The 16 Days of Activism Campaign To Eliminate Gender-Based Violence

VIU is participating in the 16 Days of Activism Campaign that aims to eliminate gender-based violence.

The United Nations (UN) campaign to end violence against women begins on November 25 each year (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) and runs until December 10 (Human Rights Day). The campaign indicates that violence against women is the most pervasive breach of human rights worldwide.

The UN says violence against women—especially domestic violence—has increased since the start of the pandemic. It is crucial to bring attention to this global issue in our community on Vancouver Island, which is exactly what VIU organizations are doing by spreading knowledge to help create a future free from gender-based violence.

The Vancouver Island University Students’ Union (VIUSU) will be hosting events throughout the campaign between November 25 and December 10. 

VIUSU’s hosted events include:

• The Red Dress Project, November 25 to December 10. VIUSU members will hang red dresses along the hill on Fourth St. and Wakesiah Avenue in front of the Trades Discovery Centre. The project aims to raise awareness and honour the memory of Canada’s missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
• Virtual Stitch n Bitch took place on November 30 from 7 to 8 pm and was open to all VIU community members. Attendees brought a craft project and a comforting beverage and joined the zoom session for a casual conversation.
• Feminists: What Were They Thinking? Netflix Party on December 2, 7–8:30pm. Open to all VIU community members. The film revisits 1970s photos of women that captured the feminist awakening, explores those women’s lives, and acknowledges the continued need for change. Register for the event on the VIUSU app.
• Virtual Vigil for National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, December 6, 5–5:40 pm. This year VIUSU can’t host an in-person vigil to honour the women who lost their lives in the 1989 Montreal massacre at École Polytechnique, but everyone is encouraged to attend the virtual vigil hosted by the Public Service Alliance of Canada. The vigil is open to everyone, and registration is at psacbc.com.
• Also check out videos that the Vancouver Island Faculty Association will be posting to VIUTube, on the VIUFA and CFUW Nanaimo Websites, and the VIUFA Status of Women Facebook page in support of the campaign.