KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 – On November 25, 2024, the world will commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (IDEVAW).
This annual event, now in its 25th year, offers an opportunity for nations to reflect on how far they have come in protecting the rights, wellbeing, and safety of half their population.
IDEVAW also marks the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism, culminating on Human Rights Day on December 10. This year’s theme is “Towards 30 Years of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action: Unite to End Violence Against Women”.
The incoming Beijing +30 review emphasises the necessity of strengthening accountability mechanisms for ending violence against women and girls.
Almost 30 years have now passed since 189 governments around the world came together to unanimously adopt the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a landmark declaration that affirmed women’s rights as human rights.
Yet, to this day, violence against women remains one of the most pervasive abuses to human rights worldwide — almost one in three women globally have been subject to some form of physical or sexual violence at least once in their lifetimes.
Violence against women can come in many different forms, from intimate partner violence (rape, marital rape, battery, femicide), sexual violence and harassment, including tech-facilitated gender-based violence (stalking, child sexual abuse), human trafficking, female genital mutilation, child marriage, and more.
The harms brought about by gender-based violence are profound. It impacts women physically and psychologically, resulting in negative knock-on effects across their entire lifecycle.
It can limit their participation in education, the labour force and public life, which perpetuates uneven power dynamics between men and women especially in critical decision making spheres, further exacerbating gender inequality.
Ultimately, violence against women remains a significant obstacle not only to fulfilling women and girls’ human rights, but the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, now just five years away.
IDEVAW 2024 Engagements
For this year’s IDEVAW commemoration, UNFPA Malaysia, in collaboration with the Women’s Development Department (JPW) of the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM), will be organising a number of public engagements.
The first event, Orange Run, is set to take place on the morning of November 23 at Gemilang Putrajaya Square. It will be flagged off by Nancy Shukri, KPWKM Minister. The run is hosted by JPW, Yayasan Kebajikan Negara (YKN), and Jom Run, and supported by UNFPA Malaysia.
This run will officially kick off the #OrangeTheNation campaign to commemorate IDEVAW and the 16 Days of Activism in Malaysia. On the day of the run, awareness exhibitions about gender-based violence will be held, alongside lucky draws and a signature collection campaign to signify solidarity with the fight against #VAW.
Members of the public wishing to participate can sign up here.
On November 25 at 12.45pm, Nancy Shukri, together with the Dewan Rakyat Speaker, Johari Abdul, and UNFPA Malaysia Representative Dr Julitta Onabanjo, will be launching KPWKM’s awareness and advocacy booth at Parliament.
Organised by JPW and supported by UNFPA Malaysia, the advocacy booth is designed to inform and engage with policymakers on the prevalence and types of violence against women, protective measures in place, the socioeconomic benefits of eliminating violence against women. and the role and importance of policymakers in making the elimination of violence a reality.
The exhibition and advocacy booth will be operating throughout the parliamentary week.
On the same evening, Menara Kuala Lumpur will be lit in orange, the official colour symbolising a brighter future and a world free from violence against women and girls.
This symbolic event will signal the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism, focused on positive and solution-centric advocacy towards ending all forms of violence against women and girls.
This year, Perbadanan Putrajaya will be contributing to the #OrangeTheNation campaign by lighting up multiple buildings and bridges, including the Seri Wawasan and Seri Saujana bridges, along with the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) throughout the 16 days of activism.
The #OrangetheNation campaign is an open and inclusive nationwide call to action from November 25 until December 10, and all are invited to join.
All owners of buildings, outdoor digital signage, and institutions and everyday Malaysians are invited to join in throughout the 16 Days of Activism and take part in the call towards ending violence against women by lighting up in orange or wearing orange as a show of collective solidarity and advocacy.
Digital advocates can also share their stories and perspectives on ending violence against women by accessing UNFPA Malaysia and KPWKM’s joint campaign Instagram Filter Frame by searching for #IDEVAW2024 on their stories or by clicking here.
Women play a vital role as agents of development and nation building, and a nation can only succeed if the wellbeing and safety of half our population is safeguarded and guaranteed.
