Video - “UNITE to End Violence Against Women”
16 Days of Activism to Eliminate Violence Against Women
MECC Participates with ACT Alliance in the UN International Campaign
The international campaign “UNITE to End Violence against Women Campaign” kicks off today Friday 25 November. It begins on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and ends on the International Human Rights Day on 10 December. This annual campaign of 16 days of activism is launched this year at a time the rate of violence against women has increased, through all its types and on various levels, at home, society, workplace and public places. It is increased in the world and the Middle East, especially with the absence of laws or the application of laws which protect woman and preserve her dignity.
The campaign is launched by the United Nations Secretary General and UN Women on 2008. It rings the alarm bell and aims to raise awareness on this issue and its negative impacts. It seeks to prevent violence against women and girls and work to end it worldwide. The campaign also calls for global action to raise awareness, promote advocacy, and create opportunities for discussion on challenges and solutions. The slogan of this years’ campaign is “UNITE! Activism to End Violence against Women & Girls”, and the color orange is being used to represent a brighter future, free from violence against women and girls.
From its end, the international ACT Alliance, in which the Middle East Council of Churches is an essential part, especially for the Middle East issues, alongside regional religious and humanitarian organizations, participates in this international campaign to end violence against women. The campaign includes photos and slogans prepared by these member organizations in order to participate in the campaign. It will be published consecutively on the ACT Alliance Twitter account, as well as on the MECC website and social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
As part of this campaign, ACT Alliance has also launched a series of videos, through which representatives of the ACT regional forums have raised their voices. They stressed the danger of violence against women and the need for serious action to face and eliminate it. As for MECC, Reverend Rima Nasrallah, the Council’s representative in ACT MENA Forum and Coordinator of the MECC Ecojustice Unit, talked in the video about violence against women in the region, and highlighted the Christian view on this important issue.