for the civilians.
• AFSPA’s Review Committee report is informed to public and AFSPA is repealed

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MONGOLIA, KOREA, CHINA, JAPAN, PHILIPPINES

National Centre Against Violence, Mongolia
Contact: mongolcav@magicnet.mn
The National Centre Against Violence in Mongolia has been organizing the 16 days campaign for 9 years. In the beginning, just the National Centre Against Violence was organizing the campaign but today it includes network organizations, state organizations, and others. People’s awareness on violence against women is improving and changing. This is why the 16 days campaign is going to be organized on three levels:

• ECPAT network Mongolia organization is going to organize the 16 days campaign including its 30 member organizations with the National Centre Against Violence at the lead. The focus will especially be on girls’ rights.
• The National Centre Against Violence is going to hold discussions among the NGO and State Agency representatives on the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women’s report “Interlinkages between violence against women and HIV/AIDS” on 1 Dec 2005.
• The National Centre Against Violence is going to organize the 16 days campaign in the Asia regional level with Korea, China, Japan and Philippine. The following are activities taking place in each of country.

MONGOLIA

• Press Conference: provide and promote 16 days campaign with the Asia regional countries slogan of “Let’s stop being silent” through mass media for public.
• Small advertisement board promoting 16 days campaign during campaign duration next to the main road.
• Training for law enforcement officers and for ECPAT network member organizations on 16 days campaign and Law against domestic violence
• Distribute stationary for children who are studying in informal education.
• The Asia regional countries will exchange one case of sexual violence between each other and publish the case through the daily newspaper. This will emphasize that this issue is a regional problem that there needs to be movements against sexual violence against women and girls at the regional level in Asia.
• The movement to pass the white ribbon for men will improve men’s involvement in the campaign “Let’s stop being silent“ against sexual violence against women and girls. White ribbons will be distributed to every man who supports the campaign.

CHINA

• On November 25 and 26, the All-China Women's Federation in coordination with the Maple Center will convene the China national anti-domestic violence and women's psychological health symposium.
• Members of the anti-domestic violence network of China Law Society and the Maple Center will conduct a parade to push forward the work.

JAPAN

• The 29-hour, toll-free, domestic violence hotline will be launched at 10:00am on November 25th. ０１２０－９５６－０８０
• Calls will be accepted for 29 hours from 10:00am on Friday, November 25 th till 3:00pm on Saturday, November 26th.  (The regular hours for the hotline are from 10:00am to 3:00pm, Monday through Saturday.)
• On Friday, November 25th, 2005 women from five Asian countries will carry out the campaign with the mission of eliminating violence against women and protecting women’s rights.
• Participants from Japan are All Japan Shelter Net and All Japan DV Hotline Civil Coalition. All Japan DV Hotline Civil Coalition is a civilian agency which established a toll-free hotline on November 1 st, 2004. Contact: All Japan DV Hotline Civil Coalition. NPO Network Niji, Phone/Fax# 81-82-422-6884 E-mail: nw-niji@snow.odn.ne.jp.

KOREA

• On November 25, there will be a huge event in Seoul to kick off the campaign. Korean Women's Hotline (along with other NGOs, activists, and celebrities) will host a celebration consisting of a costume parade, march, performances, speeches in 5 different languages, and live music.

PHILIPPINES

Theme: "Stop World Violence! Stop Violence Against Women and Children - in the homes, communities and work places." See chart below for details of activities in the Philippines.

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PAKISTAN

Uks-Research Center
Contact: Uks-Research Center, Islamabad, Pakistan
In October 2003 Uks became the only Non-Governmental Organisation to initiate a radio production house run by an all female team of broadcasters and journalists. Uks radio productions, under the title “Meri Awaz Sunno,” became the only radio programmes in Pakistan for women and by women. Launch of the Radio Project was Uks’ effort to contribute to women empowerment in Pakistan through training a team of female journalists and raising the profile of women in local media with women journalists in the country standing at a mere 3% and providing an alternative to other women’s programmes, which portray women in stereotypical ways. For 16 Days, Uks launched a radio project called “ Mujhe Bolney Do” (“Let me Speak”), a series of 16 programmes on issues of violence against women covering various forms of violence. Uks expects these radio programmes to increase knowledge, shift attitudes and move people to change/action on issues of violence against women. Following are some of the issues covered in these programmes: Burnt victims, Acid throwing, Honour killings, HIV/AIDS, Emotional Violence, Showbiz, Domestic Workers, Violence in Educational Institutions, Customs and Traditions, Women political representatives, Harassment at work places, and Performing Arts. Uks looks forward to the participation and cooperation of FM radio station managers and producers to disseminate the programmes’ message through their channels by airing them on the basis of Public Service Broadcasting. Uks has also combined the launch with a national one-day seminar on “Issues of Violence against Women: Role of today’s FM channels in public service broadcasting” to discuss and debate various issues within this topic. We will have broadcasters from Pakistan, representatives of Civil Society Organisations, State-media etc for their input on this issue. Uks hopes that this event would draw a lot of interest from the media as well as public and lead to a very focused and stimulating one-day event. The Director of the Uks-Research Center, Tasneem Ahmar, also wrote this: Many forms of violence against women are so deeply imbedded in our socio-cultural-tribal structure that they are taken for granted. Each year, hundreds of women lose their lives at the hands of males who could be their relatives or total strangers, for lust, revenge, money, or on the pretext of saving ‘honour.’ Ironically, many of us do not recognise these acts until they are starkly exposed. The subtlety of a violent-vulgar gesture, look or touch mostly goes unnoticed and ignored. This silence is what leads to bigger and more horrific crimes. Uks, through its advocacy campaigns, has always tried to bring out in the open many of these hushed up issues and weave programme around them. True to its tradition, Uks is adding its voice to this year’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence with a series of 16-radio programmes on how women are subjected to these acts of violence and also challenging the myth that women prefer not to talk about these issues.

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SRI LANKA

CIDA, OXFAM GB, UNHCR AND UNFPA
Contact: anberiya@eol.lk
On Saturday, 3 rd of December 2005, a one-day campaign event, organized by CIDA, OXFAM GB, UNHCR AND UNFPA, will take place in Colombo bringing together many who are willingly to learn more about and take a public stand on ending violence against women. People are encouraged to bring their members and friends to this public event where people will gather to share and learn through drama, music and to paint their own t-shirt with a personal expression of commitment and to join in the Human Chain of Solidarity towards ending violence against women. Refreshments will be provided. Click HERE to access a flier about the event.

Women’s Human Rights Defenders
Contact: whrd@apwld.org
Women Human Rights Defenders: Defending Women Defending Rights
http://www.defendingwomen-defendingrights.org
The women human rights defenders campaign is an international initiative for the recognition and protection of human rights defenders, particularly women, who are advocating for the realisation of all human rights for all. It brings attention to the forms of violations women human rights defenders face in their advocacy for human rights as well as the specific violations against other human rights activists defending the rights of women. In addition, it focuses on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists, who are also targeted because of their sexuality and the human rights they are fighting to uphold. From 29 November to 2 December 2005, we are going to hold an International Consultation on WHRDs in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The aim of the consultation is to bring attention to the need for special protection of WHRDs and other human rights activists defending the rights of women from different countries worldwide. The international consultation will focus on articulating the concept, rights and entitlements of WHRDs; identifying the specific vulnerabilities, violations and abuses committed against them; and drafting recommendations and strategies to improve the protection for them.

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UNITED NATIONS

This section highlights general United Nations support of the 16 Days campaign, including statements made by Executive Directors of various UN agencies with regard to the campaign, as well as websites UN agencies have created to highlight the campaign.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, 25 November 2005

• Statement by Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/feature/vaw_day_2005/vaw2005_english.pdf
• Joint statement by Louise Arbour, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Yakin Ertürk, UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences: http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/96EA31C8998AEA9FC12570C30037A7FB?opendocument
• IRIN interview with Yakin Ertürk, UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=50276&SelectRegion=&SelectCountry=GLOBAL
• Statement by Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director, UNIFEM: http://www.peacewomen.org/news/International/Nov05/Cycle_Violence_HIV_AIDS.htm
• Statement by António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees: http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news/opendoc.htm?tbl=NEWS&page=home&id=43871e224
• Statement from the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS: http://data.unaids.org/GCWA/gcwa_ps_%2025nov2005._en.pdf

International Human Rights Day, 10 December 2005

• Statement by Kemal Dervis, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme: http://www.un.org.ua/?p=news&article=626

 Websites

• UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, devoted a page of their website to the 16 Days campaign which includes “16 Ways UNFPA addresses Gender-based Violence.” http://www.unfpa.org/16days/
• UN OHCHR, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, posted information on the 16 Days campaign online at their site: http://www.ohchr.org/english/events/16_days/index.htm

United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
Contact: leigh.pasqual@undp.org
UNIFEM observed the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence with a wide range of activities organized around the world by its regional and country offices, partner organizations and national committees. From public forums, seminars, and workshops to exhibitions, theatre performances and media campaigns, not a day went by from 25 November to 10 December without a reminder that violence against women is a human rights violation that must be stopped, and that everyone can play a part in doing so.
In Thailand, a public forum invited comments on the country's pending domestic violence bill, with ideas from the forum sent to national newspapers to stimulate further debate on the issue. In Cambodia, the White Ribbon campaign, a part of the 16 Days of Activism that specifically targets involving men as partners against violence, was launched by the Cambodian Men's Network, who went door-to-door to raise awareness and encourage public participation. A conference for government officials and civil society representatives on the problem of child marriages took place in Afghanistan, while in Abkhazia, the 16 Days was observed for the first time through a public awareness campaign that included seminars for students and round table sessions for the media and local authorities. A memorial was held in Nigeria, to remember all women who had lost their lives to violence and to recognize the courage of survivors. Attendees wore coloured t-shirts — beige for domestic violence, blue for incest and child abuse, red for rape and white for murdered victims — to signify the impact of particular forms of abuse on their lives. "No Safe Haven," a Project Alert compilation of media reports of violent attacks on women between December 2004 and November 2005, was launched at the event along with symbolic lighting of candles, reciting of poems and sharing of testimonies from survivors and families of victims of violence. Across Latin America and the Caribbean, a regional public campaign, which included UN agencies and international bodies, such as the Pan-American Health Organization, ISIS International, and the Centre for Women's Global Leadership (CWGL), called to action hundreds of organizations and thousands of activists to advocate against gender-based violence.

UNIFEM's national committees in various countries spearheaded publicity campaigns, working with local media to place articles in daily newspapers, run radio and TV spots and advocating with national authorities on effectively implementing existing policies and legislation on ending gender-based violence. In New Zealand, 50,000 white ribbons were distributed at breakfasts, street events and free concerts to symbolize speaking out against abuse of women and children, while in Iceland, activities organized by UNIFEM's national committee and 25 other civil society organizations included putting "band-aids" on all lower court houses in the country to call attention to inefficiencies within the justice system in dealing with cases of gender-based violence.
At an event at UNIFEM headquarters in New York, grantees from UNIFEM's Trust Fund to Eliminate Violence against Women told of their experiences working to combat violence in their communities. The occasion also saw the announcement of new Trust Fund grantees — 24 groups working in 30 countries received grants to further their work on ensuring that national policies and laws to end violence against women were being implemented, and to specifically address the deadly intersection of violence and the spread of HIV/AIDS. The complete list of 2005 Trust Fund grantees is available at: http://www.unifem.org/attachments/stories/TrustFund_Grantees_2005.pdf.
Click HERE for a detailed list of activities.

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