As the world retreated inside houses due to the lockdown measures introduced to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, reports from around the world showed an alarming increase in the already existing pandemic of violence against women.

“Accompanying the crisis has been a spike in domestic violence reporting, at exactly the time that services, including rule of law, health and shelters, are being diverted to address the pandemic,” said the UN Secretary-General's report “Shared Responsibility, Global Solidarity: Responding to the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19". 

In response, the UN System’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence activities will begin on 25 November under our 2020 global theme: "Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!"

You can make a difference during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and protracted state of crisis it has generated across the world, you can support women and girl survivors of violence to stay safe and free of violence. Take action during this year’s 16 Days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence. For more information about “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!” and action ideas, see this year’s concept note.

In 2019, the UNiTE Campaign aligned its advocacy activities under the umbrella of UN Women’s Generation Equality campaign that marks the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. A global blueprint for women’s and girls’ rights adopted unanimously by 189 Member States in 1995, the Beijing Platform for Action sets strategic objectives and actions in 12 critical areas of concern, including ending violence against women and girls.

Kicking off during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (25 November – 10 December 2019), the UNiTE campaign focused on the issue of rape. While the names, times, and contexts may differ, women and girls universally experience rape, sexual violence, and abuse. Rape is rooted in a complex set of patriarchal beliefs, power, and control that continue to create a social environment in which sexual violence is pervasive and normalized.

In 2019, the UNiTE campaign marked the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, from 25 November to 10 December, under the theme, “Orange the World: Generation Equality Stands against Rape!”

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In recent years, the voices of survivors and activists, through campaigns such as #MeToo, #TimesUp, #Niunamenos, #NotOneMore, #BalanceTonPorc and others, have reached a crescendo that cannot be silenced any more. Advocates understand that while the names and contexts may differ across geographic locations, women and girls everywhere are experiencing extensive abuse and their stories need to be brought to light.

This is why the UNiTE Campaign’s global advocacy theme this year is: Orange the World: #HearMeToo

Under the theme Orange the World: #HearMeToo, the UNiTE partners are encouraged to host events with local, national, regional and global women’s movements, survivor advocates and women human rights defenders and create opportunities for dialogue between activists, policy-makers and the public. As in previous years, the colour orange will be a key theme unifying all activities, with buildings and landmarks lit and decorated in orange to bring global attention to the initiative.

Recognizing the unifying nature of one of the essential principals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the UNiTE Campaign celebrated 2017’s Orange Days, and the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, under the overarching theme “Leave No One Behind: Ending Violence against Women and Girls” while underscoring its commit towards reaching the most underserved first.

For this reason, throughout 2017, the UNiTE campaign highlighted specific Sustainable Development Goals through its Orange Days theme by putting a spotlight on the implications and consequences of violence against women and girls within the most marginalized groups, including refugees, migrants, minorities, indigenous peoples, and populations affected by conflict and natural disasters, amongst others. These actions will culminate in global mobilization to “Leave no one behind” during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign (from 25 November – 10 December).

Orange Day 2017 action themes:

February: Violence Against Women and Girls and Women’s Economic Empowerment

March: Violence against Women and Girls with Disabilities

April: Violence against indigenous women and girls

May: Mobilizing resources to end violence against women and girls

June: Violence against women and girl refugees

July: Cyber violence against women

August: Violence against women in humanitarian crises

September: Violence against older women

October: Violence against women in rural communities

November: “Leave No One Behind: Ending Violence against Women and Girls”

Startingin 2016, the Sustainable Development Goals, a set of 17 global goals that applies to all countries, began to guide global policy and action. These goals include gender equality and women’s empowerment as a key priority and includes specific targets to end violence against women and girls.

In 2016, the UNiTE Campaign  marked 25th of every month as “Orange Day,” a day to raise awareness and take action to end violence against women and girls. Orange Days highlighted specific Sustainable Development Goals as they relate to violence against women and girls. The global goals are for everyone, and to fully achieve them, everyone has a role to play in ending gender inequality and violence.

Orange Day 2016 action themes:

January: Wear orange and start the conversation about how your country can achieve gender equality and eliminate violence against women and girls by 2030!

February: Break the cycle of poverty and violence against women and girls

March: Health and Violence against Women and Girls

April: “Orange the world: Raise money to end violence against women”

May: Water and Sanitation and Violence against Women and Girls

June: Safe Education for Women and Girls

July: Reduce inequality within and among countries

August: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full employment and decent work for all

September: Violence against women and access to food

October:  Access to justice and peaceful societies for sustainable development for women and girls

The year 2015 marks the 20-year anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the most progressive road map to gender equality. World leaders met in March at the United Nations 59th Commission on the Status of Women and in September at the 70th General Assembly to take stock of the progress made and commit to take action to close the gaps that are holding women and girls back. This year a new Sustainable Development agenda, which for the first time includes specific targets and indicators on ending violence against women, also replaced the Millennium Development Goals.

2015 Orange Day themes

November – Orange the world: End violence against women and girls
October – Ensuring access to services for survivors of violence against women and girls
September – The new global development agenda: what's next for efforts to end violence against women and girls?
August – Get ready to orange the world
July – Orange our Future: Engaging youth to prevent and end violence against women and girls ; Call to Action
June – Where is the money for initiatives to end violence against women and girls?
May – Using technology to end violence against women and girls
April – ‘HeForShes’ say No to violence against women and girls 
March – Launch of UNiTE campaign Call for Action for the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence
February – Twenty-year review of the Beijing Platform for Action: how far have we come in efforts to end violence against women and girls?