[women-rights] Women's GlobalNet #265: Global Campaign Against Gender Violence

IWTC Women's GlobalNet #265
Activities and Initiatives of Women Worldwide
By Vicki J. Semler and Anne S. Walker

November 24 2004

GLOBAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST GENDER VIOLENCE.
2004 THEME: FOR THE HEALTH OF WOMEN, FOR THE HEALTH OF THE WORLD, NO
MORE VIOLENCE

November 25th is International Day for the Elimination of Violence
Against Women and the first day of the Sixteen Days of Activism Against
Gender Violence

BACKGROUND:

The origins of international Day for the Elimination of Violence Against
Women, November 25th,  go back to 1960, when the Mirabal sisters from
the Dominican Republic were assassinated for their political activism.
The sisters, known as the "Unforgettable Butterflies," became a symbol
of the crisis of violence against women in Latin America. November 25th
was the date chosen to commemorate their lives and promote global
recognition of gender-based violence.

In December 1999, at their 54th Session, the UN General Assembly adopted
a resolution declaring November 25th the International Day for the
Elimination of Violence Against Women.

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is an annual global
campaign that originated from an International Institute of feminist
activists who met at the Center for Women's Global Leadership (CWGL) at
Rutgers University, NJ, USA in 1991. The campaign begins on November
25th, runs through World AIDS Day on December 1st and ends on Human
Rights Day on December 10th. Since it was started, more than 1,700
organizations in 130 countries have participated, using the annual
campaign as an organizing strategy to call attention to gender-based
violence and the need for better resources to combat it.

The theme for 2004 is "For the Health of Women, For the Health of the
World: No More Violence" with specific emphasis on the intersection
between violence against women and the spread of HIV/AIDS. The theme
complements the theme of World AIDS Day 2004, on "Women and AIDS," and
also follows on the attention received at the International AIDS
Conference in Bangkok in July 2004 on the disproportionate impact of
HIV/AIDS on women and girls.

For more information, please visit Not a Minute More
<http://www.unifem.org/campaigns/november25/> UNIFEM's web pages on
November 25th and the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence.

SOUTH AFRICAN CYBER DIALOGUES FOR GENDER JUSTICE
Making IT (Information Technology) work for gender justice

Join women in S. Africa for a Cyber Dialogue, a real time, interactive,
online discussion at <http://www.cyberdialogues.co.za>.  The cyber
dialogues are part of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign and will happen
every day from 13:00 - 14:00 (S. Africa time) starting on 24th November
2004. The theme for the day will be Taking Stock: Balancing the Scales
and it will include a discussion on the achievements and progress made
in the gender justice struggle over the last year and will identify the
challenges that still need to be met in moving forward. The South
African experts and decisions makers that will be there to answer
questions are Deputy Minister of Correctional Services: Cheryl Gillwald,
Speaker City of Joburg: Nandi Mayathule-Khoza and Martha Seloane, a
survivor of gender violence.

PS. If you would like to know the times of cities around the world, go
to http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/.

FIJI GROUP (WOMEN ACTION FOR CHANGE) RECEIVE GRANT TO END VIOLENCE
AGAINST WOMEN

The United Nations Trust Fund to Eliminate Violence Against Women will
provide a grant of US$50,000 to Fiji's Women Action for Change (WAC)

The Trust Fund is a unique multilateral mechanism established by the UN
General Assembly in 1996 and administered by UNIFEM. Grants are decided
collectively by representatives of UN agencies and international NGOs.

Since its establishment, the Trust Fund has granted US$8.3 million to
175 initiatives in 96 countries. Demand continues to outstrip supply.
UNIFEM has received up to US$17.5 million in requests, with only about
US$1 million to give out each year. Donors to the 2004 grant-making
cycle include Japan, Denmark, Finland, Trinidad and Tobago, as well as
NGOs and private individuals.

For more information on the Trust Fund, go to:
<http://www.unifem.org>

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