16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV)

November 25th marks the first day of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV). This day raises global awareness of GBV. It was designated in 1999 by the United Nations General Assembly. The date of November 25 commemorates the lives of the Mirabal sisters from the Dominican Republic who were violently assassinated in 1960.

According to the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability (CFOJA), a woman or girl in Canada, is killed every 48 hours. In 2024 187 women and girls were killed by Violence in Canada in 2024.  Indigenous women and girls are six times more likely to be killed than their non-indigenous counterparts.

This violence does not occur in a silo. For educators, the weight of addressing gender-based violence can be a heavy burden to bear. On the one hand, we have the opportunity to instill values of respect and equality in young, impressionable minds. We have the potential to intervene and direct students away from discriminatory beliefs and we can also support students who witness gender-based violence. On the other hand, we too are impacted by the rise of gender-based violence. It can occur in our homes, our convening places, and even within our hallways. We all have a collective responsibility to eliminate hate in all forms—our communities rely on it. 

You can help generate conversations about gender equality and respect by organizing events and activities during the 16 Days such as: 

• Participating in or organizing your own local walk
• Developing artwork or art exhibitions with students
• Seek and support a social media campaign that draws on the strengths of your community
• On social media follow #OrangeUrHood and #16Days to participate and learn more
• Creating videos or podcasts that discuss the issue of gender-based violence
• Have grade appropriate conversations around equality and respect
• Organizing a teachers book club or a StoryTime in conjunction with the theme
• Organizing hallway art, banners, posters and lighting up buildings in orange

Need some inspiration? Here are some organizations providing more than 16 ways to get involved and make a difference

• Canadian Women’s Foundation has a 16 Day calendar of suggested activities for each day
• NNEDV is a social change organization dedicated to creating a social, political, and economic environment in which violence against women no longer exists.
• This Government of Canada page lists of ways to get involved during the 16 days of Activism
• White Ribbon, an organization that is working to eliminate gender-based violence with a focus on educating men and boys to promote healthy masculinity and allyship.
• Draw the Line resource for educators, which was created by ETFO, White Ribbon, and the Ministry of Education. See this ETFO page for more info. There is also a French version.
• Global Citizen is an advocacy platform dedicated to achieving the end of extreme poverty,  who believe in one world, one people – where everyone has an equal chance to thrive.