Engender blog
16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence
Amplifying Marginalised Perspectives Through Journalism and Storytelling
Migrant Women Press have launched a powerful new initiative dedicated to raising awareness about the specific and often overlooked challenges faced by migrant and ethnically diverse women victims/survivors of gender-based violence.
We are sponsoring this campaign, held within “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” from the 25th of November to the 10th of December. The project will amplify voices and stories too often left out of mainstream narratives, aiming to foster greater understanding, empathy, and change.
16 stories will be shared—one each day during the 16 Days of Activism—authored by migrant and ethnically diverse women journalists and authors from diverse backgrounds and countries. Each piece will explore how factors like class, race, gender, immigration status, disability, and nationality intersect to increase these women’s vulnerability to violence. Additionally, stories will highlight prevention strategies and propose solutions for combating gender-based violence.
Vital pieces released so far include:
- East and/or Southeast Asian women survivors remain excluded and unsupported in the UK
- From Newsroom to Exile: The Hidden Costs of Being an Indian Woman Journalist
- The impact of the UK’s housing crisis on black and minoritised survivors of gender-based violence
- Why Won’t The UK News Media Call Femicide A Public Health Crisis?
Follow along with all posts from Migrant Women Press on their website here.
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3 ways to support 16 Days of Activism in Scotland
Engender is proud to work with our sisters in Scotland's violence against women sector, and today we're sharing three ways you can support their essential work during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
Violence against women is endemic in Scotland, and to eradicate men's violence against women, we need to tackle women's inequality with men across all areas of life.
Every year, women's groups and organisations across Scotland come together to mark the 16 Days campaign, and we’ve highlighted three ways you can take action to support the ongoing work to eradicate violence against women and girls in Scotland.
1. Write to your MSPs to tell them survivors can’t wait
The support Rape Crisis Centres across Scotland offer can be truly lifesaving. When a survivor reaches out for that support, they need to receive it then. Not weeks or months later. But this is the reality facing too many survivors across Scotland.
This campaign from our sisters at Rape Criss Scotland is calling on the Scottish Government to:
• Extend the emergency waiting list funding beyond March 2024 to save 28 jobs
• Commit to long-term sustainable funding for Rape Crisis Centres in Scotland
Write your MSP to ask them to support these calls and tell them survivors can’t wait using the template letter here. You can find out who your MSP is by using writetothem here.
2. Join the #ForThemAll Online Vigil on Friday 8th December
In the last 12 months, at least nine women in Scotland died from domestic abuse. Each woman’s death is a tragedy. Each woman’s death leaves behind trauma and grief. Each woman’s death was preventable.
For the second year, Scottish Women’s Aid will be holding their #ForThemAll online Vigil in memory of all the women and children who have died because of domestic abuse. The idea for the vigil came from Scottish Women’s Aid’s own Survivor Reference Group, which plays a key role in ongoing policy, practice and campaign work.
Take part in this night of remembrance and reflection from 7pm on Friday 8th December, by lighting a candle and sharing your reflections on social media using #ForThemAll.
3. Follow @16days_scotland and check out their resources
A Scotland without violence against women and girls is possible, and tackling VAWG is everyone’s business. By addressing gender inequality and prioritising primary prevention in all areas of public policy, we can have a Scotland where women and men have equal access to rights, resources, decision-making, and safety.
The National Violence Against Women Network have developed a toolkit of resources with information and graphics highlighting the work of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaigns across Scotland.
Access the toolkit and resources online here, and follow @16days_scotland to see and share key statistics and messages throughout the 16 Days of Activism.
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that runs from 25th November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, until 10th December, Human Rights Day. Throughout the 16 Days, we’ve been sharing information and updates on our social media from organisations across Scotland, so follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin to see more.
GUEST POST: WHT the ****
During this 16 Days of Activism On Violence Against Women - and with high profile #metoo stories appearing in the courts and the media - we continue to hear stories of harassment and abuse of women and girls. This guest post, from an author who wishes to remain anonymous, explores the issues of power, privilege, and 'wandering hand trouble'.
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Back when I was a young woman, when it
was described as ‘wandering hand trouble’ (WHT) for short, we were
taught that sexual assault and harassment were just what happened.
It would happen more if you were to pluck your eyebrows, wear a choker, or hoik your skirt up above your knees. If you wore American Tan 60 denier tights, you was ‘asking for it’. We didn’t really know what we were supposed to be asking for, especially when we wore knee-length cotton socks on top of the tights.
It was just another of the great mysteries when my mother would say, ‘don’t let your father see you wearing that,’ and which made me feel funny inside because I didn’t know why not.
RSSDownloads
Engender Briefing: Pension Credit Entitlement Changes
From 15 May 2019, new changes will be introduced which will require couples where one partner has reached state pension age and one has not (‘mixed age couples’) to claim universal credit (UC) instead of Pension Credit.
Engender Parliamentary Briefing: Condemnation of Misogyny, Racism, Harassment and Sexism
Engender welcomes this Scottish Parliament Debate on Condemnation of Misogyny, Racism, Harassment and Sexism and the opportunity to raise awareness of the ways in which women in Scotland’s inequality contributes to gender-based violence.
Gender Matters in Social Security: Individual Payments of Universal Credit
A paper calling on the Scottish Government to automatically split payments of Universal Credit between couples, once this power is devolved to the Scottish Parliament.
Gender Matters Manifesto: Twenty for 2016
This manifesto sets out measures that, with political will, can be taken over the next parliamentary term in pursuit of these goals.
Scottish NGO Briefing for UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women
Joint briefing paper for the UN Rapporteur on Violence Against Women.
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