About the 16 Days of Activism and Awareness
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence (GBV) is an annual international campaign, occurring from November 25 to December 10. This campaign began in 1991 to call out and speak up against gender-based violence (GBV), and to renew our commitment to ending violence against women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ communities.
In the Workplace
Provincially there is information on the Province of Ontario website about employer duties under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to protect workers from workplace violence and harassment. The Act mandates policies and procedures to anticipate risks and protect workers. OHCOW’s StressAssess survey helps identify patterns of harassment and offensive behaviour in order to find prevention strategies. Our partner PSHSA offers many other resources in this area: https://www.pshsa.ca/workplace-sexual-violence-and-harassment
Key dates
November 25: International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
This day raises global awareness of GBV. It was designated in 1999 by the United Nations General Assembly. The date of November 25 commemorates the lives of the Mirabal sisters from the Dominican Republic who were violently assassinated in 1960. See the United Nations Web Page commemorating this date in history.
December 6: National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
In Canada, this day honours the 14 women killed in the Polytechnique Montréal massacre on December 6, 1989, and calls for action against GBV. See OHCOW’s commemorative page,
December 10: Human Rights Day
This day marks the anniversary of the United Nations adoption and proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948. This document affirms the rights and dignity of all people and is a milestone in the history of human rights. It has been translated in over 500 languages, holding the Guinness World Record as the most translated document.
