Solihull Council is joining the 16 Days of Activism Campaign to raise awareness of domestic abuse and call for the elimination of gender-based violence. The theme for this year’s campaign is “Orange the world: End violence against women now!”.
The 16 Days Campaign was launched in 1991 and runs annually from 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to 10 December (International Human Rights Day). This year marks its 30-year anniversary. To commemorate the anniversary, the campaign has a special focus on femicide, which categorizes the killing of women as a specific type of male violence against women.
In support of the campaign, the Council will be identifying a different theme each day to explore the various forms of gender based violence and sharing these messages across social media – residents are also encouraged to get involved and show their solidarity on these platforms. The aim is to educate, raise awareness and bring attention to the support that is available for victims.
Councillor Tony Dicicco, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, said:
“For this year’s 16 Days of Activism Campaign, the Council wants to amplify the message that there is ‘no excuse for abuse’ and ‘domestic abuse is everybody’s business’.
“We are keen to ensure these messages are at the forefront of conversation – the more we talk about it the more can be done. I encourage all residents of the borough to make this a part of your conversations and spread the message on social media and with your friends and family. This is not a topic we can shy away from.
“In particular, today, Thursday 25 November is White Ribbon Day, in which men are being asked not to sit back and instead be upstanding and challenge themselves and other men on their attitude and behaviour towards women – a message that once spread, can help make our borough much safer.
“The Council is currently refreshing its new domestic abuse strategy and is committed to ensuring the right response is provided, in the right way, at the right time.”
Councillor Alison Rolf, Cabinet Member for Stronger and Safer Communities, added:
“It is important that victims and those at risk know how and where to access help, and those around them must know how to offer support.
“Specialist support for women and girls experiencing abuse is provided by Birmingham and Solihull’s Women’s Aid, Panahghar Safe House, and the RSVP. Most of our local GPs have been trained to identify and respond to domestic abuse and have safe pathways to refer their patients to through a special domestic abuse programme called IRIS.
“This is part of a multi-agency borough wide approach to tackling violence against women and girls, so please share this information far and wide – you never know when someone may need it.”
Today the Council is encouraging its workforce to wear orange to show their solidarity with the campaign. Those on social media can join in too by uploading a picture of themselves wearing orange and posting it on social media with the hashtags #IWoreOrange #16Days #DomesticAbuse #EverybodysBusiness and tag the Council’s profiles.
For further information on the campaign, visit the 16 Days Campaign website.
For help and advice, see:
Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid or webchat is available on 0808 800 0028