More than 1 million actions have been registered with the Say NO – UNiTE to End Violence against Women initiative of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM, part of UN Women). The online effort (saynotoviolence.org) was launched one year ago to provide a platform for individuals, civil society groups and governments to showcase and record their activities on the issue. It is a direct contribution to the UN Secretary-General's campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women.
The milestone registration of actions coincides with today's International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. "I am thrilled that Say NO – UNiTE has surpassed 1 million actions," said UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet. "I signed on to Say NO as President of Chile, knowing that public commitments like this go a long way. Say NO – UNiTE is proof that there is a global groundswell for ending violence against women."
People from 227 countries and territories have visited Say NO – UNiTE. More than 300 civil society groups engage through action pages that highlight their activities and allow people who visit to sign on and express support or otherwise get involved.
Strong political commitment has come as officials from 72 governments have signed on, including 226 ministers and 31 heads of state. The European Union is moving forward with an EU-wide strategy to prevent violence, while the legislature in the Maldives adopted a new resolution on eliminating violence.
Say NO – UNiTE actions are diverse, but all add to the global momentum around stopping violence against women. In Tajikistan, Taekwondo trainers are sensitizing military men on maintaining healthy relations in their families. At a concert organized for the Global Youth Conference in Mexico last summer, 3,000 young people came together to support the UNiTE campaign and call on youth to work for peaceful communities.
The Office of the Attorney General in Thailand has embarked on a national campaign with more than 100,000 signatories, and actions that range from providing new guidance to judicial officials on upholding domestic violence laws, to parades, television shows and speech contests to spread awareness among the general public. In northern Uganda, traditional leaders called for making women’s needs central to peacebuilding and have conducted a campaign on zero tolerance for violence.
The annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence, which kicks off on 25 November, uses Say NO – UNiTE to mobilize advocates around the world to take additional actions during that time.
This year, Say NO – UNiTE has also backed a new giving drive by the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. By texting the word UNITE to 27722, people in the United States can donate $10 to the UN Foundation, which supports UN Trust Fund programmes and services on the ground. Online donations can be made through the UN Foundation.
The drive is part of a funding goal of US$ 100 million. With up to 70 percent of women and girls experiencing some form of violence, the need for vastly scaled-up support is clear. UN Trust Fund grants make possible innovative programmes to end violence, but in 2009, despite offering more than US$ 20 million in funding, the Fund could meet less than 2 percent of requests from around the world.
One organization already doing its part is Zonta International, a long-term supporter of the UN Trust Fund. It has just announced US$ 430,000 in funding to stop acid attacks against women and girls in Cambodia, Nepal and Uganda. Another US$ 200,000 contribution will go towards UNIFEM's work in Haiti on providing security and services for women and girls after the devastating earthquake there.
The milestone registration of actions coincides with today's International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. "I am thrilled that Say NO – UNiTE has surpassed 1 million actions," said UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet. "I signed on to Say NO as President of Chile, knowing that public commitments like this go a long way. Say NO – UNiTE is proof that there is a global groundswell for ending violence against women."
People from 227 countries and territories have visited Say NO – UNiTE. More than 300 civil society groups engage through action pages that highlight their activities and allow people who visit to sign on and express support or otherwise get involved.
Strong political commitment has come as officials from 72 governments have signed on, including 226 ministers and 31 heads of state. The European Union is moving forward with an EU-wide strategy to prevent violence, while the legislature in the Maldives adopted a new resolution on eliminating violence.
Say NO – UNiTE actions are diverse, but all add to the global momentum around stopping violence against women. In Tajikistan, Taekwondo trainers are sensitizing military men on maintaining healthy relations in their families. At a concert organized for the Global Youth Conference in Mexico last summer, 3,000 young people came together to support the UNiTE campaign and call on youth to work for peaceful communities.
The Office of the Attorney General in Thailand has embarked on a national campaign with more than 100,000 signatories, and actions that range from providing new guidance to judicial officials on upholding domestic violence laws, to parades, television shows and speech contests to spread awareness among the general public. In northern Uganda, traditional leaders called for making women’s needs central to peacebuilding and have conducted a campaign on zero tolerance for violence.
The annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence, which kicks off on 25 November, uses Say NO – UNiTE to mobilize advocates around the world to take additional actions during that time.
This year, Say NO – UNiTE has also backed a new giving drive by the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. By texting the word UNITE to 27722, people in the United States can donate $10 to the UN Foundation, which supports UN Trust Fund programmes and services on the ground. Online donations can be made through the UN Foundation.
The drive is part of a funding goal of US$ 100 million. With up to 70 percent of women and girls experiencing some form of violence, the need for vastly scaled-up support is clear. UN Trust Fund grants make possible innovative programmes to end violence, but in 2009, despite offering more than US$ 20 million in funding, the Fund could meet less than 2 percent of requests from around the world.
One organization already doing its part is Zonta International, a long-term supporter of the UN Trust Fund. It has just announced US$ 430,000 in funding to stop acid attacks against women and girls in Cambodia, Nepal and Uganda. Another US$ 200,000 contribution will go towards UNIFEM's work in Haiti on providing security and services for women and girls after the devastating earthquake there.
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