Show your Support for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
Violence is a human rights violation, with myriad immediate and long term consequences, not only for those immediately affected, but also for wider society. Violence negatively affects our general well-being, impacts families and communities, and the country at large with financial implications, from greater strains on health care to legal expenses and losses in productivity. Gender based violence disproportionately affects women, with one in three women worldwide being subjected to physical or sexual violence.
From November 12th through to December 10th, Japan and TELL will be bringing attention to the issue of violence against women with 3 important campaigns.
Firstly, Japan runs the Purple Ribbon campaign annually from November 12th – 25th. This is an awareness event designed to call for the end of domestic abuse and sexual crimes against women. Buildings across the country are illuminated in purple, spreading the message that victim-survivors do not have to face their situations alone, and that government and third sector organisations providing support exist.
Culminating the Purple Ribbon campaign, and kicking off TELL’s efforts is November 25th, designated in the year 2000 by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. This awareness day aims to bring global attention to the sexual violence, domestic abuse and other forms of violence that women are subjected to. A second goal is to highlight the true scale and nature of these crimes, something often hidden due to misperceptions, shame and underreporting.
Following these two campaigns, at TELL, we want to amplify the voices of individuals addressing the issue of gender based violence in Japan, by joining the international campaign “16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence”. Every day, from November 25th – December 10th, we will be sharing the voices of key stakeholders working in the fields of domestic abuse, sexual violence and other related fields in Japan on our social media channels. They will be discussing current progress, areas where more change is needed, and also resources available to victim-survivors. Follow us on X, instagram, facebook, or all 3 (!) to learn more.
Finally, if you are passionate about this issue and want to join TELL in showing support, then please join us on December 10th to #PutOnPurple! Whether solo, with friends or family, at school, work or as a community, we ask you to wear something purple to champion this issue and advocate for a safer society for everyone. You can put on purple from head to toe, or sport something subtly. Lift spirits in lilac and lavender, march in mauve, validate victim-survivors in violet – whatever shade you choose, we just ask you to contribute up to 500 yen per person to parade in purple and share your photos with us. Together we can demonstrate to our community that victim-survivors of violence against women and girls are not alone and that we care. For more information, please see the UN website.