16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence 2023

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence is an annual international campaign that begins on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and goes until December 10, Human Rights Day. This campaign started in 1991 to call out and speak up on gender-based violence, and to renew our commitment to ending violence against women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals.

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women was designated in 1999 by the United Nations General Assembly. The date of November 25 was chosen to commemorate the lives of the Mirabal sisters from the Dominican Republic who were violently assassinated in 1960. The day pays tribute to them and urges global recognition of gender-based violence.

Human Rights Day honours the date the United Nations General Assembly’s adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948. This document sets out fundamental human rights to be universally protected. It is a milestone in the history of human rights, and has been translated in over 500 languages, holding the Guinness World Record as the most translated document.

In Canada, we also observe the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women during the 16 Days to remember the women who were murdered during the tragic mass shooting at Polytechnique Montréal on December 6, 1989.

The Government of Canada’s theme for 2023 is Listen. Learn. Act. It addresses the key steps to tackling gender-based violence (GBV). LISTEN refers to supporting survivors who share their experience, and to the experts that work on the frontlines. LEARN encourages us to educate ourselves on what GBV is, how to spot it, and how we can prevent it and take action. ACT is for taking the information and applying it in our daily lives.

Ways to get involved

Kick-off the 16 Days by wearing purple on November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, to raise awareness about gender-based violence.
Throughout the 16 Days, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn. Share the 16 Days campaign posts or create your own using the images from the digital toolkit below and the hashtag #16Days.
Use the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence 2023 background below during your virtual meetings.
Learn more about gender-based violence:
- Find out about 16 ways you can help end gender-based violence
- Check out ‘’It’s Not Just’’, our youth awareness campaign to end gender-based violence
- Learn about gender-based violence
- Watch a movie, video or documentary related to gender-based violence such as those available on the National Film Board website (various languages; viewer discretion is advised for some films).
Attend an event in your community to show your support to victims of GBV. Consider donating to a local shelter if you can.
On the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women on December 6, honour the victims of the Polytechnique Montréal tragedy by wearing a white ribbon. Visit the web page of the National Day for other ideas
On December 10, Human Rights Day, read the full text or simplified version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or consult the illustrated booklet of the Declaration.
Become an ally by adopting these simple but powerful actions all year long:
- Listen: be open to learning from the experiences of others
- Believe: support survivors and those affected by violence. It is very important that you say the words ‘’I believe you’’ and ‘’This is not your fault’’
- Educate (yourself and others): learn the facts about GBV; know what your workplace policies say about violence and harassment; take a course; participate in an event
- Speak out: add your voice to call out violence
- Intervene: find a safe way to help when you see acts of gender-based violence. Name what you see. Express your concern and ask how you can help. Intervening can also mean providing support and resources
- Act: give your time or donate to organizations working to end gender-based violence