UN Women India in partnership with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, and in collaboration with outreach partner Radio Nasha flagged off the ‘UNiTE to End Violence Against Women’ Metro at the Sultanpur Metro station in New Delhi. The flag-off took place as part of the global 16 Days of Activism ‘Orange The World’ campaign, ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, marked annually on November 25, and will continue till the International Day of Human Rights on December 10.
In solidarity with the global UNiTE campaign, Renata Dessallien, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in India highlighted the important role played by the government in facilitating access to essential services for survivors of violence. “I would like to congratulate the Indian Government, especially the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Women and Child Development, on their decision to set up women help desks in all police stations, and Anti-Human Trafficking Units in all districts across the nation using the Nirbhaya funds. This crucial step will go a long way in securing easier access to justice for women and girls”, Dessallien said.
The metro train messaging is to raise awareness on ending gender-based violence and on the 112 Emergency Response Support System helpline launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs earlier this year.
Ms. Punya Salilia Srivastava, Joint Secretary (Women’s Safety Division), Ministry of Home Affairs, said, “We are really happy to be a part of the ‘Orange The World campaign. The Women’s Safety Division in the Ministry of Home Affairs was set up last year, highlighting the commitment of the Indian Government towards advancing the safety of women and girls in all spaces. With the launch of the 112 – One India, One Emergency Number – and messages on women’s safety on the metro, it will really help us in raising awareness among the public and making a difference. We wish the 16 Days of Activism campaign all the very best.
Addressing the gathering, Nishtha Satyam, Deputy Representative, UN Women India said, “UN Women is extremely proud to partner with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Radio Nasha to kick off the 16 Days of Activism campaign on promoting inclusive and safe spaces for women. This will include challenging gender norms, stereotypes, behaviours, and attitudes that limit women’s full and equal participation. The campaign encourages and seeks everyday stories of women and men who have challenged patriarchy– they are our real-life champions, and through this campaign, we will celebrate these stories, while reminding ourselves that much still needs to be done.
Linking the outreach efforts during the 16 Days of Activism, Radio Nasha is supporting UN Women with a campaign called ‘Kaunsi Badi Baat Hai’ which will focus on positive messaging around women’s voice, choice, and agency.
Harshad Jain, CEO – Radio and Entertainment, HT Media Ltd and Next Mediaworks Ltd. said, “We are extremely proud to be associated with UN Women for our campaign #KaunSiBadiBaatHai. UN Women is a global champion for gender equality and with this campaign, we aim to create an environment where every woman and girl can exercise her rights and live up to her full potential. With our association, we hope to make relevant conversations around domestic violence, cyberspace bullying and a whole host of other such issues and bring these discussions to mainstream’.
The integrated #KaunsiBadiBaatHai campaign will run on UN Women’s social platforms and Radio Nasha throughout the activism period. The intended outcome of the campaign will be to connect, rally and push back against stereotypes and patriarchal norms that often leave women and girls behind.————————————————————————————————————————————
About 16 Days of Activism: The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign which takes place each year. It commences on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day. It was originated by activists at the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991 and is 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 to End Violence against Women Campaign (UNiTE) calls for global action to increase awareness, galvanise advocacy efforts and share of knowledge and innovations.
In recent years, the UNiTE campaign has utilized the colour orange to represent a brighter future, free from violence against women and girls, as a unifying theme running through its global activities. This year’s theme is ‘Orange the World: Generation Equality Stands against Rape!”,’ and as in previous years, the color orange is used to draw global attention to the issue, while the hashtag is encouraged to amplify the message of survivors and activists and to put them at the centre of the conversation and response. The theme also aims to broaden the global conversation and highlight the voices and activism of all survivors of violence and advocates around the world. While the names, times and contexts may differ, women and girls universally experience rape, sexual violence, and abuse. Violence against women is rooted in a complex set of patriarchal beliefs, power, and control that continue to create a social environment in which sexual violence is pervasive and normalized.
About UN Women: Women is the UN organisation dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. UN Women supports UN Member States as they set global standards for achieving gender equality, and works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programmes, and services needed to ensure that the standards are effectively implemented and truly benefit women and girls worldwide.
Media contact:
Jeevan Kanakkassery, Communication Analyst, UN Women Multi-Country Office for India, Bhutan, Maldives, and Sri Lanka, jeevan.kanakkassery@unwomen.org, +91 (0)11 46532735
