16 Days of Activism

What is 16 days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence?

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign to:

raise awareness
advocate for women
take action to end violence against women.

The campaign runs from 25 November to 10 December. This work is part of an international campaign called 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, led by the United Nations.

Day one of the 16 Days of Activism begins on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, in commemoration of the Mirabal Sisters.

The last day of the 16 Days of Activism falls on International Human rights Day on 10 December, reminding us that violence against women is a violation of human rights.

Organisations in Melbourne’s west who are part of the Preventing Violence Together partnership come together to run activities or a campaign during the 16-day period, alongside other activities that take place throughout the year.

Find out more about the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.

16 Days events

16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence runs from Monday 25 November to Tuesday 10 December this year.

Find out about events across Melbourne's west hosted by councils, community organisations, charities and community groups this year.

Find out more

Past campaigns for 16 Days of Activism

Take a look at our campaigns from 2023, 2022 and 2020 including Working Dads survey and report, Beyond Stereotypes photo exhibition and All About Allyship.

Find out more

Illustration of two hand - one tan and one brown - holding a map of the seven local government areas of Melbourne's west. The local government areas are in bright colours on a dark purple background.

Frequently Asked Questions

This section has information on services that are available to provide further support, as well as information about how you can respond to somebody who discloses family violence.
In an emergency
If it is an emergency or you are in immediate danger, call 000 for police and ambulance help.
If you use the National Relay Service, options for connecting with services can be found here.
If you need an interpreter, phone 131 450 to access the Telephone Interpreter Service (24 hours). They will connect you with the service you want.
Getting help
Whether you are experiencing family violence yourself, wanting to help someone who is experiencing family violence, or a professional looking for information – we are here to assist you.
- Find out about our family violence support service and how to get help.
- If you work to support clients and want to find out how to make a referral to our family violence service, access brokerage or find out more about the services we provide, this section is for you.
For a list of emergency, family violence and sexual assault, health, housing and legal support services download the Support Services Help Sheet.
For translated information about who we are, what service we provide and how to get help in Arabic, Hindi, Punjabi and Vietnamese, visit our Information in your language page.
If you know someone who has or is experiencing family violence:
- take their fears seriously
- refer them to support services
- take care of yourself as well.
To find out more about identifying family violence and how to get help head to the Family Violence Help section of this website.
Responding to disclosures
How you respond to a disclosure can make a big difference to a person’s recovery and how likely they are to seek help in the future. Here are some tips:
- Listen with empathy, without interrupting and without judgement. Let them share their story, at their own pace.
- Believe what they tell you and let them know you believe them. It can be very difficult to disclose experiences of violence. People may fear not being believed. You can say, ‘It must be hard for you to talk about this. A lot of women are afraid no one will believe them,’ or ‘I can see it has taken courage for you to tell me this.’
- Reassure them that the violence is unacceptable, and that it is not their fault. Let them know that no one deserves to be abused. You could say, ‘The person who chooses to be violent is the one who is responsible.’
- Refer them to support services and other available help. Let them know that they can just get support and information. They won’t be pressured to leave the situation.
Thing to avoid:
- Talking down: ‘Well, it’s obvious that you’re not thinking straight.’
- Ordering: ‘You should leave him. I’ll get you into a refuge.’
- Avoidance: ‘Maybe we can talk about this later.’
- Logical argument: ‘It’s a fact that violence only gets worse over time.’
- Judging: ‘You know it’s harmful to expose the children to this.’
More information on how to respond to disclosures is at Safe and Equal.
Gender-based violence means harmful or violent things that happen to someone, or a group of people, because of their gender, gender expression, gender identity, or perceived gender. It is based on gender norms and unequal power dynamics. It takes many forms, including physical, economic, sexual, as well as emotional (psychological) abuse. It is frequently used to describe men’s violence against women.
All genders can experience sexual assault and family violence. Violence against any person is unacceptable.
But men and women tend to face different types of violence. Men are at greater risk of violence from a stranger in a public place. Women are at greater risk of violence in their home. Women are also at greater risk of violence from someone they know.
National research shows that approximately a third of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from a man they know.
Research shows that women experience violence from men at a much higher rate. The research also shows that, on average, the effects are more severe for women than for men.
Women are far more likely than men to:
- Experience ongoing violence
- Need medical help
- Fear for their lives
- Be murdered.
This is why the 16 Days Activism focuses on men’s violence against women and seeks to highlight and share:
- information about what causes men’s violence against women
- the actions to take to prevent and finally end this violence
Download Act to Prevent Men’s Violence Against Women: A Guide for Community Action to read more about:
- The forms and effects of men’s violence against women
- How it can be prevented
Act To Prevent Men’s Violence Against Women

pdf 13.8 MB
Yes! There is no single ‘right way’ or ‘right place’ to take action to end violence against women. We need to take a range of actions across all areas of society.
Public campaigns are crucial because they:
- raise awareness
- start important conversations in our community
- support community advocacy.
The 16 Days of Activism is important because it challenges myths and assumptions about gender, and violence against women.
But public campaigns are only part of the solution. We encourage you to expand your activism and continue it beyond the campaign.
We have developed some great tips to do that here!
Attend a 16 Days event in your area
Find events in Melbourne's west
Book your team, organisation or community group for training
We have a range of training modules available and can tailor our content to suit your needs. Learn about:
- practical strategies to foster inclusivity, tackle unconscious bias, and consider policies that support gender equity
- the tools and insights needed to cultivate an environment that celebrates diversity, ensures equal opportunities, and champions gender equality
- assessing policies, programs, or projects through a gender lens
- identifying family violence, responding in trauma-informed ways to victim-survivors, and finding family violence services for support and referral
- how sports can serve as a powerful tool to challenge harmful norms, foster respect, and promote gender equality
- practical strategies and insights to harness the power of sports for positive social change
- navigating the complexities of disaster response with empathy, cultural sensitivity, and gender inclusivity
Learn more and request training
Take a look at our past campaigns for 16 Days
Learn about equal care and why it's important, healthy masculinity and how to be a good ally.
Visit the Actions to prevent gender-based violence page to find out more about 16 practical things you can learn about or do to prevent gender-based violence:

A movement to end gender-based violence

What is 16 days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence?

16 Days events

Past campaigns for 16 Days of Activism

Frequently Asked Questions

How to get help if someone you know is experiencing family violence

In an emergency

Getting help

If you know someone who has or is experiencing family violence:

Responding to disclosures

What is gender-based violence?

Why focus on men’s violence against women?

Do campaigns like this really help?

What can you do this 16 Days?

Attend a 16 Days event in your area

Book your team, organisation or community group for training

Take a look at our past campaigns for 16 Days

Contact us

Call us

Email us

Visit us