‘The 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence’, an international campaign originating from the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute sponsored by the Centre for Women’s Global Leadership in 1991, concluded with a pledge to curb gender violence. Starting from November 25 International Day for ‘Elimination of Violence against Women’ round the world International Human Rights Day, UN Women, in collaboration with key partners and ‘Ending Violence against Women and Girls (EVAWG), an alliance of women’s organisations joined the worldwide campaign by launching ‘16 Days of Activism all over Pakistan’ to start collecting one million signatures of commitment to help end violence against women and girls. While this campaign was launched all over Pakistan, UN Women hosted an event at the Islamabad Convention Centre with the launch of a media campaign and a music video of a specially recorded song entitled “Socha Kabhi Na” sung by Nauman Javaid and Khawar Jawad. The lyrics appeal to men around the country to listen to the voices of women. This song aired on 17 channels reaching hundreds of thousands of people nationwide and, more importantly, reaching this message to the younger generation that can bring about a change for the future in their homes, in communities and their workplaces.
‘UN Women’ also had a specially branded coach, painted in purple which came to be associated with gender issues. This bus started its journey from the Convention Centre and was driven by a female bus driver. It carried media and some public figures on a symbolic start of the journey to end violence against women and girls in Pakistan.
On December 10, members of EVAG and UN Women visited Dar-ul-Aman in Rawalpindi and participated in the activities which included a play on gender-based violence, skits and an overview on ‘16 Days of Activism’. This activity provided an opportunity for all stakeholders to interact with one another, engage in experience sharing and join the Milliion Signatures campaign.
Civil society and grassroots organisations around the country have been enlisted to start collecting one million signatures that will be the start of a massive awareness-building exercise. People are being asked to join the signing campaign to make a commitment towards stopping violence.
This is the first-ever campaign on such a massive scale to create such a huge degree of awareness in Pakistan and it is hoped that it will help change mindsets and eventually see a decline in violence against women and girls in the country.
