Hopefully you will see a lot of orange today as the United Nations has chosen the colour to symbolize a brighter future without violence against women. 25 November is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence start today to raise awareness about the fight to end violence against women and girls. The final day of activism is 10 December, the International Day of Human Rights, showing that violence against women and girls is a denial of human rights.
At least 1 in 3 women and girls worldwide experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, often at the hands of a male partner or relative. Those statistics are appalling. But gender based violence is not a disease requiring an expensive cure or medicine. The suffering is created solely by human action and can be solved by us acting both as individuals and jointly together. If we can change the attitudes of those who perpetrate that violence, or those that excuse it, then we can change those statistics.
Human rights, including the rights of women and girls, are of paramount importance to the UK. This year we have sought to turn our concern into global action. In June William Hague, the former Foreign Secretary, and Angelina Jolie, Special Envoy for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, co-chaired the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict. In July, the UK worked with UNICEF to host the first Girl Summit, aimed at mobilising domestic and international efforts to end female genital mutilation (FGM) and child, early and forced marriage (CEFM) within a generation.
What can we do this 25 November? We can orange our world, raise the orange sign in support of raising awareness of the need to end violence against women and girls. Wear orange, give orange gifts, buy orange and use orange, and when you are asked why the orange colour, then you have the opportunity to speak. To be the spokesperson for all those women and girls that cannot speak for themselves and are subjected to psychological, physical or sexual violence or denied access to employment, health or education. By raising the voice for them we help the global fight against gender violence. 1 in 3 is a terrible statistic. Let’s change it. #orangeourworld
John Culley, Justice and Home Affairs Adviser, Charge D’Affaires
British Embassy Skopje
