UN Women and Embassy of Sweden held a launch ceremony for a 16-day event on featuring prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls under the theme "Generation Equality: Stands Against Violence," on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
During the 16 days, a series of activities will be held under the theme, “Orange the World”, amongst others an online campaign encouraging the public to pay more attention to gender-based violence, as well as to express hope and encouragement for the victims, aiming to raise public awareness to respect women and support their rights.
"Every day and everywhere, people should share responsibilities to achieve the goal of eliminating gender-based violence," said Smriti Aryal, head of the office for UN Women China in her opening remark, who also noted the importance of China's anti-domestic violence law that went into effect in 2016.
During a panel discussion, experts and representatives from different fields shared their views and insights about standing against gender-based violence and change public attitudes.
Lyu Xiaoquan, a public interest lawyer, stressed the importance of collecting evidence which includes mediation and diagnosis records.
Chinese actress and UN Women goodwill ambassador for China Hai Qing said "Women in China are undergoing a process of self-awakening. They should know that if one woman stands up to tell her story, it saves far more women than herself".
André Mkandawire, Head of Public Diplomacy, Communication and Press, together with other representatives, pushed a launch-button on stage to announce the official inauguration of the campaign. More than 120 guests attended the campaign, including guests from various embassies, UN agencies, nonprofit organizations and the media.
