#NoExcuse: Ending Violence Against Women
Pauline Bernard
Probity Consultant and Public Sector Procurement Specialist at CourtHeath
By Wendy Cavenett
Today, 25 November, marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women—a day to take action against the pervasive issue of gender-based violence. Every 10 minutes, somewhere in the world, a woman is murdered—often by a partner or family member. This year’s theme, “Every 10 Minutes, a Woman is Killed. #NoExcuse. UNiTE to End Violence Against Women”, calls on individuals and decision-makers globally to take urgent steps to end the violence and create a safer world for women and girls. In Victoria, campaigns such as Respect Victoria’s 16 Days of Activism encourage communities to join the global call for change by promoting respect, safety, and equality.
According to the UN, violence against women and girls remains the most pervasive human rights violation around the world.
What is Considered Violence Against Women and Girls?
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains largely unreported due to impunity, silence, stigma, and shame.
It can take physical, sexual, and psychological forms, including:
Intimate partner violence: battering, psychological abuse, marital rape, femicide
Sexual violence and harassment: rape, forced sexual acts, unwanted sexual advances, child sexual abuse, forced marriage, street harassment, stalking, cyber-harassment
Human trafficking: slavery, sexual exploitation
Female genital mutilation
Child marriage
The UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, issued by the General Assembly in 1993, defines violence against women as:
“any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.”
VAWG impacts women at all stages of life, limiting access to education, employment, and opportunities.
Certain groups of women and girls—such as those in vulnerable situations or humanitarian crises including war, migrants, members of the LGBTI community, Indigenous people, or those with disabilities—face heightened risks of violence.
VAWG remains a significant barrier to achieving equality, development, and peace, as well as to fulfilling the human rights of women and girls. Ultimately, the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—to leave no one behind—cannot be realised without eradicating violence against women and girls.
A Shared Responsibility
Violence against women affects one in three women globally. It takes many forms—physical, emotional, economic—and occurs in all spaces, from homes to workplaces, online platforms, and public areas. The statistics are alarming. According to the United Nations:
“[F]or at least 51,100 women in 2023, the cycle of gender-based violence ended with one final and brutal act—their murder by partners and family members. That means a woman was killed every 10 minutes.”
Further exacerbated by conflicts and climate change, addressing violence against women requires robust responses, accountability for perpetrators, and accelerated action through well-funded national strategies and increased support for women’s rights movements.
16 Days of Activism and UNiTE Campaigns
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, running from 25 November until Human Rights Day on 10 December, highlights the importance of collective action to break cycles of violence. This international campaign calls for increased awareness, stronger advocacy, and practical solutions to achieve lasting change.
Running concurrently, the UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE campaign focuses on investing in strategies to prevent violence against women and girls. The campaign emphasises the shocking reality that every 10 minutes, a woman is killed due to gender-based violence. It calls on governments, civil society, and individuals to unite under the theme, “Every 10 Minutes, a Woman is Killed. #NoExcuse. UNiTE to End Violence Against Women”, to demand accountability and drive global change.
As part of this year’s campaign, concrete actions are being emphasised to accelerate progress toward gender equality. These include funding women’s rights organisations and strengthening gender-responsive policing. You can join efforts through UN Women Australia’s campaign, #SafeEverywhereAlways. For more details or to sign up, visit their website here.
Marking 25 Years of Progress
This year also marks 25 years since the UN General Assembly established the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. To observe this anniversary, the President of the General Assembly will host a High-Level Meeting at 10am-6pm (EST) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The event will include reflections on progress and discussions on best practices for eliminating violence against women and girls. The event will be accessible live and on-demand via UN Web TV in all six official UN languages. You can access the program here.
The 16 Days of Activism offers an opportunity to renew commitments, demand accountability, and drive action from decision-makers. As the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action approaches in 2025, this year’s campaign reinforces its blueprint for achieving gender equality and upholding women’s and girls’ rights globally.
Local Action: A Violence-Free Victoria
In Victoria, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an important opportunity for communities to join the global campaign while addressing local challenges. Organised with the support of Respect Victoria and Safe and Equal, this initiative calls on individuals and organisations to build safer, more respectful communities. The campaign aims to transform cultural norms and behaviours that perpetuate violence against women. A comprehensive 16 Days toolkit is available to support these efforts, offering resources to guide prevention activities and inspire grassroots initiatives.
Visit Safe and Equal’s 16 Days of Activism page to:
contact the 16 Days Helpdesk
add your public event to the community calendar
register for free online webinars and workshops to support your planning and activities
see examples of previous innovative and inspired grassroots activities.
You can also sign up to Safe and Equal's 16 Days Bulletin to receive a summary of the latest resources, case studies and events every fortnight.
You can also be part of the conversation and follow Respect Victoria on social media, share posts using #16Days and #16DaysOfActivism and tag them:
Facebook – @RespectVictoria
Instagram – @respectvictoria
LinkedIn – Respect Victoria
TikTok – @respect_victoria
Driving Change Through Social Procurement
The Victorian Government’s Social Procurement Framework (SPF) highlights how procurement can serve as a powerful tool for driving social outcomes. With one of its 10 objectives focused on improving women’s equality and safety—including actions addressing family violence—the SPF integrates social value into government contracts. Departments and agencies can nominate this objective as a focus area, with commitments to specific targets embedded in contracts with successful tenderers for works, goods, or services.
The SPF underscores a shift towards value-for-money procurement that not only considers price but also promotes social, economic, and environmental outcomes. For suppliers, this means incorporating social value into tender responses, such as having a family violence policy that provides protections for employees who experience violence. By embedding these practices into procurement processes, the Victorian Government aims to foster safer and more equitable workplaces and communities.
Conclusion
Violence against women and girls remains the most pervasive human rights violation around the world. It undermines equality, safety, and human rights, perpetuating cycles of harm, limiting opportunities, and destabilising families and communities. Initiatives like the UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE campaign, the global 16 Days of Activism, and local efforts such as Respect Victoria and Safe and Equal’s 16 Days of Activism activities and Victoria's ongoing SPFs, play a critical role in raising awareness, driving advocacy, and promoting sustainable prevention strategies.
Every action counts—whether it’s engaging with local initiatives, amplifying voices on social media, or supporting organisations dedicated to fostering safer and more respectful communities. On this International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, let’s work together—globally and locally—to create a future free from violence. Through shared responsibility, awareness, and sustained action, a safer world for women and girls is possible.
Resources
16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence 2024 (Australian Government)
A Violence-Free Victoria (Respect Victoria)
Facts and figures: Ending violence against women (UN Women Australia)
Five essential facts to know about femicide (UN Women Australia)
Gender-related killings of women and girls (femicide/feminicide): Global estimates of female intimate partner/family-related homicides in 2022 (UNODC & UN Women)
Social Procurement Framework (Victorian Government)
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A participant in the UN Global Compact, CourtHeath seeks to raise awareness about the Sustainable Development Goals and the principles of the Global Compact with business and government organisations in Victoria.
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Artwork (detail): UN Women
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