Geneva turns orange – United to prevent violence against women and girls.

Violence against women and girls is a global epidemic that knows no boundaries. It is a universal phenomenon, which takes many forms across culture, race, and class. Women around the world face a myriad of threats simply because of their gender, from physical abuse to sexual assault, harassment and domestic abuse. Violence against women and girls is one of the most systematic and widespread human rights violations, where 35 per cent of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence.

In November, orange becomes the colour of activism, a call to action, to stand in solidarity to create a world where women and girls are free from fear and violence. As every year, the EU Delegation in Geneva initiated, jointly with UN Women and the UN Office in Geneva, an event to mark the #16daysOfActivism by gathering Ambassadors, diplomats, UN representatives and civil society organizations to spread awareness against gender-based violence.

There is no excuse for violence against women and girls – not at home, not at the workplace, not in public, not online. Nowhere. In the face of a rising backlash against women's rights we stand resolute in our commitment to gender equality. Gender-based violence is everybody’s business. It’s ours and it is yours. - EU Ambassador Lotte Knudsen

This year’s 16 Days of Activism campaign theme, “Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women & Girls”, calls on all stakeholders to focus on the importance of financing different prevention strategies to stop violence from occurring in the first place.

Gender-related killings and other forms of violence against women and girls are not inevitable and may be prevented through early intervention by promoting positive and gender-equitable social norms, working with men and boys to transform patriarchal masculinities and practices, linking prevention efforts with social protection, social safety and security and, promoting women’s economic empowerment.

Any place where war is being waged is a breeding ground for violence against women. All forms of violence against women are vile, but conflict-related rape and sexual violence transcend in horror because the aim is not just to torture/humiliate women but to dehumanize, instill existential fear, and crush community spirit. To prevent violence against women, we must also double our efforts to end wars. - Osnat Lubrani, Head a.i. UN Women Office Geneva

At this participatory event representatives of Permanent Missions, international organisations and civil society were invited to stick orange paper flower on a large canva, forming the word NO, symbolically planting the seed for a world free of gender-based violence. #16Days2023