‘Orange The World’ Kicks Off in Sri Lanka to End Violence Against Women
Right and optimistic future free from violence against women and girls, and has been a unifying theme for all advocacy activities relating to ending violence against women. It has attracted global attention, lending momentum to the UN’s efforts to rally government and citizens to the cause.
The ‘Orange the World’ call to action is part of the UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign, led by UN Women in support of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which runs from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, until 10 December, Human Rights Day. This year’s “Orange the World” initiatives focus on the theme of preventing violence against women and girls, in the specific context of the adoption of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, which includes targets on ending violence against women and girls.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Women and Child Affairs, Hon. Chandrani Bandara Jayasinghe, the Chief Guest, noted that “the Sri Lanka Women’s Charter, the policy document on women has identified violence against women as a critical area of concern. It states the measures to prevent the phenomenon of violence against women and children through promotion of legislative reforms, structural reforms within the law enforcement machinery and provision of support to civil society organizations to provide support services to victims of violence.”
“Lighting up of Independence Square carries special significance. The Independence Square symbolizes freedom and equality – and resonates well with the message that we wish to convey today: elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls is an urgent and inseparable task to achieve freedom from violence, and gender equality,” stated UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka Mr. Subinay Nandy during the commemoration.
He underscored the need for such urgency as one in three women worldwide have experienced some form of physical and/or sexual abuse – often by someone they trust. Whether at home or workplace, on the streets or during war, violence against women has escalated to a global pandemic, which takes place in both public and private spaces.
Noting that the day also marked Human Rights Day and the 50th Anniversary of two milestone International Covenants on Human Rights, Deputy Representative of the UN Women Multi Country Office Ms. Patricia Barandun stated that “these Covenants jointly set out the framework to ensure that both men and women enjoy equal rights in all aspects of life. However, 50 years on, no single country has achieved gender equality and inequalities in the political, economic, socio-cultural spheres continue to persist.”
In order to raise awareness on the everyday inequalities faced by women and in recognition of the need to engage boys and men in the march towards gender equality, UN Women launched the HeForShe campaign in 2014 with the support of acclaimed Hollywood actress and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, Ms. Emma Watson.
The event also featured the National Launch of the HeForShe Campaign in Sri Lanka. UN Women will partner with AIESEC in Sri Lanka to take the HeForShe Campaign through Universities. President of AIESEC in Sri Lanka, Mr. Samith Siriwardana stated that AIESEC was involved in community projects on ending discrimination against women and girls, and were therefore happy to embark on this partnership with UN Women. He further noted the enthusiasm the campaign had generated amongst students, prior to the launch.
“HeForShe is that movement that brings together one half of humanity in support of the other, aiming to engage 1 billion men and boys as advocates and change agents. It is a partnership campaign involving individuals and communities, non-governmental organisations and private corporations, government leaders and grass-roots activists; and celebrities and global citizens. It is a celebration of the men who stood by, who enable, who empowered and redistributed the power”, said the Partnerships Advisor of the UN Women Multi Country Office, Ms. Nishtha Satyam.
In recognition for their support and commitment towards gender equality, Mr. Subinay Nandy, Mr. Alain Sibenaler and Mr. Samith Siriwardana were recognized and awarded as HeForShe Champions in Sri Lanka.
“Violence against women and girls remains one of the most serious – and the most tolerated – human rights violations. It is both a cause and a consequence of gender inequality and discrimination. Its continued presence is one of the clearest markers of societies out of balance and we are determined to change that”, said UN Under- Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka in a video address. “The focus must now be on prevention, and although there is no single solution to such a complex problem, there is growing evidence of the range of actions that can stop violence before it happens. This comprehensive approach forms the core of the new framework developed by UN Women and our partner agencies.”
Background
Violence against women and girls is a pandemic of global proportions. There has been some progress over the last few decades; today 125 countries have laws against sexual harassment and 119 against domestic violence, but only 52 countries on marital rape. In 2014, the WHO called violence against women and girls a ‘global epidemic’ and a public health crisis, given its impact on one in three women experiencing physical or sexual violence at some point in her life—mostly by an intimate partner, and sometimes rising to affect a staggering 70 per cent of women in certain countries. Among all women killed in 2012, nearly half died at the hands of a partner or family member. Preventing and ending violence means tackling its root cause, gender inequality, and this year’s ‘Orange the World” initiative will focus on the theme of preventing violence against women and girls. With the recent adoption of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, which includes targets on ending violence against women and girls, a critical juncture was reached in global recognition that violence against women and girls is a serious but preventable problem. This echoes the commitments made at the historic Global Leaders’ Meeting on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment event on 27 September 2015, co-hosted by UN Women, where many of the more than 70 world leaders who took the stage underlined ending violence against women and girls as a top priority for action, demonstrating not only the size and universality of the problem, but also the recognition of Heads of Government/State of this pandemic of violence being a major obstacle to fully achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women.
Around the world
Globally, during the fortnight under the “Orange the world” call, over 450 events are planned in more than 70 countries throughout the 16 days. They include the lighting of major monuments, and numerous activities involving civil society such as dialogue sessions with faith-based leaders, film screenings, theatre and dance performances, rallies, marches, marathons and digital activism via social media platforms. Events will include the orange lighting of major landmarks including: the Niagara Falls (Canada/USA), the European Commission building (Belgium) and Council of Europe building (France), the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen (Denmark), the archeological ruins at Petra (Jordan), and the Palais de Justice (Democratic Republic of the Congo).
Furthermore, as part of the mobilization by partners, influential media outlets and journalists have been urged to show personal commitment to the cause by symbolically using orange in their studios or in their attire, while urging their audiences to take action to end violence against women and girls.