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A violence-free Victoria.

It all starts with respect.

About the 16 Days of Activism

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Respect is...
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The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence was started by activists at the inauguration of the Women's Global Leadership Insititute in 1991. 

Three decades on, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is a widely recognised global campaign that encourages action to end gender-based violence.

During this time, organisations and individuals from around the world raise awareness that men’s violence against women is a fundamental violation of human rights.

Key dates

  • 25 November: International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
  • 3 December: International Day of People with Disabilities
  • 10 December: International Human Rights Day  

16 Days of Activism in Victoria

The 16 Days of Activism is a key part of communities’ efforts to prevent violence against women in Victoria. It is embodied by a grassroots spirit and the collaborative approach is rolled out uniquely across the state.  

The Walk Against Family Violence (in the Melbourne CBD) was first organised as a grassroots event in 2009 and now marks the start of the 16 Days of Activism in Victoria each year.  

Primary prevention of violence

Primary prevention of violence is about changing the underlying social conditions that produce and drive this violence, that excuse, justify or even promote it – that is, challenging the gendered drivers of men’s violence.  

Violence against women is preventable if we change the culture that allows it to happen.

Learn more  

Gender-based violence

‘Gender-based violence’ includes all forms of violence against people based on their gender, or violence that affects people of a particular gender disproportionately.  

It is commonly used to describe men’s violence against women and girls.  

Violence against LGBTIQA+ communities based on gender or gender norms is also a form of gender-based violence.  

Men and boys can also be targeted by violence due to their gender, or because they do not conform to gender norms.

The United Nations global 16 Days of Activism campaign focuses on men’s violence against women, and this is what we predominantly refer to in this toolkit.

Men’s violence against women

The United Nations defines violence against women as “any act of gender-based violence that causes or could cause physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of harm or coercion, in public or in private life.”  

The drivers of this violence are well understood, which means together we can challenge these social conditions to prevent violence from happening in the first place.

The vast majority of family and gender-based violence is perpetrated by men – as is most violence against men. 95% of victims of all violence, whatever their gender, experience violence from a male perpetrator. The social story that men should be aggressive, dominant and non-emotional is a major contributor here.

Evidence shows that women’s violence against male partners is usually motivated by self-defence.  

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Drivers of men’s violence against women

There are four factors that evidence has shown can drive men’s violence against women. These are referred to as the gendered drivers of men’s violence against women:  

  1. Condoning of violence against women. For example, blaming a woman for not leaving a violent partner.
  2. Men’s control of decision-making and limits to women’s independence in public and private life. For example, the belief that men should be ‘in charge’ in their relationships and the bosses at work.
  3. Rigid gender stereotyping and dominant forms of masculinity. For example, the idea that men must be tough and in charge, and that women should be submissive to men.
  4. Male peer relations and culture of masculinity that emphasise aggression, dominance and control. For example, men using sexist or homophobic jokes to bond with each other.  

There are also reinforcing factors that can interact with the gendered drivers to increase the prevalence, frequency, or severity of violence against women.

  1. Condoning of violence in general. Including victim blaming, treating family violence as a family’s private matter, and telling sexist jokes or jokes about rape.  
  2. Experience of, and exposure to, violence. Including abuse and maltreatment as a child, or being exposed to violence against their mother or other female caregivers.
  3. Factors that weaken prosocial behaviour. Including natural disasters and crises, alcohol, gambling, environments dominated by male peer relations, and disadvantage and isolation.  
  4. Resistance and backlash to prevention and gender equality efforts, at both individual, community, institutional and structural levels.  

On their own, these factors may not necessarily drive or create violence, but when they are combined with the gendered drivers, violence against women becomes much more likely.  

Actively challenging gendered drivers and addressing reinforcing factors is key in preventing men’s violence against women.

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Forms of violence against women

There are many different forms of violence, both physical and non-physical. It can include:

  • physical violence and murder
  • intimate partner violence, including dating violence
  • sexual violence (perpetrated by someone known or by a stranger)
  • sexual harassment (in workplaces, public spaces or online)
  • sexual objectification and fetishisation, particularly of trans women and trans feminine people, women of colour, and lesbian, bisexual and queer women
  • dowry-related abuse, sexual and reproductive coercion, sex trafficking and other slavery-like practices, female genital mutilation/cutting, forced marriage
  • coercive control, including financial abuse, technological abuse, control over immigration status  
  • violence that occurs in institutional settings; for example, violence in prisons, in aged care facilities, disability or residential care settings, health facilities or educational institutions.

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Who experiences gender-based violence?

Women from all cultures and backgrounds can experience gender-based violence. There is no part of society that is “immune” from men’s violence against women.  

Intersecting forms of oppression, discrimination, power and privilege can further limit a woman’s access to resources, independence and perceived value, and increase the probability of violence against them. Broadly, these include ableism, ageism, class discrimination, heteronormativity, cisnormativity, and racism and colonialism. That’s why efforts to prevent violence against women must include all women.

The drivers of violence against women and against LGBTIQA+ people overlap. This means that prevention of men’s against women programs and activities that address these drivers should consider how to include LGBTIQA+ people (of all genders) in their design and delivery. It’s also why it’s important to take care not to send the message that gendered violence only affects women.

For example, education programs that talk about rigid gender stereotypes or sports campaigns that challenge masculine social norms that encourage misogyny, homophobia and transphobia should be designed in close consultation with the LGBTIQA+ community. In instances where their experiences are at the centre of the work, this should be led in partnership.

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Collaborative approach to end gender-based violence

To effectively drive down rates of violence against women – and to keep them down – we need a well-supported system that connects prevention, early intervention, response and recovery services.

We also need to recognise that everyone has a role to play in changing attitudes and behaviours, as well as the systems, policies and processes that allow violence to thrive.  

Respect is...