ALERT - 16 days of activism against gender based violence, the time for change is here and now, and HI is part of it!

Plaidoyer | Urgence | PUBLIÉ LE 26 novembre 2018

From 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Campaign is a time to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world. Against all women and girls, including those living with disabilities. The time for change is here and now.

From 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Campaign is a time to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world. Against all women and girls, including those living with disabilities. The time for change is here and now.

The campaign

In recent years, the voices of survivors and activists, through campaigns such as #MeToo, #TimesUp, #Niunamenos, #NotOneMore, #BalanceTonPorc and others, have reached a crescendo that cannot be silenced any more. Advocates understand that while the names and contexts may differ across geographic locations, women and girls everywhere are experiencing extensive abuse and their stories need to be brought to light. This is why the UNiTE Campaign’s global advocacy theme this year is: Orange the World: #HearMeToo

From UN Women website

Making It Work adopting the orange color

In support to women and girls with disabilities facing violence, the Making It Work – Gender and Disability project goes orange, the color chosen to bring global attention to the initiative. We are sharing every day campaign intiatives from our country partners in Africa. To read up about what is happening under the 2018 UNiTE campaign “Orange the World: #HearMeToo “, join Making it Work on Facebook & Twitter !

HI’s protection and fight against GBV actions

Our approach

HI’s goal is to ensure that most exposed women and girls including those with disabilities and other at-risks groups such as boys with disabilities are less exposed to violence, and have dignity, autonomy and control over their own lives. This includes activities in 4 key domains of change:

Empowerment,
Community attitudes and social norms
Delivery of inclusive GBV holistic services (health, psychosocial, education, security and access to justice)
Policy change and implementation.

For more information, you can refer to our 1-pager here.

News

Two new projects are emerging in the Maghreb to fight against discrimination and violence against women, targeting in particular women with disabilities.

In Morocco:

The project for the protection of women in Morocco is rooted in two major problems: the extent of the violence and discrimination experienced by women in Morocco, the lack of both institutional and associative responses when this violence concerns women with disabilities or mothers of children with disabilities. In this context, the project focuses on:

Better understanding and documenting the violence and discrimination experienced by women with disabilities and their determinants,
Informing women with disabilities of their rights and existing supports,
Giving them an active role in raising awareness and advocacy,
Sensitizing professionals working in the field of the protection of women with disabilities and the lack of access to services,
Sensitizing and supporting decision-makers to better integrate the rights issues of all women into local development plans

This project is implemented in the Rabat-Salé-Kenitra region in partnership with 2 local associations, the CLIO and the Wiham center.

In Tunisia:

HI works in partnership with the Tunisian League of Human Rights for increased empowerment of women, including women with disabilities. The process of decentralization initiated in the momentum of the democratic process since 2011 has given rise to mechanisms of local governance. For the first time in the history of Tunisia, free and transparent municipal elections were possible. At the same time, the fight against gender based discrimination continues to gain ground with the acquisition of new rights that protect women and include them in an approach of equality with men. Still, the factors of vulnerability and exclusion of women, particularly women with disabilities, remain very complex and only substantive work will bring equality to a concrete and visible level through the use of local governance mechanisms. The choice of HI was therefore to accompany marginalized women in an empowerment process on the aspect of participation in public life. The project aims to promote dialogue between Civil Society Organizations (including Disabled People's Organizations) and local authorities in three targeted regions (Grand Tunis, Gafsa and Jendouba) to work together for greater participation of women (especially marginalized women, such as women with disabilities) in local governance. 4 axes of intervention, interconnected, will be simultaneously deployed:

Firstly, the project will promote the emergence of women leaders in the associative movement and strengthen their capacities to participate actively in governance.
Secondly, local decision-makers will be required to engage with CSOs in the development and implementation of local action plans and policies that facilitate women's participation in local governance.
In addition, the CSOs of the targeted territories will be strengthened in their monitoring and advocacy capacities in local governance, with indicators of the monitoring system of the Ministry of Women, Family and Children.
Finally, good practices, lessons learned and key data will be identified and disseminated to the public and the management unit of the program to promote equality between women and men in Tunisia.

Article written by Sophie Pécourt, with the contributions of Hajer El Kefi and Céline Abric.To know more, contact [email protected]

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HI est une organisation de solidarité internationale indépendante et impartiale, qui intervient dans les situations de pauvreté et d’exclusion, de conflits et de catastrophes. Œuvrant aux côtés des personnes handicapées et des populations vulnérables, elle agit et témoigne, pour répondre à leurs besoins essentiels, pour améliorer leurs conditions de vie et promouvoir le respect de leur dignité et de leurs droits fondamentaux.

Là où sévissent les conflits, les catastrophes naturelles, la pauvreté et l’exclusion, nous travaillons aux côtés des personnes handicapées et des populations vulnérables pour améliorer leurs conditions de vie.