5 December 2019

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence which is an annual international campaign is commemorated annually between the 25th November and the 10th December. These days respectively are known as International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Human Rights Day with World Aids Day being observed on the 1st December. This period has started with activists at the inaugural Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991 and continues to be coordinated each year by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership. It is used as an organizing strategy by individuals and organizations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls. In support of this civil society initiative, under the leadership of the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General’s UNiTE by 2030 to End Violence against Women campaign (UNiTE campaign) calls for global actions to increase awareness, galvanize advocacy efforts, and share knowledge and innovations. 

This year’s 16 days of activism was also observed by the Cape Town Museum in collaboration with the Gender Equity Unit of the University of the Western Cape, by working with two youth institutions. The Cedar High School in Mitchell’s Plain and the “I am passion” Youth Café also located in Mitchell’s Plain came together on the evening of the 5th December to remember those who are affected by gender-based violence. Through an art demonstration, the Cedar high school learners expressed their views of GBV, feminism and LGBTIQA+ rights to illustrate that all these matters in intersecting. The “I am passion” youth café showed two powerful video clips which the youth worked on. 

Limpho Makapela of the Gender Equity Unit talked about the 16 Days of Activism campaign while Joseph Coetzee of Cedar High School and Brinley Samuels of the I am Passion Youth Café talked about the two projects on show.