International day for the Elimination of All Violence Against Women and Girls 2023

All men live in a world where violence against women, including femicide, is extremely common. We believe all men and boys, in all their diversties, need to step up and be part of the solution as accountable allies to women, girls and gender nonconforming people in preventing and ending all forms of gender-based violence.

Violence against women and girls is not natural, normal nor inevitable. It is the result of a world in which women and girls do not have the same rights and protections as men and boys, a world that turns a blind eye to men’s violence towards women and girls.

Tomorrow is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and the start of 16 Days of Activism Against Violence Against Women. During this time, we join hands with feminist women’s rights movements in calling for strong action from governments, corporations, and institutions to stop condoning, and work to prevent and end violence against women and girls.

In the week running up to #16DaysOfActivism, we have been asking our members and partners #HowToTalkWithMen about gender equality, women’s rights, and LGBTQI rights. We now turn our attention to elevating the actions, campaigns, and voices of those speaking up during #16Days to #endGBV.

Ending and preventing all violence against all women and girls will require men and boys to critically examine their own power and privilege, to engage in deep personal reflections, and commit to act for gender justice. We take this moment to call men and boys to take a pledge, and join the call of White Ribbon Canada to never commit, condone or remain silent about any type of violence against women and girls.

We join calls by intersectional feminist and social justice movements for systems change, to address the root causes of gender-based violence and all forms of systemic oppression.

Illustration by Ipsita Divedi @ipsitadivedi