The African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD) joins the rest of the world to commemorate the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence year 2023.
In a press statement by the project lead Side-by-Side Movement for Gender Justice at Centre LSD, Mr Nyong Essien noted that Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is one of the most widespread, persistent, and devastating human rights violations in our world today and remains largely unreported due to the impunity, silence, stigma and shame surrounding it.
He reiterated that this year’s theme is UNITE! Invest to prevent violence against women and girls, is focused on the call for financing of different strategies and transformation of social norms to end violence against women.
The greatest investment that can be made is to invest in the missing link, which is the low involvement of men and boys in the fight against gender-based violence.
He noted that now is the time to invest in the engagement of men and boys so that they can be involved in practical work to eliminate violence against women by speaking out publicly against such practices;
Also, they work on themselves to change their attitude and behaviour; serving as mentors or good role models for others to emulate and taking action whenever there is violence against women or working as allies with women to eliminate violence against women.
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, culminating into World Human Rights Day.
The campaign is a strategy by individuals and organisations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls.
