Statement: International day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women And Girls (CSAN)

The 25th November marks the United Nations Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG.) Each year, this day begins a 16-day period of global action to raise awareness and work towards ending violence against women and girls. As Catholics, we are encouraged to raise awareness of this issue, take part in events and activities, social media and educational campaigns, and support organisations that work to end these kinds of violence.

Rates of violence against women and girls are increasing around the world; One third of all women have been subjected to gender-based violence at some point in their life. A recent UN study found that every ten minutes, a woman somewhere in the world is murdered by a man.

During these 16 days, we also raise awareness of non-physical forms of violence, and the one in three women subjected to coercive control. Links to information about domestic abuse are at the end of this document.

The focus of this year’s UN campaign is digital violence, the growing threat of abuse through digital images, technology based stalking and harassment or the use of AI to control or threaten victims/survivors of domestic abuse. Links to information about digital abuse are also available at the end of this document.

During these 16 days of action, across the Catholic Church in England and Wales we are also raising awareness of the additional barriers to safety and challenges faced by women with minoritised identities or migrant status. Language barriers, culturally insensitive support or institutional racism create barriers to safety and support. Migrant women with no access to public funds not only cannot access statutory support, but they cannot report abuse without risk of deportation; a fact which is often exploited by their abusers.

Over recent months, anti-immigration campaigners have been spreading the false message that increased violence against women and girls is the result of migration. We firmly reject the suggestion that migrants pose a risk to women and girls in the UK. In fact, over 90% of assaults against women are perpetrated by someone they know, usually a partner or ex partner. There is no evidence that increased rates of migration are related to violence against women and girls.

As Catholics, we are called to take action against gender injustice and racial injustice . Pope Leo XIV, in Dilexi te has said that “inequality is the root of all social ills” and calls us to work towards a just and inclusive society, which includes welcoming and protecting migrants; “In every rejected migrant is Christ himself.” The late Pope Francis described domestic abuse as “satanic” and called for action “with determination, urgency and courage” to address violence against women.

As Catholics we can take action not only during this period of global action using our 16 day calendar of activities as a guide. We can also use the resources in the links below to answer the calls of Pope Leo and Pope Francis to work towards a society where all people have equal dignity and where every woman can be safe, no matter what her background.

We invite all Catholics to stand together in prayer, solidarity, and action during these 16 days. Let us be a voice for those who cannot yet speak freely, and work tirelessly to build a Church and a society where every woman and girl can live free from fear and harm.

CSAN have released a 16 Days of Action calendar that can be found on their website here<<

Catholics across the UK are invited to participate in 16 days of Activism with this calendar, produced in collaboration by CSAN, Safe in Faith, and the National Board of Catholic Women. Each day features suggested actions you can take – from strengthening your understanding of violence against women and it’s causes, showing support for organisations that stand alongside survivors, or seeking justice through tackling policies that exacerbate gender-based violence and harm.

This years’ calendar features actions that seek to highlight and confront the ways in which racism and anti-immigration policies prevent migrant women and other minoritised women from getting the support they need, exacerbating harm.

We would love to showcase the actions you are taking over the 16 days – you can keep us updated by tagging us in your social media posts or contacting Fiona: [email protected].