DSRSG/RC/HC’s message to launch the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence

Nearly 1 in 3 women are affected in their lifetime, regardless of age, culture, class, or economic status.

Survivors are left with permanent scars, risking physical injuries, psychological trauma, forced pregnancies, unsafe abortions, community stigmatization, and death. 

Times of crisis magnify existing gender inequalities and escalate the risk of gender-based violence. These crises include violent conflict, climate change, natural disasters, and political and economic instability, all of which we are grappling with here in Sudan.

In Sudan, women working in informal sectors and in camp settings, domestic workers, and people with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence. 

Too often survivors are blamed for being abused and stigmatized in their communities. 

This must stop. Survivors of violence must be heard and believed, and perpetrators must be held accountable for their actions.

Every woman and girl has the right to live a life free of violence and full of dignity. It is a fundamental human right.

Specific measures to ensure the protection of women and girls are urgently needed, including the availability and accessibility of quality, multi-sectoral services, including health care, justice, safety, protection and social services for survivors of gender-based violence.

This year’s theme: “UNITE: Activism to End Violence Against Women and Girls” encourages us to unite with activists around the world who are pushing forward change and supporting survivors of violence.

Each of us can take action to end violence against women and girls. Together, we must uphold our commitments end gender-based violence now.