The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is a global campaign dedicated to ending gender-based violence. The Center for Women’s Global Leadership is the global coordinator. The start and end dates of the Campaign are November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Gender-Based Violence, and December 10, Human Rights Day. These dates were chosen to emphasize that gender-based violence is a violation of human rights. The Campaign is successful because of the activism of millions of women and tens of thousands of organizations worldwide, who are committed to ending gender-based violence.
The 16 Days Campaign is a global initiative that seeks to: raise awareness at the local, national and international levels regarding violence against women, strengthen local work, link local and global activism, provide a forum for dialogue and strategy-sharing, pressure governments to implement and commitments they have made in national and international legal instruments, and demonstrate the solidarity of activists around the world.
The 16 Days Campaign takes shape from local, national, regional and international initiatives around the world; it is not a single event in any one location. As the international coordinator of the campaign, CWGL provides campaign materials, serves as a hub for information and networking on violence against women, and compiles the International Calendar of Campaign Activities each year.