TPO Foundation, together with UNIGEM project partners and in cooperation with 19 universities from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, announces this year's "16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence" campaign, which will last from November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to December 10, Human Rights Day, symbolically linking the fight against gender-based violence with the protection of fundamental human rights.
Why is this campaign important?
Gender-based violence (GBV) is present in all societies and institutions, but often remains unrecognized or ignored while femicide increases day by day. According to global research, one in three women experiences some form of violence during her lifetime. This is not just an individual problem but a societal challenge that requires a systemic response. The "16 Days of Activism" campaign was started in 1991 and today brings together over 180 countries and thousands of organizations that operate at the local, national and global levels to shed light on the scale of this problem and encourage concrete changes.
What have we achieved so far?
Within the UNIGEM project, in the past three years, the TPO Foundation has achieved significant results:
- More than 300 events were organized, including workshops, panels, debates and artistic performances, through cooperation with 19 universities in the region.
- Three Winter and two Summer Schools were organized for students and teaching staff.
- Seven syllabi on gender equality prepared for integration into curricula. Five publications translated as additional literature for universities
- Published and promoted study on gender equality and gender-based violence
- Published and promoted study on menstrual poverty
- Organized campaigns 16 days of activism
- Educated representatives of the police, courts, prosecutors' offices and civil servants
Activity plan for 2024
This year's campaign, under the slogan "Let's support victims and survivors", is aimed at raising awareness, educating young people, but also providing concrete support to people who experience violence. Some of the key events this year are:
- Campaign launch on November 26, 2024 - Let's support victims and survivors at 19 partner universities
At all participating universities, in central rooms (halls), posters/panels with basic information about the campaign and the UNIGEM project will be placed. Students, teaching and administrative staff are invited to write messages of support for victims and survivors on the posted panels.
- Final event 10.12.2024. -Reading support messages
Messages of support, collected during the campaign, will be read publicly as a symbol of solidarity and a joint fight against violence. - Material support for women in Gradačac
We will organize donations in the form of material support of hygiene packages for women housed in the Zmajevac Gradačac Women's House built by the Our Source Foundation.
Your role in this campaign
We invite you to attend the press conference to be held on November 26, 2024 at 12:00 in the hall of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Sarajevo to get more information about the activities we will be doing over the next 16 days with the aim of media coverage of the campaign activities and a joint contribution to raising awareness about gender-based violence and the importance of providing support to people experiencing violence. During the conference, we will present the details of this year's campaign, key goals and activities. Media attention is key to spreading the message and encouraging collective action.
Supporting victims and survivors is not only a moral obligation, but also a key step towards a more just society.
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