Aspire’s 16 days of activism to end gender-based violence
From the 25th November (international Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to the 10th December (Human Rights Day) the world are called to a period of 16 days of activism to raise awareness and help eliminate violence against women and girls.
The 25th November is White Ribbon Day. White Ribbon was founded with the intention of getting to the root of the problem of violence against women and girls by tackling harmful masculine traits and social norms around what it means to be a man. If violence against women is to be eliminated, it remains essential that men become part of the solution for change.
The theme of White Ribbon Day this year was ‘It Starts With Men’. Violence against women and girls is rooted in harmful masculine norms. Starting with men, we must address the attitudes and behaviours which contribute to a fear of violence for women in their day-to-day lives.
At Aspire, over the period of 16 days of activism, we encouraged our women to take a white ribbon, write their name on the ribbon, and then stick it to a board. This act symbolised their White Ribbon Promise to ‘Never Use, Excuse, or Remain Silent About Men’s Violence Against Women’.
Aspire also contributed to the 16 days of activism through a social media campaign spreading awareness of 16 different types of violence which women and girls experience worldwide.
On Day 1 of #16daysofactivism we raised awareness of STREET HARASSMENT.
As many as 65% of women and girls have experienced some form of street harassment. From wolf-whistling, to groping and flashing, it has a detrimental impact on our freedoms.
The behaviours may be perpetrated by men or boys who are known to you or it may be from a range of different unconnected individuals with the cumulative effect being a unified message that men have more right to be in public spaces than women and have more control over that space.This can cause a limit on freedom for women and girls as they avoid going out in public places to limit the chances of this happening. It can also decrease confidence in women and girls and many may feel fearful to go out in public.
On Day 2 of #16daysofactivism we raised awareness of POST SEPARATION ABUSE.
Domestic abuse can continue after a relationship has ended including stalking or repeated control. The decision to end the relationship can intensify the focus of the abuser, they risk losing control completely and may resort to extreme or persistent behaviours to try and regain con tool. This may be emotional manipulation, begging for forgiveness, promising to change their ways, stalking or harassment. The behaviour may also be violent and aggressive. Where children are involved, perpetrators may use them to maintain control.
On Day 3 of #16daysofactivism we raised awareness of COERCIVE CONTROL.
Coercive control is used to establish and maintain control over you. It includes isolating you, exploiting you and dominating you. Coercive or controlling behaviour does not relate to a single incident, it is a purposeful pattern of incidents that occur over time in order for one individual to exert power, control or coercion over another. It can range from influencing what you wear, to controlling every move you make, who you see and where you go.
Coercive or Controlling behaviour became an offence in UK Law in December 2015 under the Serious Crime Act 2015. The offence covers extreme psychological and emotional abuse and carries a maximum of 5 years imprisonment, a fine or both.
On Day 4 of #16daysofactivism we raised awareness of FORCED MARRIAGE.
A forced marriage is where one or both people do not consent and/or canot consent to getting married. Forced marriage may involve pressure from family members, people in the community, or your future partner. Methods of coercing or forcing someone into the marriage may involve, violence, abuse, bribery, humiliation, being told you will bring shame on the family or community, threats, financial control, being disowned or cut off, neglect or abduction. Some individuals are at risk of extreme physical harm, resulting in their murder, for refusing to consent to a forced marriage. Forced marriages can occur in all different groups of society and victims can vary in age, gender, religion, or ethnicity. Forced marriage is illegal in the UK and is recognised as a form of domestic abuse and an abuse of human rights.
Forced marriage is completely different from an arranged marriage. In an arranged marriage, both parties have consented to the union but can still refuse to marry if they choose to without repercussions.
On Day 5 of #16daysofactivism we are raised awareness of GASLIGHTING.
Gaslighting is a term used to refer to people who make covert attempts to manipulate people, particularly in abusive relationships. This may be being told that something did not happen the way you recall and can make you doubt yourself. Over time this can erode self-esteem and self-worth.
Gaslighting is a form of emotional abuse and is coercive and controlling behaviour which is a criminal offence in England and Wales.
On Day 6 of #16daysofactivism we raised awareness of SEXUAL VIOLENCE.
Sexual violence may involve indecent exposure, grabbing, groping, or forcing you into sexual activity you do not want. Sexual violence is not related to what you wear, how much you have drunk or your age. The responsibility for sexual violence lies solely with the perpetrator. Whatever your experience of sexual violence or assault, it can have a devastating impact on your mental health and feeling of safety, and can take a long time to recover from.
The Crime Survey for England and Wales estimates that 20 - 25% of women have experienced some type of sexual assault since the age of 16, equivalent to an estimated 3.4 million female victims.
On Day 7 of #16daysofactivism we raised awareness of ECONOMIC ABUSE.
This can involve putting debt in your name, taking out credit cards, loans, mobile phone contracts or car leases and even coercing you to sign over property or assets. Economic abuse can also involve controlling all the money, denying you necessities, allocating you an allowance and forcing you to prove and explain your spending. It may also involve limiting access to the benefits that you are entitled to or refusing to let you work.
Women’s Aid’s Domestic Abuse Report 2019 found that a quarter of respondents did not have access to money for essentials during the abusive relationship.
On Day 8 of #16daysofactivism we raised awareness of SEXUAL ABUSE.
Sexual abuse is any non-consensual sexual contact perpetrated by a partner, ex-partner, family member, friend of the family or someone in a position of trust or authority. In most cases it occurs where there is an imbalance of power. Sometimes, sexual abuse may involve grooming, when the perpetrator will work to gain your trust and make it difficult for you to seek the support of others or to report the assaults.
On Day 9 of #16daysofactivism we raised awareness of EMOTIONAL ABUSE.
It can be difficult to recognise emotional abuse. Often relationships begin with the perpetrator being very charming and attentive, with the emotional abuse creeping in gradually over time. Emotional abuse may be blaming you for their behaviour, criticising you, embarrassing o humiliating you, controlling how you dress, isolating you from your friends and family, dismissing your opinions or feelings, twisting facts, jealousy, monitoring and controlling you.
Emotional abuse can cause long term psychological damage, including low self esteem and depression.
Persistent emotional abuse is a serious offence of coercive or controlling behaviour under The Serious Crime Act 2015.
On Day 10 of #16daysofactivism we raised awareness of REVENGE PORN.
Revenge porn describes the distribution of intimate or sexual images or film to cause distress, embarrassment, or humiliation. The distribution of intimate or sexual images or film can have a devastating impact on anyone affected and the threat of distribution can also cause intense fear and psychological harm.
It is an offence to disclose private sexual images without consent of the person who appears in them for the purposes of causing distress under the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 with a maximum prison sentence of 2 years.
On Day 11 of #16daysofactivism we raised awareness of PHYSICAL ABUSE.
Physical abuse is the act of intentionally causing someone harm or injury through physical force. Acts of physical abuse may start as seemingly small acts but can escalate over time. The abuser may be extremely remorseful after an attack and may even cry and beg forgiveness. They may also blame you and say that the abuse is your fault. There may be a period of reconciliation and then the cycle starts again. The perpetrator may also blame their behaviour on stress, drink or drugs and make you feel as though if only those things could be sorted out, they would stop the violence or abusive behaviour. Whatever the excuse, the abuse is never your fault.
On Day 12 of #16daysofactivism we raised awareness of FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION.
Female Genital Mutilation, FGM, is illegal in the UK and is child abuse. It involves deliberately injuring, cutting, removing parts of, or changing the genitals for no medical reason. People may use culture, tradition, or religion to justify their actions however FGM has a detrimental impact on women and girls lives and is widely understood to be a violation of their human rights.
UNICEF state that there are over 200 million girls and women alive today, living in 31 countries, who have undergone FGM.
On Day 13 of #16daysofactivism we raised awareness of STALKING.
Stalking is a pattern of repeated, unwanted attention or any behaviour that causes you to feel scared, anxious, or distressed. The behaviour may involve following you, sending lots of messages, interfering with your property, watching you, giving unwanted gifts, making threats or intimidating you. Individually, each incident may seem like a small act but when added up they may amount to behaviours that cause you distress, alarm or to feel afraid.
Over 700,000 women experience stalking each year according to the Crime Survey of England and Wales.
On Day 14 of #16daysofactivism we raised awareness of HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
Human trafficking, sexual exploitation and modern-day slavery happen all over the world, including in the UK. Many victims of trafficking are recruited through deception or coercion often with the promise of a better life abroad. The majority of victims of trafficking are women and girls, and over a third of those trafficked worldwide are children. Experiencing trafficking can have profound long and short term physical and emotional effects due to the large amount of trauma that a victim may have suffered.
On Day 15 of #16daysofactivism we raised awareness of ‘SO-CALLED’ HONOUR BASED VIOLENCE.
‘Honour based’ violence is an umbrella term used to describe a broad range of behaviours perpetrated by individuals, groups or communities to control and punish a member of the family or social group, for behaviours that are perceived to go against those expected, bringing ‘dishonour’ to the family or community.The community, family or individuals within the family may use violence, threats, intimidation, and other forms of abuse to control or punish the person deemed to be transgressing.
On Day 16 of #16daysofactivism we raised awareness of TECH ABUSE.
Technology can bring many benefits, but with increasing numbers of ‘smart’ and ‘connected’ devices in our homes and on our person, it is becoming easier for this technology to be abused by people who wish to monitor, stalk, record, isolate and control. Increasing numbers of people report that technology played a part in the abuse they experienced, whether it was messages and posts on social media, trackers on their phone or being recorded by their smart speaker or a hidden camera.
Aspire also shared information with our women about the White Ribbon Campaign and each group were made aware of the importance of being involved in activism.
It is important to remember that awareness about violence against women and girls does not end after the 16 days of activism. Rather it a continuous campaign to help affect positive behaviour change to transform harmful cultures and practices to put an end to gender-based violence.