CONTENT WARNING: Mentions of types of gender based violence throughout.
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, Human Rights Day. It was started by activists at the inaugural Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991 and continues to be coordinated each year by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership. It is used as an organizing strategy by individuals and organizations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.
Day 1, 25 November - Claire Morris, VP Student Development introduces the 16 Days of Action and shares what the campaign means to her.
Day 2, 26 November - Information about the Anti-Spiking Campaign at Your Union bar spaces
Day 3, 27 November - A celebration of the work of the Women's Aid movement
Day 4, 28 November - Information about the Ask for Angela Campaign at Your Union bar spaces
Day 5, 29 November - A celebration of International Women's Human Rights Defenders Day
Day 6, 30 November - Bite-sized Digital Mental Health Support Workshop from UWS Counselling and Wellbeing Service
Day 7, 1 December - Marking World AIDS day
Day 8, 2 December - 'I Just Froze' - a public awareness campaign from Rape Crisis Scotland
Day 9, 3 December - 'That Guy' - a new campaign from Police Scotland that aims to reduce rape, serious sexual assault and harassment
Day 10, 4 December - 'White Ribbon Campaign' - a global movement of men and boys working to end male violence against women and girls
Day 11, 5 December - Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect to end gender-based violence
Day 12, 6 December - Hannah Eaton, UWS Student talks about the issues surrounding Disabled people and GBV
Day 13, 7 December - Raising awareness of Honour Based Abuse
Day 14, 8 December - An introduction to UWS Women's Group
Day 15, 9 December - Fight for the Night 2021
Day 16, 10 December - Ellie Gomersall, your Union's President closes the 16 Days of Action and shares what the campaign means to her
Day 1: Welcome to 16 Days of Action against Gender Based Violence
Thursday 25 November
Claire Morris, VP Student Development introduces the 16 Days of Action and shares what the campaign means to her.
Day 2: Anti-Spiking at Your Union
Friday 26 November
We shouldn’t have to be talking about it, but we are… In response to the recent spiking incidents primarily targeting women in Scotland, UWS Students’ Union would like to advise of our zero-tolerance approach to gender based violence and any form of harassment or aggressive behaviour. Spiking is assault and will not be tolerated by Your Union.
Our venues are here to offer a safe and enjoyable experience to UWS students. The responsibility of safety does not lie with the victims of these attacks. As a Union, we have safety measures and reporting tools in place to support our guests.
If, at any time, you feel unsafe or uncomfortable in a Union space, please speak to a member of staff who are there to support you. We can contact medical help or police on your behalf. We operate the Ask for Angela scheme for incidents where you need to ask for help subtly.
To help you feel safer, we will soon be offering drinks covers and testing kits in our bar areas. Once these arrive, we will let you know and please do not hesitate to ask for these when ordering your drinks.
We would like to reiterate that spiking is a criminal offence, and we will report any incidents to both UWS and Police Scotland. Please be assured that we are doing everything we can to ensure your safety in our buildings. Should you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Find out more on what to do if you or someone you know is spiked at stoptopps.com
Day 3: Women's Aid
Saturday 27 November
Today we are celebrating the Women’s Aid movement. A wonderful example of the power of compassion and support – from women in a small flat providing shelter for families experiencing domestic abuse to the strong organisations running refuges and shaping legislation today.
Watch this short film (30 minutes) capturing the stories and memories of eight women who have been involved in Women’s Aid at different points in its history, as well as with a range of Women’s Aid groups in Scotland. Their stories follow how Women’s Aid has changed during its 40+ year history in Scotland, but also demonstrate that many aspects of Women’s Aid’s work have remained the same: supporting women, children and young people, challenging attitudes around domestic abuse, and campaigning for an end to violence against women.
For more information and support visit Scottish Women's Aid or Women's Aid.
Day 4: Ask for Angela
Sunday 28 November
Ask For Angela is a simple code-word campaign for people feeling unsafe on a date, backed by Police Scotland. If you find yourself in a difficult situation and you can’t get out of it, Your Union's bar staff in Paisley and Ayr are trained to offer support discretely when asked for “Angela”.
Day 5: International Women's Human Rights Defenders Day
Monday 29 November
International Women Human Rights Defenders Day - when we spotlight how women worldwide are being increasingly attacked for standing up for their rights, for their communities, and for wanting a place at the peace table.
Day 6: Bite-sized Digital Mental Health Support Workshop
Tuesday 30 November
The mental health impacts of gender-based violence are devastating. There is an exponential rise in mental illness including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicidal ideation for women who have experienced violence and abuse. SilverCloud is an online mental health and wellbeing platform that can help support you and your mental health virtually.
Join a bite-sized session on Wednesday 1 December, 1pm - 1.30pm presented by David Blair, one of the Disability Advisers at UWS. In this session, David will talk you through the various different topics and support options available on SilverCloud. Book your free space on Eventbrite using your UWS email address.
Day 7: World AIDS day
Wednesday 1 December
World AIDS Day takes place on 1 December each year. It’s an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness.
People living with HIV face life-changing stigma and discrimination.
A recent survey showed that one in five people living with HIV have experienced verbal harassment or threats. A third reported having their HIV status disclosed without their consent by someone close to them. One in five reported being treated differently by their GP and many reported pressure at work to disclose their status.
This impact is significant, 18% of respondents to this survey reported suicidal thoughts within the past 12 months. And 17% of people living with HIV report 'often' skimping on food because of poverty.
But education is key - and that's precisely what World AIDS Day is for.
Find out more at www.worldaidsday.org
Online Events Today:
Day 8: 'I Just Froze'
Thursday 2 December
'I Just Froze' is a public awareness campaign from Rape Crisis Scotland which aims to challenge and change common misconceptions that there is a right or wrong way for people to react during or after a rape.
Survivors of rape and sexual assault often fear being judged for their behaviour if they were unable to fight back during a rape. This is something that can stop them coming forward to disclose what has happened to friends or family or to someone else who might be able to offer support. They can also worry about being judged in court and this is something that can make them hesitate, delay or even prevent them altogether from reporting the assault to the police. These fears can be a real barrier to survivors’ chances of receiving support or justice after rape, and it’s important that we do everything we can to understand and overcome them.
Get more information on the 'I Just Froze' campaign on Rape Crisis Scotland's website.
Day 9: 'That Guy'
Friday 3 December
'That Guy' is a new campaign from Police Scotland that aims to reduce rape, serious sexual assault and harassment.
“We welcome the 'That Guy' campaign by Police Scotland. Men can make a difference by changing the way they talk about women and talk to women. Men should not contribute to a culture that targets, minimises, demeans and brutalises women” - Luke Humberstone, VP Welfare and Wellbeing
Day 10: White Ribbon Campaign
Saturday 4 December
The WRC is the largest effort in the world of men working to end men’s violence against women. It relies on volunteer support and financial contributions from individuals and organisations. Take the pledge never to commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women in all its forms on White Ribbon Scotland's website.
Your VP Education Kevin Migium speaks about the White Ribbon campaign in this short video.
Day 11: Orange the World
Sunday 5 December
Orange is a significant colour for the 16 days of activism as it represents a brighter future, free of violence. UN Women has a target to end gender-based violence by 2030, with this year's global theme being - Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!
Wear orange together with the Women's Liberation Group at Your Union - share your photo with hastags #OrangeTheWorld and #16DaysOfActivism.
Speak out, Orange The World & break the cycle of abuse during 16 Days of Activism!
Day 12: Disabled people and GBV
Monday 6 December
- Women and girls with disabilities are two to five times more likely to be victims of gender-based violence than women and girls without disabilities;
- 6 out of 10 women with intellectual disabilities report being sexually abused;
- 34 % of women with a health problem or a disability have experienced physical or sexual violence by a partner in their lifetime;
- Studies have shown that disabled women are twice as likely to experience domestic abuse and are also twice as likely to suffer assault and rape.
- sterilisation of women with disabilities without their knowledge or consent is a widespread form of violence, in particular affecting members of ethnic minorities such as Roma women
Day 13: Honour Based Abuse
Tuesday 7 December
Honour Based Abuse includes practices like forced marriage and FGM. It can be distinguished from other forms of gender-based violence as it is committed with some degree of approval and/or collusion from family or community members or both, in response to perceived immoral/shameful behaviour, which is deemed to have breached the Code of “honour”. It may also be linked to misconceptions about culture and/or religious belief.
Honour based crimes are broad, ranging from threats and intimidation through to kidnap and murder. Worldwide it is estimated that there are 5000 honour killings a year. In the UK, it is believed that figure is approximately 10 to 15 murders a year. However, the true figure could be much higher when considering that some may be commissioned or planned in the UK, but the act is committed abroad. There's no ‘honour’ in murder or abuse of an individual’s human rights.
In Scotland there are organisations that specialise in supporting women and children who have experienced 'honour based' abuse:
- Shakti Women’s Aid - 0131 475 2399
- Hemat Gryffe - 0141 353 0859
- Scottish Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline - 0800 027 1234
In-person event today:
Day 14: UWS Women's Group
Wednesday 8 December
UWS Women's Group is the Intersectional Feminism group at the University of the West of Scotland. We believe that feminism must be inclusive and supportive, and we put on events to raise awareness of issues facing women globally, in Scotland, and at UWS.
This society is an inclusive safe space for everyone who identifies with the label "woman", including non-binary people who may also identify with that label. We work closely with other liberation groups and Accessibility to Education UWS to ensure we are always as inclusive and accessible as possible.
Check out this series of posters the Women's Group made to raise awareness of gender-based violence.
Online event today:
Day 15: Fight for the Night 2021
Thursday 9 December
The below is from Strathclyde Union's Website (accessed 7 Dec 2021):
- Thursday 09 December 2021
- 6pm - 9pm
- Kelvingrove Park to George Square
Every year, we march together during 16 Days of Action to demand action to make our streets safer and show solidarity to survivors of rape and sexual assault. After hosting Fight for the Night (at Home) in 2020, we are excited to be heading out to the streets to march.
We believe that, as women, trans and non-binary people and those presenting as female, we have the right to walk the streets at night without the fear of sexual and gendered violence. We want to protest against the stigma surrounding rape and sexual assault, the victim-blaming that goes alongside this and make our thoughts known on the appalling rape conviction rate in Scotland. With the rise in reports of spiking and violence towards women, this is more important than ever.
Below is the route. We will be meeting in Kelvingrove Park at the Prince of Wales Bridge at 6pm, with a view to leave by 6:15pm.
There will be regular stops throughout the procession to allow for people to rest, or to join the march later.
At the end of the march, there will be a short rally in George Square. Attendees are then invited to come back to Strath Union for teas, coffee and snacks. We will also be hearing from representatives from a number of different organisations, including Glasgow Women's Aid and Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis.
Safety Precautions
It will be cold and has the potential to be wet - please wear appropriate footwear and layers, including waterproofs if necessary. The lighting in the park is limited, so it's advisable to bring a torch or phone with a light - we will also be providing torches at the event.
Before and after the march, please make sure that you get some safely. Kelvingrove and George Square are both near several public transport options - we would also recommend travelling with others if possible.
As the COVID pandemic is still ongoing, we would advise attendees to wear facemasks, unless exempt, and to maintain a distance of 2 metres as much as possible. We will be reviewing the safety of this event alongside government guidance.
Event today:
Day 16: Ellie Closes the 16 Days Campaign
Friday 10 December
Ellie Gomersall, your Union's President closes the 16 Days of Action and urges everyone to keep the conversations around GBV going past the 16 Days. If you're a woman student and you'd like to get more involved in campaigning year-round, consider joining the Union's Women's Liberation Group. Find out more and join the Women's Liberation Group online.