A campaign aiming to raise awareness and inspire action to end violence against women and girls in Anguilla is launching on 25 November.
The ’16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign’ runs globally from International Day for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women to 20 December.
It will kick off on island this year with a rally from the Ebenezer Methodist Chapel in The Valley, beginning at 6.30pm, the Gender Affairs Unit has announced in a Facebook post.
This year’s theme, ‘No excuse for abuse: Moving from campaign to culture’, encourages cultural change and collective action to break the silence and advocate for policies and practices that support women’s rights.
The launch event will feature presentations from the Department of Social Development, local performances, and guest speakers in order to inspire change and promote solidarity.
Kemoloy Murphy, coordinator at the Gender Affairs Unit, said by coming together on this day, Anguilla is sending a clear message that gender-based violence is not acceptable.
“We all have a role to play in creating a world where women and girls, men and boys can live free from violence and discrimination,” she said.
The campaign is being run in collaboration with the Department of Social Development, the Women’s Commission of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas, and the Ebenezer Women’s Circle.
The International Day for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women is observed worldwide to remember the Mirabal sisters, three political activists from the Dominican Republic, who were killed in 1960.
A full line up of campaign events and updates will be available on the Gender Affairs Unit’s social media channels.
For more information on the campaign and the work of the Gender Affairs Unit, contact Gender Development Coordinator, Kemoloy Murphy, at kemoloy.murphy@gov.ai or 497-3930 ext. 3505.
