International 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence

Thursday, 25 November, was the United Nations International Day of Action against Gender-Based Violence. To mark the occasion, the House of the Marine Research Institute in Hafnarfjörður, Harpa, the Icelandic Prime Minister's Office, Grótta Lighthouse, and several other buildings were lit up in orange, the symbolic colour for hope and a bright future for women and girls free from violence.  The campaign, which ends on 10 December on International Human Rights Day, is driven by many organisations, NGOs and activists, including UN Women in Iceland and the Soroptimist Club of Hafnarfjörður and Garðabær.  The House of the Marine Research Institute in Flensburg Harbour will be lit up in orange during the campaign. 

A 16-day symbolic campaign which concludes on International Human Rights Day, 10 December. 

Annual Lantern Walk UN Women in Iceland will not be held this year due to the pandemic, but the march has marked the start of a 16-day campaign against gender-based violence, which concludes on 10 December, International Human Rights Day. On the occasion of the day, Stella Samúelsdóttir, Executive Director of UN Women in Iceland, published Article on the UN Women website.  We have included the text of the article below. 

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Let's not forget the women of Afghanistan 

Today is the United Nations International Day to End Violence against Women. To mark the occasion, Harpa, the Icelandic Prime Minister's Office, Grótta Lighthouse and other buildings are being lit up in orange, a symbolic colour for hope and a bright future for women and girls without violence. As with last year, there will be no UN Women Light Up the World Walk in Iceland due to the pandemic. The walk marks the start of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which concludes on 10 December, the International Day of Human Rights.

A new report from UN Women states that 2 out of 3 Women reported that they, or a woman they know, had been subjected to violence and that they were more likely to face food insecurity. Only one in every 10 Women said that victims would turn to the police for help.

Nine out of ten Women in Afghanistan are subjected to violence by their partners throughout their lives, and that number is rising with each passing day. Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, victims' access to appropriate assistance has worsened significantly. Yet the need has increased. The rate of child marriage is rising and gender-based violence has increased significantly, both inside and outside the home. A government has been appointed in Afghanistan with no women, and the country's Ministry of Women and Equality has been abolished.

The international community has failed.

In some provinces of Afghanistan, women are told not to go to work and not to leave their homes without a male relative. Women's shelters are being attacked and their staff harassed. The situation for women and girls in Afghanistan is dire, yet women continue to fight for their rights and demand equality. That has not changed and will not change. Afghan women have been at the forefront of the fight for their rights for centuries, and that continues.

The international community has failed the women of Afghanistan. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that speeches on holidays become real action to guarantee women's fundamental human rights. We can all show solidarity with Afghan women and ensure their voices are heard by listening. Women must be included in negotiations with the Taliban and be consulted on the planning and delivery of humanitarian and emergency aid. We are taking part in these efforts by supporting the work of organisations that back Afghan women.

We at UN Women do not forget; we are on the ground, distributing emergency kits to women and their children, and supporting survivors and women activists who refuse to give up despite the appalling conditions. Today, instead of a Walk for Light, let us light a candle in honour of the tireless struggle of Afghan women for a life without violence.

Stella Samúelsdóttir, Executive Director of UN Women in Iceland.