16 Days of Activism

From 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign is a time to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world. The international campaign originated from the first Women's Global Leadership Institute coordinated by the Center for Women's Global Leadership in 1991.

For far too long, impunity, silence and stigma have allowed violence against women to escalate to pandemic proportions—one in three women worldwide experience gender-based violence.

The time for change is here and now.

In recent years, the voices of survivors and activists, through campaigns such as #MeToo, #TimesUp, #Niunamenos, #NotOneMore, #BalanceTonPorc and others, have reached a crescendo that cannot be silenced any more. Advocates understand that while the names and contexts may differ across geographic locations, women and girls everywhere are experiencing extensive abuse and their stories need to be brought to light.

This is why the UNiTE Campaign’s global advocacy theme this year is: Orange the World: #HearMeToo

Under the theme Orange the World: #HearMeToo, the UNiTE partners are encouraged to host events with local, national, regional and global women’s movements, survivor advocates and women human rights defenders and create opportunities for dialogue between activists, policy-makers and the public. As in previous years, the colour orange will be a key theme unifying all activities, with buildings and landmarks lit and decorated in orange to bring global attention to the initiative.

Do You Know?

Trailblazers of local democracy and gender equality in Rakhine
Pioneer female village tract administrators on the opportunities of participatory township planning

UNDP in Rakhine: Gender equality and women’s empowerment
Addressing the social and structural barriers that prevent women’s participation and voices both in the formal peace process and in bottom up peacebuilding exercises. 

UNDP in Rakhine: Access to justice and rule of law
UNDP provides services for conflict resolution through fair and affordable mechanisms and legal support on particularly acute problems in Rakhine such as gender-based violence and land right.

A lasting commitment to development
An integrated approach to sustainable development in Myanmar

Violence against women, a cause and consequence of inequality
Gender-based violence is often reinforced by discriminatory laws and exclusionary social norms that undermine opportunities for education, income and independence.

The silent health toll of gender-based violence
As we join others in the #HearMeToo movement to stand with survivors and chart a path towards justice, let’s ensure to listen all women's voices, including those living with mental illness. 

To Enable Positive Behavioural Change, Does Development Need a Structured Approach to Inspiration? - A Study of the iWomen Inspiring Women Project
This report is the result of a joined effort between the United Nations University Institute on Computing and Society (UNU-CS) and UNDP Myanmar. It was written with development practitioners and academics in mind, to share lessons learned about using tech innovation to empower marginalised communities. 

Consolidated Summary Report: Access to Justice and Informal Justice Systems in Kachin, Rakhine and Shan States
Between October 2015 and July 2016,  UNDP in Myanmar conducted a study on access to justice and informal justice systems in 16 townships in Rakhine, Kachin and Shan States. The purpose of the study was to cast light on the formal, quasi-judicial/administrative and informal processes of justice, and why and how people use them to resolve their disputes and grievances.