Youth-Bridge, Institute for Democratic Action and Development (IDAD), Initiative for Youth Empowerment and Economic Development (IYEED), with support from Actionaid and SIDA, have observed the 16 Days of Activism in Montserrado County and have reached over 500 young women and girls through peer to peer education on women rights-based approach.
The pro-democratic and youth-focused institutions have led a series of community-based initiatives aimed at increasing the voices of women and girls against some of the worst form of violence against them and how new approaches can be deployed to protect women and girls’ rights and values in the Liberian Society.
Part of activities to observe the 16 Days of Activism against Sexual Gender Based-Violence against Women and Girls, these Civil Society Organizations have begun a campaign to speak against sexual gender-based violence and its harmful effects on women and girls in Liberia.
A door-to-door campaign that leaves no girl child behind has been embarked on by these pro-democratic and youth-focused organizations since the global campaign started on the 25th of November, 2020, and the campaign is expected to end on December 10, 2020.
The Liberian Civil Society Organizations joined ranks to observe and advocate for practical steps and policy actions to be taken during the period of the 16 Days of Activism.
There have been community engagements and awareness activities currently been undertaken by these pro-democratic and youth-led institutions.
The Civil Society Organizations have had series of indoor-programs and that provided the opportunities for women and girls to express themselves and recommend the processes that need to be undertaken in order to minimize domestic violence and its harmful effects on women and girls.
Women and girls are more vulnerable to rape, domestic violence, poverty, and diseases and there need to sustained, timely and reliable efforts to be initiated to transform the current living conditions of women and girls in Liberia.
The 16 Days of Activism against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence against women and girls is an international campaign to challenge violence against women and girls.
The Campaign runs every year from November 25, the International Day for the elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day. It was initiated in 1991 by the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute, held by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership at the Rutgers University.
Since 1991, more than 6000, organizations from approximately 187countries have participated in the campaign.
The Theme for 2020 International Human Rights Day is “Recover Better.”
The 16 Days of Activism raises awareness about women and girls as a human right issue, focusing on the importance of grassroots work on violence against women as well as providing an international platform for advocacy and campaigning.
The dates for the campaign are chosen to link violence against women and human rights and emphasizes that gender-based violence against women is a violation of human rights.