AUSTRIA, November 24 - “16 Days Against Violence” on all of the Foreign Ministry’s channels

Violence against women and girls remains one of the most widespread human-rights violations. Under this year’s motto, “UNiTE! Activism to End Violence Against Women and Girls”, the Foreign Ministry is taking a strong stand against violence by once again participating in the campaign “Orange the World – 16 Days Against Violence”. This campaign is held annually between 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and 10 December, International Human Rights Day. The initiative was created by UN Women, the United Nations women’s entity dedicated to gender equality worldwide.

For 16 days, the Foreign Ministry will be highlighting the problem of gender-based violence on its social media channels, bringing it to the attention of a wide audience. Austria’s representations worldwide will also be raising awareness about violence against women and girls, and will set corresponding focuses in their work throughout the year.

One in three women worldwide will be affected by violence at some point in her life. Violence has an enormous impact on the lives of those affected, and it robs them of the opportunity to lead free, self-determined lives. Our duty is clear: we must continue our efforts and take a strong stand against violence toward women and girls. It has no place in our society,

said Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg.

Gender-based violence occurs in all kinds of forms in every society, age group, and social class. In addition to physical and emotional violence, women and girls also experience sexual violence, for instance as part of war tactics during armed conflicts. Tradition-based forms of violence, such as genital mutilation and forced marriages, affect countless women and girls worldwide. In addition, women who openly stand up for their rights or who work as independent journalists become targets of oppression and attacks on a daily basis, both online and on the streets. The need to combat gender-based violence across national boundaries is demonstrated by the problem of human trafficking, which largely affects women and girls living in poverty.

Due to the complex nature of this problem, Austria maintains a year-round focus on preventing and fighting gender-specific violence as part of its foreign policy, through its development cooperation, and in providing humanitarian aid.

The Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) supports initiatives that protect girls and women from violence, sexual exploitation, harassment, and sexual abuse. It is particularly important to address harmful societal norms and traditions at the local level. In partner countries, the ADC offers psychosocial support and safe temporary housing for female victims of violence, and aims to strengthen women’s societal position in the long term. The ADC’s objective is to empower women economically and to enforce their right to physical integrity. Austria is currently supporting 23 ongoing projects with resources from the Relief Fund for Disasters Abroad, all of which help protect women and girls from violence.

At the international level, Austria is actively working to have the Istanbul Convention – an agreement by the Council of Europe on fighting violence against women and domestic violence – ratified by as many member states of the Council of Europe as possible, but also by the EU itself. Austria will continue to advocate fighting gender-based violence in every form, because women’s and girls’ rights are human rights.