16 Days, One Goal: End Violence

It happens every ten minutes. 

Somewhere in the world, a woman’s life is stolen—not by disease or disaster, but by the hands of someone she trusted. A partner, a family member. Someone who was supposed to care for her.

For thousands of women in 2023, their stories ended in violence. The cycle of abuse—silent in its beginnings, escalating in its cruelty—culminated in one final, irreversible act: femicide.

Behind every statistic is a name. Behind every headline is a family forever changed. Yet, the epidemic of violence against women and girls remains one of the world’s most persistent, and solvable, crises.

The Numbers Speak Louder Than Words

Nearly one in three women experiences physical or sexual violence in her lifetime. One in four adolescent girls faces abuse at the hands of a partner. These are not abstract figures; they are lives interrupted, futures erased.

And while the problem is global, it’s deeply personal. It happens in homes, in workplaces, in communities that claim to care for their own.

The truth is stark: without addressing gender-based violence, we cannot achieve the world envisioned by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Gender equality—Goal 5—remains out of reach as long as women live in fear of violence.

A Campaign of Hope and Urgency

This year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence comes with a haunting reminder: “Every Ten Minutes, a Woman is Killed. #NoExcuse.”

From 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day, the campaign calls on governments, organisations, and individuals to confront the reality of femicide and gender-based violence head-on.

The urgency of this moment is amplified as the world approaches the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 2025. 

This visionary blueprint for achieving gender equality has been a rallying point for decades. But the question remains: are we doing enough to honour its promise?

The Faces Behind the Figures

Consider Nadia, a 28-year-old mother of two. She was outgoing, loved to sing, and dreamed of opening her own bakery. But for years, she endured the sharp edges of her husband’s words, then his fists. She thought things would change. She stayed for her children.

One evening, after an argument over something as trivial as a burnt dinner, Nadia became another statistic—one more woman lost to intimate partner violence.

Nadia’s story is tragically common. It’s a story repeated every day, in every corner of the world.

What Needs to Change?

Violence against women doesn’t happen in isolation. It is rooted in inequality, silence, and a culture that too often excuses or minimises abuse. Change must happen on multiple fronts:

• Governments must enforce laws and policies that protect women and hold perpetrators accountable. Countries with comprehensive domestic violence laws report significantly lower rates of intimate partner violence (9.5%) than those without (16.1%).
• Communities must challenge harmful norms, support survivors, and speak out against abuse.
• Businesses can adopt zero-tolerance policies and create safe workplaces for women.
• Individuals—yes, you—can raise awareness, advocate for change, and support women’s organisations working on the front lines.

A Future Without Fear

This year’s 16 Days campaign is more than a call to action—it’s a plea for justice, for accountability, for change.

Advocate for stronger laws. Speak out against harmful attitudes. Support survivor-centred services. 

And remember: behind every ten minutes is a life that could have been saved.

Violence against women and girls is not inevitable. It is a choice society makes every day—whether to act or to stay silent.

The time for silence is over. It’s time to stand up, speak out, and say together: #NoExcuse for violence against women. 

Disclaimer - Nadia’s story is fictional but reflects the experiences of countless women around the world. Every ten minutes, a woman loses her life to violence, often at the hands of someone she knows and trusts.