Sixteen Days of
Activism

Written by Mikki van Zyl, June 2004

On 10 December 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with the recognition that 'inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world'. Though the declaration states that women and men have equal rights, it is only after strong feminist lobbying at the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna in 1993 that particular attention was paid to gender inequality and sexual rights.

That the conference needed to confirm women's rights as human rights is a testament to patriarchy. The conference called for UN instruments to be implemented to promote and protect the rights of women, children and indigenous peoples. It emphasized the seriousness of the extent of violence against women, and with the HIV/Aids pandemic, issues of sexuality have been highlighted and analysed in a gendered context.

Though the international community has set standards and elaborated legal frameworks for the protection of women from violence, these still position women within patriarchal images as weak and vulnerable victims, in need of protection from 'the worst horrors'. The challenge lies in asserting women's positive rights so that we may create and sustain an environment where women can truly live free from gender based violence.

Since the 1970s, feminists have asserted the political nature of gender based violence, and the need to frame sexual rights in positive terms. Current analyses affirm that various levels of positive rights have to be addressed to combat gender based violence: personal diversity and autonomy to be affirmed; institutional and structural violence such as women's poor economic, social and political status to be addressed, as well as moving away from a framework of cultural relativism for women's rights.

Violence against women

The South African Constitution operates as a powerful tool to claim those rights - yet numerous laws and institutional provisions (such as special rape courts) have had little impact on the occurrence of gender based violence. While around 55 000 incidents are reported annually to the police, a mere 7% end in arrests, and only 1% of those end in convictions. It is also estimated that only between ten and 25% of incidents are reported.

Get involved

The White Ribbon Campaign (WRC) was launched in 1991 by Canadian men one year after the Montreal massacre of fourteen women. By recognizing the political nature of violence against women they pledge their support for gender equality and active work to transform gender relations. In particular, wearing a white ribbon is a personal pledge never to commit, condone nor remain silent about violence against women. Since then the campaign has spread around the world for men and women opposed to the gender based violence to participate in a UN-recognized campaign of Sixteen Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women. Since 1996, the South African government has endorsed this White Ribbon Campaign. It starts on 25 November (International Day for No Violence Against Women) and it ends on 10 December (International Human Rights Day). Two other important international commemoration dates fall within these sixteen days - International HIV/Aids Day (1 December) and the International Day for the Disabled (3 December).

During the 2003 campaign, the South African government emphasized the connection between poverty and vulnerability to crime - poor women and children are more likely to be victimized because they enjoy fewer protections, less privacy and fewer resources. In the face of the HIV/Aids pandemic they also made the necessary links between the white and red (HIV/Aids) ribbons.

Increase awareness

The campaign generally focuses on creating awareness about the devastating social effects of violence against women and children. In particular the 2003 campaign emphasized strategic partnerships between Government, the private sector, civil society, organized labour and the diplomatic community to spread the message about combating violence against women and children. A strong focus is to involve men and boys in combating violence in our homes, our communities and in the workplace, and to express their love and solidarity for women by wearing the white ribbon for sixteen days and to hold men's marches.
The campaign culminated in the building of a Wall of Solidarity, where large 'bricks' bearing the logo of participating organizations formed a backdrop to the finale held on 10 December 2003.

In 2004 we hope again to see many more South Africans wearing their white ribbons in all their creative variety - beads, ribbons, braided cotton, ceramic. Displaying a white ribbon is a public pledge to fight violence against women as it symbolizes a call for any man who is violent to lay down his arms in the war against his sisters. It is an encouragement to all men who do not support violence against women, to take responsibility for eliminating it. With nationwide coverage and awareness it is hoped that we will find solutions together.