TBILISI 25 November 2020
EUMM joins the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence (GBV) campaign, which kicks off today, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
This year’s global campaign theme Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect! calls for urgent actions to ensure adequate funding for effective GBV prevention and response services and to collect data to address GBV in the context of COVID-19.
Gender-based violence, including physical, emotional and sexual violence, is a serious human rights violation mainly affecting women and girls. Around 1 in 3 women worldwide experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.
“Gender-based violence continues to be a serious and prevalent human rights violation, worsened by the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Strengthening prevention and response measures to gender-based violence is critical, and the needs of GBV survivors must be met even during the pandemic. Continued awareness raising and challenging harmful social norms and stereotypes remains essential,” said EUMM Head of Mission Marek Szczygieł.
GBV, particularly domestic violence, has escalated around the world since COVID-19 started. The pandemic has intensified risk factors for GBV, such as food shortages, unemployment, economic insecurity, lockdown measures and school closures. There has been an alarming increase in multiple forms of GBV, especially physical, psychological, sexual and economic forms of domestic violence.
During the 16 Days of Activism, EUMM will distribute flyers with information about essential services for GBV survivors, such as a free hotline, crisis centres and shelters, in areas near the Administrative Boundary Lines where the Mission is most engaged. The Mission will also engage with civil society actors and support local awareness raising activities with a focus on GBV in the context of COVID-19. The Mission continues to support the global 16 Days of Activism campaign until 10 December, Human Rights Day.
