I have been following feminist and women’s movements for the past two years, but isn’t this so strange that I got to know about “16 Days of Activism” only this year. I feel pretty sure that for most people here the case remains almost the same, the reason being there is not much awareness about such campaigns in India or in other words our society fails to afford such movements enough space. The movement is a global civil society initiative coordinated by Centre for Women’s Global leadership, supported by United Nations General Secretary’s UNiTE campaign which intends to make a call for worldwide inclusive effort aimed at increasing awareness, spreading knowledge and standing together for weaker and marginalised sections in society.  

The pictures in orange coming from various parts of the world—Australia, Europe, Africa and extending much beyond— were filled with enthusiasm, hope and an encouragement for future generations for they mean much more than a few pictures and actually stand up to the challenge of awful gender discriminatory realities all across the world. The campaign runs through 16 days, beginning from International day for Elimination of Violence on November 25 followed by International Women Human Rights Defenders day on November 29 and then anniversary of Montreal Massacre on 6 December observed as National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women in Canada and to finally culminate into Human Rights day on December 10.

This campaign in particular targets prevalence of gender injustice in our society, inflicted upon half population of world through conditioning, patriarchal norms and violence. Though world hasn’t ever been a fair place but more than being unfair and unethical, it is a criminal affair and sheer disregard for the life on the planet on part of culprits and also that silent privileged lot. There is no society which is not prone to gender prejudice and violence against women that’s why it should be termed as collective shared injustice. It is a collective responsibility to put each one’s share into an effort that challenges old patriarchal structure and break the chains of slavery, which opens up the pathways to a liberation that assumes the character of equality as well as freedom.

In India, the situation is even grave for the lack of space for expression of vulnerabilities and threats originating from those spaces itself that are supposed to be shielding them from cruelties of larger world.