This global annual campaign, running from 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to 10 December (Human Rights Day), raises awareness and encourages action to end violence against women and girls.

During this time, we'll be shining a spotlight on the serious issue of gender-based violence and empowering students to take action.

Timeline of milestones

  • 1960

    Political activists the Mirabal sisters bravely opposed the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic and were brutally murdered by the secret police. After their death, the sisters became symbols of feminist resistance.

  • 1980

    To honour the Mirabal sisters, 25 November was declared the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in Latin America.

  • 1991

    16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence was launched by the Centre for Women's Global Leadership and participants of the first Women's Global Institute on Women, Violence, and Human Rights.

  • 1997

    The 1997 campaign focused on the theme Demand Human Rights in the Home and the World, building momentum for the upcoming 1998 Global Campaign for Women's Human Rights.

  • 2006

    The 16th anniversary of the campaign was marked by the theme Celebrate 16 Years of 16 Days: Advance Human Rights and End Violence Against Women. It honoured both activists who contributed to the campaign and those who had suffered or died fighting for gender equality.

  • 2015

    2015 highlighted the critical role of education in preventing violence against women, the theme being From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Make Education Safe for All.

  • 2024

    This year's 16 Days of Activism addresses the alarming rise in violence against women lead by the harrowing fact that every 11 minutes a woman is killed intentionally by a partner or family member.

  • Looking to the Future

    The United Nations Secretary-General's UNiTE by 2030 initiative calls for global action to raise awareness, drive advocacy efforts, and share knowledge and innovations to help end all forms of violence against women and girls by 2030.

The reality

1 in 3

women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at least once in their life.

48,800

women and girls worldwide were killed by their intimate partner or other family member in 2022.

55%

of all female homicides are committed by intimate partners or other family members.

15 million

adolescent girls worldwide, aged 15-19 years, have experienced forced sex.

91%

of trafficking victims for sexual exploitation are females.

1 in 10

women in the EU report having experienced cyber-harassment since the age of 15.

82%

of women parliamentarians reported having experienced some form of psychological violence while serving their terms.

Less than 40%

of women who experience violence seek help, with less than 10% of those seeing help reporting it to the police.

Events

Sip & Paint Evening
10th December
Hallam Students' Union (Hideout), Sheffield

Read up

Explore our recommended books to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of gender-based violence.

Nobody's Victim: Fighting Psychos, Stalkers, Pervs, and Trolls - Carrie Goldberg

In an era of doxing, revenge porn, and online stalking, the law is failing us. Tech companies are untouchable and often women are persecuted. Carrie Goldberg built her law firm on battling these unprecedented cases - from stalkers haunting their exes through social media and dating apps, to schools suspending girls who report sexual assault, to trolls making fake bomb threats in their victims' names. Here, she tells her clients' stories alongside her own remarkable journey to become the lawyer she once needed. Gripping and inspiring, Nobody's Victim shows how we must rewire the legal system for the age of the internet and gives us the weapons to fight back.

Available online from Hallam's Library Gateway.

Why Does He Do That? Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men - Lundy Bancroft

"He doesn't mean to hurt me - he just loses control." "He can be sweet and gentle." "He's scared me a few times, but he never hurts the children - he's a great father." "He's had a really hard life..." Women in abusive relationships tell themselves these things every day. Now they can see inside the minds of angry and controlling men - and change their own lives. In this groundbreaking book, a counsellor shows how to improve, survive, or leave an abusive relationship, with:

  • The early warning signs
  • Nine abusive personality types
  • How to tell if an abuser can change, is changing, or ever will
  • The role of drugs and alcohol
  • What can be fixed, and what can't
  • How to leave a relationship safely

Available online from Hallam's Library Gateway.

Domestic Mental Abuse: A Book for Every Woman - Ian Charles

This book is unique in its examination of domestic mental abuse. It delves into the root cause of emotional abuse and provides readers with a new approach to dealing with it. It illustrates how subtle forms of abuse can impact many women without them realising it and answers the questions that have gone unanswered until now.

Available on Amazon.

Stopping Gender-based Violence in Higher Education - Clarissa J. Humphreys, Graham J. Towl

This book gives a unique insight into how gender-based violence at universities is impacting students and staff and outlines the path toward tangible changes that can prevent it. Bringing together perspectives from academics, activists, practitioners, and university administrators, the book presents a diverse range of voices to constructively critique the field.

Available online from Hallam's Library Gateway.

Drawing Power: Women's Stories of Sexual Violence, Harassment, and Survival - Diane Noomin

More than 60 female comics creators share their personal experiences with sexual violence and harassment through new and original comics. Drawing Power is an anthology that stokes the fires of progressive social upheaval, in the fight for a better, safer world.

Available online from Hallam's Library Gateway.

Understanding Gender-Based Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls: Breaking the Culture of Silence - Nicole A. Sciarrino, Brittany C. Davis, Ashlee J. Warnecke, Heather N. Kacos

Although both women and men experience sexual trauma across countries and contexts (e.g. military vs civilian), prevalence rates of sexual trauma are higher among women, and women and girls may often be targeted due to their sex and rigidly held beliefs about gender roles. After reading this book, the authors hope readers have a deeper understanding of gender-based sexual violence and can meaningfully apply the practical skills provided throughout this text, whether in support of loved ones or in their daily work

Available on Amazon.

Need support?

Report and Support

At Hallam, we don't stand for harassment or abuse. If you've experienced sexual violence, harassment, abuse, or hate crime, report it either anonymously or leave your details to get support from an adviser.

Access Report and Support

Support services (sexual violence)

Support services (domestic abuse)