16 Days Of Activism Against Gender Based Violence Campaign

Be a part of creating safe and equal communities for women.

The Campaigns began in 1991 by the Women’s Global Leadership Institute with its first theme being Violence Against Women Violates Human Rights.

In 2008 the Secretary-General launched the Campaign UNITE by 2030 to End Violence against Women. In 2009 the UN Women launched the Say NO-UNITE to End Violence against Women as a Mobilization Platform for harnessing the Efforts of the UN and all Stakeholders involved in the Fight against Violence against Women by showcasing advocacies, news, and actions on ending violence against women and girls by people from all walks of life.

Why the 25 of November?

On the 25th of November in 1960, three Sisters from the Dominican Republic popularly known as the Mirabal Sisters (Patricia, Minerva, and Maria Teresa) were killed in the Las Mariposas assassination. They died at the hands of President Rafael Trujillo’s Secret Police after, they actively opposed the System of Ruling used by President Rafael of Cruelty and Systematic Violence.

Patricia, Minerva, and Maria Teresa even in their death were still activists of Human Rights and this was Symbolized by the date being declared International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in Latin America in 1990, and in 1991 it was recognized Globally.

Why 16 Days?

25th November is the Commemoration of the International Day Against Violence Against Violence and 10th December is the Commemoration of the International Human Rights Day. Coincidentally, the 15 Days in between have Significant Memories especially for women as November 29 is International Women Human Rights Defenders Day, 1st December is World Aids Day, and December 6th is the Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre that saw 6 Women killed in 1989 by Marc Lupine in his quest to fight feminism.

These dates were specifically chosen to link violence against women and human rights to emphasize that gender-based violence against women is a violation of human rights.

What is our Role in the Present Time?

WiLDAF Tanzania Leads the 2026 Sixteen Days of Activism Campaign to Advance Justice and End Gender-Based Violence

Campaign Period: 25 November – 10 December 2026

Global Theme: “UNiTE to End Violence Against Women and Girls: Ensure Justice, Protect Survivors, End Impunity.”

Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF) Tanzania, in collaboration with the GBV MKUKI Coalition, is coordinating the 2026 Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign in Tanzania. With more than 25 years of experience coordinating this national campaign, WiLDAF Tanzania continues to mobilise civil society organisations, government institutions, communities, development partners, the media and other stakeholders to challenge gender-based violence and advance justice for women and children.

The 2026 campaign seeks to move beyond awareness-raising towards coordinated action, stronger survivor support, institutional accountability and sustainable change. It aims to transform harmful social and gender norms, strengthen access to justice, improve survivor-centred services and ensure that commitments to ending gender-based violence translate into measurable action.

Campaign Advocacy Priorities

The 2026 campaign will focus on five interconnected priorities:

Ending Violence Against Women and Children: Challenging physical, sexual, psychological and economic violence in homes, schools, workplaces, communities and digital spaces.
Ending Corporal Punishment: Promoting positive, non-violent approaches to discipline and protecting children's dignity, safety and right to learn without fear.
Advocating for a Comprehensive Gender-Based Violence Law: Building public and institutional support for a comprehensive legal framework that strengthens prevention, survivor protection, coordinated responses and accountability.
Ending Domestic Violence: Challenging the normalisation of violence within households and family relationships, with particular attention to women, children and domestic workers.
Preventing Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence: Addressing cyberbullying, online sexual harassment, image-based abuse, impersonation and other forms of technology-enabled violence while promoting digital safety and accountability.

Key Campaign Activities

The campaign will bring together national advocacy, community mobilisation, survivor-centred support and public accountability through several flagship interventions.

National Launch and High-Level Commitments: Convening stakeholders to present campaign priorities and secure specific, measurable commitments from responsible institutions and leaders.
Anti-GBV Caravan and Community Outreach: Taking information, dialogue and essential services directly to markets, public spaces, schools and communities, particularly areas that have not previously been reached. Activities will include community and school dialogues, legal information and assistance, psychosocial first-line support, digital-safety education, referrals and follow-up.
Justice-Sector and Institutional Dialogues: Bringing together police officers, prosecutors, judicial officers, social welfare officers, education authorities, advocates and service providers to identify practical measures for strengthening survivor-centred case handling, referrals, access to justice and accountability.
Survivor and Girls' Leadership: Creating safe and accessible opportunities for survivors, young women and adolescent girls to influence campaign priorities, service improvements and policy recommendations.
Media, Digital and Creative Advocacy: Amplifying campaign messages through television, radio, digital platforms, interviews, short videos, graphics, music, drama, performing arts and member-led podcasts.
Anti-GBV Champions Awards and Network: Recognizing individuals and institutions contributing to transformative change and strengthening continued engagement through mentorship, peer learning, community mobilization and advocacy.
Building Collective Accountability Beyond the Campaign

The 2026 campaign will prioritise evidence-based advocacy and follow-up to ensure that public commitments lead to meaningful change. WiLDAF Tanzania and the GBV MKUKI Coalition will document community concerns, service gaps, institutional recommendations, lessons and commitments made during campaign activities.

These findings will inform continued legal and policy advocacy, institutional engagement and public accountability beyond 10 December 2026. The campaign will also strengthen coordination among Coalition members and existing community and institutional structures to promote sustained prevention and response to gender-based violence.

Women and girls, children, survivors of gender-based violence, domestic workers, persons with disabilities, young women and adolescent girls will be among the campaign's priority constituencies. Men and boys, parents, teachers, community leaders, justice-sector actors, government institutions, media, development partners and responsible private-sector actors will also be engaged as partners in transforming harmful norms and strengthening accountability.

Our Collective Commitment

WiLDAF Tanzania and the GBV MKUKI Coalition call upon all stakeholders to move beyond statements of solidarity and take concrete action to prevent violence, protect survivors, strengthen access to justice and hold perpetrators and responsible institutions accountable.

Every community prevents and addresses violence. Every community supports justice for survivors. Every institution fulfils its responsibility. Every commitment is followed by measurable action. Every woman and girl lives in safety, equality and freedom.

Together, let us ensure that justice is accessible, survivors are protected, and violence against women and children is no longer tolerated.

How to be Involved

How Will You Orange the World This November 25th?
November 25 marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the official launch of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign. This global campaign runs annually from November 25 to December 10 (Human Rights Day), highlighting the connection between ending gender-based violence and upholding human rights.
We are pleased to invite your organization to join us in this year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign.
As part of our local commemoration, WiLDAF has organized an initiative called “Orange the World.”
We encourage your organization to participate in creative ways to show solidarity and raise awareness, such as:
- Decorating your office with orange (the campaign color),
- Encouraging staff to wear orange, and/or
- Hosting a short seminar or discussion on ending gender-based violence in the workplace and community.
Through such activities, your organization will be contributing to the global message of ending violence against women and girls.
Don’t forget to Tag & share on social media using the hashtags:
#j4s #Justice4survivors
Together, let’s Orange the World and stand united against gender-based violence.

16 Days of Activism Campaign Matrix

Add your organization’s campaign events here.

16 Days Of Activism Campaign 2024

Uzinduzi wa Siku 16 za Uanaharakati dhidi ya Ukatili wa Kijinsia 2024

Mdahalo wa Kitaifa Kuhusu Hali ya Ukatili wa Kijinsia Tanzania - 2024

16 Days Campaign 2025

The 2025 Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign, coordinated nationally by Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF Tanzania) through the GBV MKUKI Coalition, was implemented during one of the most challenging periods for civic engagement and public advocacy in recent years. Conducted in the aftermath of Tanzania’s General Elections, the campaign unfolded within a context characterized by heightened political sensitivities, shrinking civic space, growing digital hostility, and evolving forms of violence affecting women and girls.

16 Days Campaign 2023

This year campaign employs wide range of strategies to ensure maximum number of communities are impacted.

The kick of the campaign will be on 25th November in Dar es Salaam with the movement expanding to all regions across the country. The aim is to inspire every individual and institution to take part in this year’s campaign from local to National levels.

WiLDAF has utilized the commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism to promote social activism in ending GBV. The 2023 campaign brought immerse success across different levels.

16 Days Campaign 2022

This year campaign employs wide range of strategies to ensure maximum number of communities are impacted.

The kick of the campaign will be on 25th November in Dodoma with the movement expanding to all regions across the country. The aim is to inspire every individual and institution to take part in this year’s campaign from local to National levels.

16 Days Campaign 2021

Among other countries, Tanzania commemorated the 16 days and this year, and the theme was “Ewe Mwananchi, Komesha Ukatili wa Kijinsia Sasa,” meaning, ‘End violence against women now.” This year, the campaign provided an opportunity for reflection, re-strategizing and re-energizing on the need to join forces to end Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC).

16 Days Campaign 2020

WiLDAF and MKUKI Coalition propose this year campaign to address the following key issues; The alarming and increasing of sexual violence in Tanzania, the issue of sexual harassment and sextortion especially at the Higher Learning Institutions, and Workplaces, the violence against women in the politics and election, the domestic violence which happens within families especially intimate partner violence, and the safety of women and girls in the digital space, music and film industries.

The campaign will contribute to the vision of NPA-VAWC, which envisions a Tanzania as a society where women and children enjoy their rights to an environment free from violence.

16 Days Campaign 2019

In the year 2019, the campaign aimed at initiating the debate and voices, to encourage every person’s responsibility, to fight the incidence of rape, sexual corruption and violence against sexual intimacy in the community. Also it intends to educate the community to provide safe environment to women and children because every person has the right to feel safe and be respected. This goal was to sensitize every person in his or her position regardless of age to take action against rape incidences, violence against sexual intimacy and sexual corruption.

16 Days Campaign 2018

On the year 2018; 16 days of activism campaign brought on board all duty bearers in order to take concrete steps toward bridging the public and private spheres and reaching institutions, communities, families, and individuals including children and reshaping perceptions of violence as well as gender roles between men and women. The campaign contributed towards the vision of NPA-VAWC, which envisions a Tanzania where women and children enjoy their rights to a violent free environment.

16 Days Campaign 2017

The 2017 global campaign marks 16 days of activism on gender based violence under overreaching theme in which it reflects the core principle of the transformative 2030 agenda for sustainable development goals. This theme reinforces the world’s commitment to a world free from violence for all women and girls around the world, while reaching the most underserved and marginalized group. Also, advocating for the enabling environment for policies and laws that are gender sensitive, development of shelters, having in place a Domestic Violence Act and Family Courts;