16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence

Friday, 25 November 2022

We support the annual 16 Days of Activism campaign, which raises awareness of gender-based violence against women and girls and runs from 25 November to 10 December.

During the 16 Days, people around the world unite to highlight local and global statistics around domestic abuse, femicide and other gender-based issues, challenging discriminatory attitudes, and calling for improved laws and services to end violence against women and girls.

It's a yearly call to action, a chance to check-in and reflect, a chance to promote vital services, and an opportunity to come together to connect, to learn, empower, to challenge, to take up space. To be a change maker.

The campaign has a clear message: we all have the right to live free from harm.

Gender violence is a term used to describe any act done to someone against their will as a result of gender-norms and unequal power relationships. This can include domestic abuse, sexual violence, forced marriage, honour-based acts, exploitation, and female genital mutilation, amongst others.

The 10 leaders of Greater Manchester wearing White Ribbons in Salford Council Chamber.

The Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester have joined public services across the city-region to reiterate their commitment to tackling gender-based violence in all its forms.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) are once again White Ribbon accredited and, for the first time, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has been officially accredited by the charity.

Campaigns and activities took place in districts across the city-region for White Ribbon Day (25 Nov), which also marks the start of 16 days of international activism against gender-based violence and supports Greater Manchester’s 10-year Gender-Based Violence Strategy.

It comes as new survey results revel that only 36% of men have challenged a friend who made sexual jokes about women to other men and just 38% have asked a woman if she was okay after they thought a man’s behaviour was making her uncomfortable. The results demonstrate the importance of the Mayor of Greater Manchester’s #IsThisOK? campaign, which challenges the everyday behaviours of men and boys towards women and girls in public spaces.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said:

“For too long, women and girls have had to make changes in their daily lives in response to the behaviour of, primarily, men and boys. Whilst we know this is not the behaviour of every man and boy, we do know that every woman and girl will recognise and have experienced the behaviours shown in our campaign films at some point. This is the story of gender-based violence in Greater Manchester.

“But we can, and must, change this story. We call on men and boys to follow our #IsThisOK? campaign and, more importantly, keep this conversation going.

“The campaign is just one part of our ongoing work to tackle gender-based violence and our whole-system approach. This means that Greater Manchester partners and authorities are coming together to tackle the issue as a collective and that’s why it’s important to see our organisations recognise White Ribbon Day, with GMCA, GMFRS and TfGM all White Ribbon accredited, the latter for the first time this year.”

Follow the public campaign via @IsThisOKGM on social media or using the hastag #IsThisOK? and watch the videos on the Greater Manchester Combined Authority's (GMCA) website: #IsThisOK? - Greater Manchester's campaign to tackle gender-based violence - GMCA where you can read more about the GMCA's Gender-Based Violence Strategy.