UNiTE Campaign

Secretary-General’s Campaign “UNiTE to End Violence against Women, 2008-2015”

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Background

The United Nations Secretary-General’s campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women (UNiTE Campaign) was launched in 2008.  The overall objective of UNiTE Campaign was to raise public awareness and increase political will and resources for preventing and ending violence against women and girls. With the campaign, the former Secretary-General launched a broad-based call to governments, civil society, women’s organizations, young people, the private sector, artists, the media, the entire United Nations system, and individual women and men, to join forces in addressing the global pandemic of violence against women and girls. In 2017, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres decided to link UNiTE to Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, re-naming the campaign to UNiTE by 2030.  UNiTE by 2030 is guided by a vision of focusing on activities to help achieve SDG Goal 5 and the target on ending violence against women, while attending to “leaving no one behind”.   Secretary General Guterres sought to provide a collective platform for large-scale global mobilization and to link a wide range of stakeholders’ initiatives to the Secretary-General’s efforts.

 

The UNiTE Campaign is currently  active in all world regions, and in 2017, recorded activities in 85 countries. One of the signature activities of the unite Campaign is the lighting of landmark buildings in the color orange during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence between 25th November and 10th December every year.. In 2017 the Parliaments in Bangladesh, Liberia, and Morocco, Rio’s iconic statue of Christ, the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City, the City Hall in Bogota, the Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, the New York City Hall,  the City Hall of Bunkyo-city in Japan,  Municipal Palace and the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Guatemala; The European Commission (Berlaymont Building),  the Parliament (Station Europe) and Hotel de Ville of the Grand-place in Brussels were  lit up in orange in honor of 25th November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Mail Address

220 East 42nd Street, 21st Floor New York, NY 11226

Areas of Work

As per Policy Committee Decision No. 20007/31, the three key areas of focus for the Secretary-General's campain UNiTE to End Violence against Women are global advocacy, UN leadership, and strengthening efforts and partnerships at the national and regional levels.

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Secretary-General’s Campaign “UNiTE to End Violence against Women, 2008-2015”
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UNiTE Campaign

Mar 2014 - Mar 2016 | UNiTE Campaign

In Africa, training sessions were organized in 2013 and 2015 under the auspices of the UNiTE campaign for representatives from the Defense Forces, Police institutions and Correctional Services. Participants received training to enhance the capacity of Africa Security Organs to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls in conflict and post-conflict situations.

Mar 2014 - Mar 2016 | UNiTE Campaign

In March 2015, the United Nations Secretary-General’s campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women (UNiTE) launched its call to action for the 16 Days of Activism,  ‘Orange the World: End Violence against Women and Girls’. The theme of prevention of violence against women and girls was selected as a focus to provide opportunities to highlight the need for greater investment in ending violence against women and girls at global, regional and country level in the particular context of the new SDG framework with a focus on prevention as a long term solution.

Mar 2012 - Feb 2013 | UNiTE Campaign

Almost all UN agencies commemorated the International Women’s Day and the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence by organizing events to raise awareness on violence against women. ESCAP and UN Women co-organized the 2012 Asia-Pacific Regional Commemoration of International Women’s Day under the theme, “Youth voices UNiTE to End Violence Against Women and Girls”, an interactive event that enabled discussions among nearly 200 youths and other stakeholders.

Oct 2010 - Feb 2011 | UNiTE Campaign

The campaign was successfully rolled out in the Caribbean in October 2010 and in Asia in November 2010, with a launch in the Pacific expected in early 2011. In the Middle East a number of activities are being implemented under the leadership of ESCWA. Regional Secretariats for UNiTE Latin America and Caribbean, UNiTE Africa and UNiTE Asia are implementing regional and national interagency work plans.

Oct 2009 - Feb 2010 | UNiTE Campaign

The Secretary-General’s campaign “UNiTE to End Violence against Women” has increased UN system-wide efforts to develop regional and country-level activities in support to Member States and civil society. The campaign’s Latin American component was launched in Guatemala City on 25 November 2009, while the African component was launched in Addis Ababa on 30 January 2010. In November 2009, the Secretary-General announced his Network of Men Leaders which will contribute to social mobilization and transformational change to promote a society that is free of violence against women.