Orange the World, Leave No One Behind
Date:
This year, UN Women and partners around the region are marking the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (25 November – 10 December) under the theme of “Leave No One Behind: End Violence against Women and Girls”. A host of public events—from marches, exhibits and concerts to sporting events—are being organized under the banner of the UN Secretary-General’s campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women by 2030, using the signature colour orange. As in previous years, iconic buildings and monuments will be ‘oranged’ to call for a violence-free future, including the Parliament of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the bridges in Istanbul that connect Europe and Asia, the Tirana clock tower, TV television tower in Tbilisi, and the National Philharmonic “Serghei Lunchevici” concert hall in Chisinau.
7 December
On 7 December, Tirana Clock Tower lit up in orange to commemorate 16 Days of Activism Campaign. In an event hosted by The Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, the Minister of Health and Social Protection of Albania Ogerta Manastirliu, the UN Resident Coordinator and UN Women, the participants delivered a strong message that violence against women and girls need to end and emphasized the role of men and boys in joining the efforts to combat this global pandemic. “Let’s make the fight against gender- based and any kind of violence our daily job, not just for 16 days but for the 365 days of the year,” said Mayor Veliaj.
A 48-hour Hackathon in Sarajevo brought gender and tech experts together with youth from all around the country to generate new tech solutions to combat violence against women and girls. 35 young women and men of various ages from different parts of the country arrived at the capital on 7 December, excited to contribute to the Hackathon with their skills and knowledge.
“I wanted to participate in the Hackathon with my team because I’m a feminist and believe we should all be feminists, working together to make our society a better place,” said 17-year-old Almedin Beganović from Tuzla. Read more.
Over 100 art school students gathered at the National Museum in Tirana, Albania’s capital, on 7 December for the opening of the photo exhibition "Look at her.” The exhibition presented the best photos taken by students who participated at the competition organised by the non-governmental organisation Together for Life in collaboration with the Tirana Art School and the National Museum. The activity was supported by UN Women and UNDP in Albania. UN Women Albania Representative Giuseppe Belsito congratulated the students for their engagement and commitment in the overall efforts to end violence against women and girls through art – which provides powerful medium to highlight the ordeals of women and girls who are subject to violence. Three students were awarded prizes for best photography selected by a professional jury.
17 women and girls from different religious communities in Albania (5 from Catholic community, 5 from Orthodox community, 5 from Muslim community and 2 from Bektashi community) held a joint dialogue on ending violence against women and girls in Albania and what religious communities and especially youth can do to prevent and respond. The activity was organised by the local non-governmental organization "Femijet Sot - Children Today" in Tirana and hosted by the Muslim community in the framework of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign and the project "Religious Youth - Change Agents in Preventing and Responding to Violence against Women and Domestic Violence in Albania,” supported by UN Women and UNDP. Participants jointly developed messages to end violence against women and girls which they committed to disseminate and discuss within their communities. The activity served to strengthen the collaboration between youth of religious communities in their efforts to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls and domestic violence in Albania.
6 December
The Peer Educators Network in Kosovo[1] organized a discussion on engaging men in gender equality in Pristina. As part of the project "Young Men Initiative" – Be a Men Club, the event triggered vivid conversations between men of different ages and social backgrounds. UN Women emphasized the importance of engaging men in all efforts to achieve gender equality and in combatting violence against women and girls.
In a high-level regional conference organized by UN Women and UN-Habitat Kosovo, over 80 participants, including the Minister of Labour and Social Policy of the former Yugoslav Republic (fYR) of Macedonia Mila Carovska, President of the Council of the City of Skopje Ljubica Jancheva, UN representatives and civil society, came together in Skopje to discuss designing urban policies that protect the safety of women and girls in public spaces. At the opening ceremony, Ms. Carovska announced that the Government of fYR Macedonia adopted the law proposal on the ratification of the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. Read more
5 December
UN Women and the non-governmental organization Development for Democracy organized a “Tuesday Salon” discussion on how the society should support survivors of sexual violence during war. Minire Begaj from the Commission for Recognition and Verification of the Status of Sexual Violence Survivors, Petrit Çollaku from the Association of Journalist of Kosovo and Sebahate Pacolli-Krasniqi from the Kosovo Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims – KRCT delivered opening remarks. Rozafa Kelmendi from UN Women moderated the discussion. There will be a feature editorial piece of the discussion by Serbeze Haxhiaj on one of the national newspapers. Orange bracelets handmade by wartime sexual violence survivors were disseminated at the event.
The youth in Moldova takes a stand to prevent violence against women and girls! 94 students from Drochia district, in the North of Moldova, participated in essay, drawing and poetry contests under the theme “Zero tolerance to violence.” They have also engaged in lively discussions about breaking gender stereotypes and preventing violence against women and girls. The contest was organized by UN Women, “Artemida” Association and a local school. “Let’s take a stand, let’s combat violence,” wrote Irina, high school student, in her poem.
4 December
Over 200 young people watched the “Love Doesn't Hurt” performance in Drochia and Hincesti towns, in the North and Center of Moldova, and actively participated in discussions about preventing gender-based violence. The performance, organized by UN Women and MADE Theater, is based on real stories of Positive Champions, women who overcame violence and helping other survivors do the same. After the performance, Maria Scorodinschi shared her story of overcoming violence and supporting other women survivors to break the cycle. The audience engaged in discussions with Scorodinschi and asked questions about causes of violence, solutions, and ways to prevent it.
30 November
How can WE change minds to end violence against women? Poll: https://t.co/gwnisMi01R #16Days #changingmindstoEVAW #SayNoStopVAW #orangetheworld cc: @eu_near @UN_Women pic.twitter.com/APzlfKAlhR
— UN Women Europe &CIS (@unwomeneca) November 30, 2017
Within the framework of the 16 Days Campaign against gender-based violence, and the European Union year to end violence against women and girls, the EU-UN Women Regional Programme on ending violence against women “Implementing Norms, Changing Minds” organized a collective social media action on November 30, 2017. The activity consisted of a social media post including the question “How can we change minds to end violence against women?”, an animated GIF and a link to a poll for netizens to cast their votes. The post was shared simultaneously on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in Albanian, Bosnian, English, Macedonian, Montenegrin, Serbian and Turkish languages. In its first week, the post was shared 260 times by 230 users across multiple social media platforms reaching a total of 13,180,932 people on the internet. Read more.
In Skopje, the capital of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, NGO Reactor - Research in Action is currently conducting a “Scoping Study on Violence against Women and Girls in Public Spaces” with support from UN Women. Within the framework of its research project, the non-governmental organization coordinated a Safety Audit Walk in two neighborhoods of Skopje to assess their safety, especially from the perspective of women and girls, who are often subject to sexual harassment and other forms of sexual violence. More than 40 participants, including the Minister of Labour and Social Policy Mila Carovska, women’s groups and the police, participated in the 2-hour walk. The participants were tasked to fill out a survey for assessing the level of safety in public spaces based on their observations. You can see more photos from the walk here.
29 November
In the parliamentary session on 29 November in Kosovo, Member of Parliament Blerta Deliu held a speech on the importance of ending violence against women. MPs wore orange scarves and orange bracelets made by survivors of sexual violence during war in solidarity with the 16 Days of Activism Campaign. The Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj and EU representatives expressed their support for the campaign.
28 November
Over 300 Turkish and Syrian youth ran in Gaziantep, Turkey to raise awareness about ending violence against women and girls. #16days #orangetheworld pic.twitter.com/5FsIEb58mT
— UN Women Europe &CIS (@unwomeneca) November 28, 2017
Over 300 people ran in a public marathon in Gaziantep, southern Turkey, to support the 16 Days of Activism Campaign and deliver a strong message that violence against women and girls need to end. The city of Gaziantep has supported this year’s campaign strongly with the organization of sports activities engaging mainly the youth and particularly men and boys. The marathon run was organized by the Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports under the coordination of UN Women. Gaziantep is a city in southern Turkey, close to the border with Syria, hosting a large number of Syrian refugees. Syrian youth also participated in the marathon. Gold, silver and bronze medals were presented to the winners in 8 athletics categories.
27 November
On 27 November, women survivors of violence from the Republic of Moldova, together with 22 organizations that make up the “Life without Domestic Violence” National Coalition, urged public authorities and the society to take immediate action to combat and end violence against women. The call took place in Chisinau, at the Public Dialog “You Are Not Alone: United to End Violence Against Women,” organized by UN Women, Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection, “Life without Domestic Violence” National Coalition, with the support of the Swedish Government. “Breaking the silence is the first step in combating culture of violence. We have to have zero tolerance for violence in the society. In cases when violence does happen, we need support services to take necessary measures and provide appropriate assistance,” said Asya Varbanova, UN Women Country Representative a.i. Read more
21 athlete girls who have global and national championships in various sports ran in Gaziantep, southern Turkey, in support of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign and to raise awareness about the importance of ending violence against women and girls. The run also included women athletes with disabilities in support of this year’s theme “Leave no one behind,” which focuses on ending violence against the most marginalized and vulnerable women and girls. The run has been organized by UN Women in collaboration with the Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports in Gaziantep. Local media and trainers of the champions also attended the event to support the athletes. “Violence can’t be tolerated and we are ready to stand for the elimination of gender-based violence,” said Ökkeş Demir, the Director of the Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports in Gaziantep.
UN Women organized awareness raising activities in Astana, Kazakhstan’s capital, in collaboration with the Astana Department of Internal Affairs. Police officers stopped citizens and informed them about the 16 Days of Activism Campaign, about ending violence against women, and explained that any type of violence is considered a crime.
26 November
As part of the joint initiative of UN Women and the Istanbul Municipality, several buildings in Istanbul, including historical sites, municipality buildings, business plazas, the three bridges that connect Asia to Europe, have been lit in orange in support of 16 Days of Activism Campaign.
In a joint initiative with the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, 200 billboards, designed by UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia to advocate for ending violence against women and girls from vulnerable groups, have been spread across Istanbul for 16 Days of Activism Campaign. The billboards are placed across busy streets, roads and on bus and metro stops. Simultaneously, posters and videos with messages on ending violence against women and girls have been placed on metros, busses and other public transportation.
As part of the Italian cuisine week and the 16 Days of Activism Campaign, UN Women and the Italian Embassy in Moldova organized “Recipes against violence” - an awareness raising and fundraising event to benefit the Helmut Wolf shelter for women survivors of violence in Ciuciuleni village in the center of Moldova. The Local and international community learned more about ending violence against women, the Italian cuisine and culture, and donated funds to benefit women survivors of violence. At the event, the Italian and Swedish Ambassadors, the UN Women Representative, local authorities, and Italian and local artists urged for joining forces to end violence against women and girls.
25 November
To mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a speech to a large crowd and emphasized that Turkey has a strong will to resolve violence against women. Donned with an orange scarf in support of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence Campaign, the President said that violence against women is a global pandemic and added, “Surveys indicate that the issue of violence against women is not related to the level of education or income status. A survey conducted by a university shows that every 1 out of 4 high-school graduate women and every 1 out of 5 university graduate women are subject to domestic violence.” At the event, organized by the Ministry of Family and Social Policies of Turkey, President Erdoğan defined violence against women as a “betrayal to humanity”. He also strongly denounced early and forced marriages.
With simple scenography and scant lightening on stage, the art of ballet served a cause in Pristina: It urged for ending violence against women and girls. The ballet performance “NJË DITË” / “One Day,” led by American choreographer Christina Coleman, unfolded inspirational real life stories of women in Kosovo. About 350 people participated at the premiere of the ballet performance on 25 November to commemorate International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women at the Kosovo National Theatre. The performance presented the dynamics of power in gender relations and aimed to unveil the inevitable reality caused by the inequality.
To advocate for the 16 Days of Activism Campaign and the ballet performance, a press conference was held in the National Theatre of Kosovo, on 24 November with Vlora Nushi from UN Women, Christina Colman, the Choreographer and Ahmet Brahimaj and Director of the National Ballet of Kosovo.
An “Awareness raising and confidence building workshop” was organized in Istanbul, Turkey in partnership with Aydin Dogan Foundation and Hurriyet Newspaper, as part of the global initiative to have 16 self-defense workshops in 16 countries led by Sayfty in collaboration with UN Women and the United Nations Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development’s Working Group on Youth and Gender Equality. The global initiative aims to engage the community to actively get involved in women’s and girls’ safety. The event in Istanbul was organized to raise awareness about violence against women and sexual harassment and deliver the message that women and girls who experience violence should not stay silent and take action. Self-defense instructors provided participating girls with some basic self-defense skills to make them more proactive about their personal safety. Press Release.
OK and UN Women featured anonymous live-streaming on the OK Live app on Saturday and Sunday, 25-26 November, to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The participants were able to record anonymously their personal stories and share how they have taken action and what needs to be done to end violence against women and girls. The initiative was organized in support of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign. Read more
Throughout 16 Days of Activism Campaign, UN Women is supporting initiatives by a group of volunteers, including business women, psychologists and artists, as part of an awareness raising campaign about ending violence against women and girls in Kazakhstan. The events will include an art exhibition, master-classes on art, art therapy, and consultations with psychologists for women and girls who survived violence.
In Georgia, at the initiative of the UN Women, and with the support of the Office of Tbilisi’s Mayor, the TV broadcasting Tower in Tbilisi was lit in orange. With this symbolic gesture, Tbilisi joined the global 16 Days of Activism and Orange the World campaign.
24 November
To commemorate International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the launch of 16 Days of Activism Campaign, UN Women organized a flashmob of cities on 24 November, with support of the UN team, where 16 cities in Ukraine simultaneously lit up landmarks in orange, held press conferences with civil society activists, police and local authorities, and delivered flashmobs with orange palms and orange umbrellas.
Photo Credit: Olena Vladyko
On the same day, the annual feminist event “SHE Congress,” organized by the media company WoMo kicked off with the participation of more than 500 women and men from all over Ukraine. UN Women supported the Congress by bringing together participants from various sectors for a conversation on inclusivity and gender, creating a speaking platform for changemakers who promote women’s rights. Speakers shared their experience on reforming the country, starting their own companies and creating unique opportunities, all emphasizing their strength in diversity. The speakers from various countries (the US, Canada, Turkey, Spain, Azerbaijan, Ukraine) touched upon topics of women in politics and reforms, women-entrepreneurs, LGBTI community, women with disabilities, parental leave among others. UN Women brought 30 vulnerable women from different regions of Ukraine (rural women, women living with HIV, women with disabilities, IDPs) to participate in the event. “Solidarity movements, such as the 16 Days of Activism Campaign, the ‘I am not afraid to say’ in Ukraine, the #MeToo globally, are important. They bring strength to those whose stories would otherwise have not been told. They help us to see the ugly face of violence brought out into the light: the abuses of power that repress reporting and diminish the facts. Violence against women and girls is not about sex. It’s about power and it’s about abuse. It is a violation of human rights, it’s a crime and it should be called such,” said Anastasia Divinskaya, UN Women Head of Office in Ukraine.
In Moldova, The United Nations and the Embassy of Sweden organised a classical music concert on 24 November, in partnership with the Government and Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, to launch the 16 Days of Activism Campaign. About 500 people gathered in the concert hall, including representatives from the Government and the Parliament, civil society organizations, development partners and mass-media, to express their solidarity with the women and girls of Moldova who are threatened by, subject to, or have experienced violence in their lives.
In the Republic of Moldova, two out of three women experienced at least one form of violence by their partner in their lifetime. The concert by the National Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra “Serghei Lunchevici” brought attention to the consequences of violence against women and girls in the Republic of Moldova. Also, an online fund-raising campaign for a survivor of violence and sexual abuse was launched at the concert in partnership with the National Coalition “Life without Domestic Violence”. For 16 days, between 25 November and 10 December, people from Moldova and abroad, can make a donation on the online platform Guvern24 so the woman can secure a home for her children. Please click the link for more information.
On the same night, the National Philharmonic “Serghei Lunchevici” in Moldova was illuminated in orange to symbolize a bright, optimistic future and a life without violence.
The UN family and the Parliament of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia joined forces to celebrate the 16 Days of Activism Campaign. The opening ceremony took place at the Parliament with the participation of over 150 high-level guests, including the Prime Minister, Ministers, Members of Parliament, the civil society and other partners. The Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, Speaker of the Assembly Talat Xhaferi, Minister of Labour and Social Policy Mila Carovska and UN Resident Coordinator Louisa Vinton addressed the participants.
Opening ceremony of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence in fYR Macedonia. Photo: UN in fYR Macedonia
“We are committed to build a society founded on the principles of gender equality and rule of law, in which everyone feels safe. We are firmly committed to build a society with zero tolerance for any form of violence against women and girls. Violence against women is a violation of human rights. We made a promise to all citizens that we will advance human rights. We are committed to systematically promote gender equality and eliminate all forms of violence against women,” said Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.
Politicians, activists and citizens of Gjakova in Kosovo marched to @SayNO_UNiTE while the @UNMIKosovo building and other government buildings lit up in solidarity! https://t.co/vJtqopv5bN #16days #orangetheworld pic.twitter.com/kBH8P4ax5F
— UN Women Europe &CIS (@unwomeneca) November 28, 2017
Kosovo marked International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign with a series of activities. Politicians, civil society, activists and citizens of the city of Gjakova, in south-west Kosovo, participated in a march on 25 November to raise awareness about the issue of violence against women and girls under the slogan “Try to walk in my shoes.” The Government Building and the building for the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) was illuminated in orange to deliver the strong message that violence against women and girls need to end.
United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) building is illuminated in orange and UNMIK staff wore orange to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and mark the launch of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence.
To commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the launch of 16 Days of Activism Campaign, the Ministry of Interior of Serbia organized an extraordinary session of the working group at the Palace of Serbia on November 24. A total of 60 people participated at the session wearing orange scarves. The participants included the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Interior, Nebojsa Stefanovic, the State Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Biljana Popovic Ivkovic, the Police Director Vladimir Rebic, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Mateja Norcic Stamcar, the EU Delegation’s contact person for gender equality Ana Milenic, the Norwegian Ambassador Arne Sannes Bjornstad and his deputy Janne Knutrud, UN Women Head of Office in Serbia Milana Rikanovic, UN Women Programme Coordinator on ending violence against women, Jelena Milovanovic, and experts from the Women’s Platform for the Development of Serbia, Visnja Bacanovic and Biljana Stepanov. The main goal of the event was to joint efforts to stop the rising tide of violence against women and girls. The Ministry of Interior announce that they will launch a special application on their website to show the current number of women killed in gender-based violence and the number of measures taken against perpetrators as a first of its kind to provide statistics to the larger public. The participants concluded that they must do more to combat violence against women and girls with a special focus on the marginalized and most vulnerable groups of women and they pledged to cooperate further for this cause.
A total of 16 buildings across Serbia were lit up in orange marking the 16 days of Activism campaign. In capital Belgrade, the landmark Palace of Albania, the first skyscraper in the country, was lit up in orange. Many cities in the country joined the campaign for the first time with efforts of the Coordination Body for Gender Equality of the Government of Serbia, supported by UN Women.
A round table discussion called "UNITE to end violence against women and girls" was organized by the Local Police Office of the Department of Internal Affairs (LPO DIA) of Astana, Kazakhstan’s capital, with support from UN Women. It brought together representatives of the LPO DIA who work with survivors of violence, Head of Astana’s DIA, representatives from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the local government, and service providers including representatives of crisis centers, psychologists, teachers and judges. The participants exchanged ideas, concerns and experience to end violence against women and girls. After the round table discussion, students organized a flash mob calling for the elimination of violence against women. The Deputy of the capital's Government promised to create a mobile application to prevent violence against women.
UN Women and KAZPOST, leading postal service in Kazakhstan, officially launched 16 Days of Activism Campaign in Astana. Throughout 16 days, KAZPOST staff will wear orange scarfs in all post offices in 16 cities of the country. They will also inform their clients about the campaign, UN Women’s work and disseminate leaflets with information about violence against women, UN Women's activities and locations of main crisis centers in Kazakhstan.
A concert was held at the theatre of Elbasan, in central Albania, on 24 November in the framework of the SHOTA Project which aims to organize innovative awareness raising activities to advocate for ending violence against women around 16 Days of Activism with support from UN Women and UNDP. Local bands and musicians came together under the slogan #YouthReact. The concert marked the opening of 16 Days of Activism Campaign and gathered many young students, mainly from local high schools "Vasil Kamami" and "Onufri." The students raised their voices about ending violence against women and girls and had the chance to express their support by wearing orange ribbons, handing out information brochures and leaflets, and presenting their art work. The non-governmental organization “Women’s Forum,” leading the SHOTA Project and the organization of this event, rewarded some of the best performers with symbolic prices. The event was organized in cooperation with the Municipality of Elbasan and the Ministry of Education, UNDP Albania, UN Women Albania, UNFPA Albania and the Ministry of Health and Social Protection.
On the same day, Today for the Future network launched the campaign with a poignant exhibition in the city of Durres in western Albania. There was significant interest in the event largely due to its slogan, "Take Off Your Mask, Speak up!" The exhibition included an installation of masks. The exhibition also included paintings by abused children and a conversation with a survivor of domestic violence who refused to keep silent and courageously shared her story. Young people, activists and civil society representatives had the chance to start a conversation on the issue and show their support. The Minister of Education, Ogerta Manastirliu, also offered her support to advocate for ending violence against women and girls. The activity was supported by UNDP, UN Women, the Embassy of Sweden in Tirana, Durres Municipality and the Ministry of Health and Social Protection.
21 November
Youth involvement is crucial to fight gender-based violence. To engage youth in the issue, UN Women took part in an open discussion at “Marin Barleti” University in Tirana. Agustela Nini-Pavli, UN Women Technical Project Analyst for ending violence against women, discussed current national legal frameworks and policy measures on violence against women in Albania and key obligations steaming from the international obligations under CEDAW and the Istanbul Convention with students of law and social sciences. Issues related to the implementation of the legislation and policies, including provision of services for women survivors of violence, received interest and generated lively discussions with the students. Read more.
[1] All references to Kosovo on this website shall be understood to be in full compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999).