16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence 

UN Women and NCLW kicked of yesterday the annual campaign, 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women which falls on November 25 and runs until December 10. This year’s campaign entitled, ‘We reject violence, protection is your right’ focuses on challenges faced by women survivors of GBV offering them practical guidance. This includes: legal guidance, hotlines and prevention/response services, and encourages women and youth to forge change by speaking up on issues of gender based violence. On the occasion, NCLW president, Claudine Aoun Rukuz, stressed that the campaign which is released in Lebanon amid an uprising related to political practices, contributes to raising awareness on the need to address weaknesses in the legislative system, particularly on women with the aim to eliminate all forms of discrimination against them. For his part, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jan Kubis, said the campaign is an opportunity to end the silence on violence, harassment and all forms of discrimination against women, pointing out that empowerment is the key to achieve this. Likewise, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, Philippe Lazzarini, said the persisting GBV undermines the common goal for achieving gender equality, citing UNFP figures which showed that an average of 1 out of 2 persons in Lebanon reported personally they heard of someone who has been subjected to domestic violence. Nearly 71% of such incidences were committed in the perpetrator’s household. (Al Mustaqbal, November 27, 2019)