Respect Women: Call it Out

Friday 25 November marks the beginning of 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence, a global initiative to prevent violence against women.

The 16 Days of Activism campaign was started by activists at the inaugural Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991 and continues to be coordinated each year by UN Women.

It is used as an organising strategy by individuals and organisations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.

What does respect look like, how do we put respect into practice in our homes our relationships, our workplaces and communities.

Research has found that forms of disrespect increase the likelihood of violence against women.

BCH is encouraging individuals and communities to:

  • Think about and talk about what respect looks like in your everyday lives, including in intimate relationships, families, workplaces, and communities
  • Call out disrespect, sexism, harassment, and abuse when it is safe to do so; and
  • Make the link between gender equality and family violence/violence against women.

By asking you to ‘call it out’, we’re asking bystanders to intervene when they witness gender inequality, sexism and harassment which are all drivers that can lead to family violence and more broadly, violence against women. Here are several ways we can all show respect.

  • Respect is choosing not to laugh at jokes that put women down
  • Respect is sharing the housework
  • Respect is challenging what it means to be a man
  • Respect is treating girls and boys as equal
  • Respect is calling out harmful comments towards women
  • Respect is amplifying the voices of women with disabilities
  • Respect is upholding women’s control over their own bodies
  • Respect is upholding Aboriginal women’s voices and experiences
  • Respect is valuing older women’s experiences
  • Respect is calling out degrading language in sports
  • Respect is being an ally to trans women
  • Respect is promoting women’s financial independence
  • Respect is making home a safe place
  • Respect is supporting everyone to express their identities
  • Respect is upholding women’s independence
  • Respect is making sure every woman feels safe at work

You can find out more about the ‘Respect Women: Call it out’ campaign here.

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