16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign
About the 16 Days of Activism
The United Nation’s international campaign 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, takes place each year from 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) until 10 December (International Human Rights Day).
The campaign began in 1991 as a strategy to unite and magnify calls for the elimination of violence against women and girls. Each year, the 16 Days of Activism campaign galvanises movements and organisations working around the world, and draws the attention of governments to the critical issue of gender-based violence.
Head to the UN Women website to read more about the 16 Days of Activism.
Each year Safe and Equal runs our own campaign to align with the 16 Days of Activism. In 2023, our campaign focused on the experience of workers in the family violence space, and explored the concept of hope; what hope looks like to family violence workers and how they continue to find it in their work.
Read more about the Nurturing Hope campaign here.
Safe and Equal’s 2024 campaign will build on the momentum created by Nurturing Hope, and continue to engage Victoria’s family violence workforce in the 16 Days of Activism.
Hope in Action will be launched on November 25, more to come!
16 Days of Activism Grassroots Initiative
Each year, organisations across Victoria produce their own impactful campaigns for the 16 Days of Activism. To support the delivery of these campaigns and promote collaboration between participating organisations, in 2019 Respect Victoria introduced the 16 Days of Activism Grassroots Initiative.
The Grassroots Initiative provides funding to Safe and Equal to connect and build the capacity of organisations around Victoria, including a small grants program for local councils, Statewide Women’s Health Services, Women’s Health Services Prevention Partnerships as well as a select number of Safe and Equal member organisations.
Safe and Equal is continuing our collaboration with Respect Victoria for the 16 Days of Activism Grassroots Initiative in 2024. In order to build on momentum from previous campaigns and following positive reception for campaign messaging, the theme of “Respect Is…” will continue to be used this year.
Safe and Equal is hosting a range of capacity-building activities for grantee organisations plus anyone else interested in getting involved in the campaign. These include:
- Webinar series
- Fortnightly bulletin
- 16 Days helpdesk for targeted advice
- Online resources to help you create your campaign
- Events calendar to connect campaigns happening across the regions.
How to get involved
You can help generate conversations about gender equality and respect by organising events and activities during the 16 Days such as:
- Hosting webinars and virtual panel discussions
- Participating in the Walk Against Family Violence , or organising your own local walk
- Developing artwork or online art exhibitions with local artists
- Creating a social media campaign that draws on the stregnths of your community
- Creating videos or podcasts that discuss the issue of gender-based violence
- Delivering online training sessions around equality and respect
- Organising virtual book clubs and StoryTime in conjunction with libraries
- Organising street art, banners, posters and lighting up buildings in orange
Below you can find resources to help you design and deliver the most impactful campaigns possible for your community or workplace.
Upcoming events
Community events
Add your organisation’s campaign events to our Community Calendar here.
Need support with your event planning? Check out the Event Planning Guide here.
Campaign support events
In 2024, Safe and Equal and Respect Victoria are hosting two webinars to support organisations and practitioners with their 16 Days of Activism campaign planning and activities.
Over the next few months, activities will support organisations to stay up to date on what is happening with the campaign, to connect with fellow campaigners, and to practice values-based messaging in their work.
Resources to
support you
The following resources are available from a range of organisations in Victoria, working in primary prevention and family violence that may support organisations in their campaigns around the 16 Days of Activism
Safe and Equal – PreventX: Messaging for a Movement Tips and insights for messaging and advocacy to address the drivers of family and gender-based violence
Safe and Equal – Overcoming Resistance and Backlash – a Guide for Primary Prevention Practitioners
Common Cause Australia – Framing Gender Equality messaging guide
VicHealth – Framing Masculinity – Message guide (PDF – 267KB)
GenWest – Consent, Empowerment and Respect Campaign
Women’s Health Victoria – Gender equality in advertising and communications: guidelines for local government
Southern Melbourne Primary Care Partnership – Framing age message guide
Our Watch – Key messages Respect and Equality in TAFE
Together for Equality and Respect – 16 Days Social Media Toolkit
Women’s Health in the North – Social media tiles in community languages (Arabic, Greek, Tamil and Urdu)
Safe and Equal – How to Use Statistics in Primary Prevention
Our Watch – Doing nothing does harm
GenVic – Online Active Bystander Project toolkit and videos
VicHealth – Take Action: Empowering bystanders to act on sexist and sexually harassing behaviours
GenVic – Responding to Harassment on Social Media
GenVic – Together We’re Stronger
Djirra – Marli’s Story: Trust your Gut
Djirra – Deadly Duos
Women’s Health Loddon Mallee – 16 Days of Activism Toolkit 2023 (whlm.org.au)
Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria, Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health and InTouch Multicultural Centre against Family Violence – Multilingual resources promoting respect within migrant and refugee communities
Women’s Health in the South East – 16 Days of Activism Social Media Toolkit
Women’s Health in the North – 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence social media tiles
Our Watch – Changing the Landscape
The Line – https://www.theline.org.au/
Engagement across Victorian communities is critical to expanding the conversation and building momentum to prevent family violence and all forms of violence against women, before it occurs.
Tania Farha
CEO, Safe and Equal
Video Resources
Over the past few years, Safe and Equal has hosted a number of webinars for organisations planning to get involved in the 16 Days. Below you can find video resources from these events on a range of topics designed to help you create the most impactful campaigns possible.
16 Days 2024 Grassroots Initiative Kick off – Project introduction and campaign supports
In this introductory session to the 2024 Grassroots Initiative kick-off event, Tash Darrigan from Respect Victoria and Amelia Ditcham from Safe and Equal walk you through this years project, including the 2023 evaluation and what supports will be available to organisations participating in the campaign. Tash also covers Respect Victoria’s approach to 16 Days more broadly, including details of the Walk against Family Violence.
Grassroots Initiative 2024 Kick-off accessible slide content
Your Approach to Campaigning
This presentation from Safe and Equal Communications and Business Development Manager Hayley Williamson includes practical guidance on designing impactful 16 Days Campaigns, from the brainstorming phase to delivery. Using Safe and Equal’s 2023 ‘Project Hope’ campaign as an example, she provides a step-by-step guide on how to create a campaign that engages and galvanises your community.
Panel Discussion: What worked in 2023 Campaigns
This panel discussion featuring representatives form Monash City Council, Mildura Regional City Council and Women’s Health in the South-East explores three wonderful 2023 campaigns, including challenges, wins and lessons learned. Panellists discuss the impact of their 2023 campaigns, and how they plan to continue building momentum in 2024.
Planning your 16 Days of Activism Campaign
Our first webinar ahead of the 2023 campaign provided participants with practical advice on how to run a successful campaign, including tips on managing inclusion and accessibility, and how to engage local leaders in discussions about primary prevention of family and gender-based violence.
Learning from the 16 Days of Activism
In 2021, we held an event to celebrate and reflect on the range of activities that occurred over the 2021 campaign. During the webinar we heard about campaign activities involving women with disabilities from Women with Disabilities Victoria, and the Margins to the Mainstream project at Women’s Health East. We also heard about targeted community mobilisation activities through Let’s Talk Gippsland from Gippsland Women’s Health and Bendigo and District Aboriginal Co-operative.
Online Campaigns and Managing Resistance
In 2021 we hosted a webinar that delved into how you can run an engaging 16 Days campaign in the online environment. This webinar also equipped participants with strategies to address various forms of resistance.
The webinar’s insights remain valuable today, providing guidance for navigating resistance that may occur during your campaign as we continue to advance conversations about respect during the 16 Days campaign.
Watch the webinar recording here:
What does resistance look like in your work?
This year, we asked four practitioners to share their experiences with resistance in primary prevention efforts.
Leanne, Dikshita, David and Lucy shared how they’ve navigated challenges when facing resistance in their work during campaigns and in community organising, offering insights and advice for others ahead this year’s campaign. Whether it’s strategies for overcoming backlash or tips for maintaining momentum, their stories are sure to provide inspiration and support.
Watch the video now to hear from those who have been there and gain valuable insights for your own work during the 16 Days of Activism.
Campaign spotlights
Across metropolitan and regional Victoria, a wide range of councils and community organisations are participating in this year's 16 Days campaign.
Below are some examples of innovative and inspired activities that organisations have delivered for the 16 Days in previous years. You can read about their campaigns to help inspire and give you ideas for what your organisation might deliver in 2024.
The Silver Threads and Golden Needles project will be running a craft workshop for older women to explore the topic of gendered ageism, and how we can prevent it.
WHIN’s 16 Days 2023 campaign focused on engaging refugee and migrant communities through a tailored approach to gender-based violence prevention.
The City of Monash carried out a diverse series of activities during the 16 Days of Activism 2023, that effectively raised awareness and promoted action on gender equality and resilience across the community and staff.
The Macedon Ranges Shire Council, in partnership with local organisations, delivered a series of initiatives that engaged the community in conversations about gender equality and inclusion, highlighting the importance of collective action in preventing violence.