Over 5, 179 organizations in approximately 187 countries have participated in the 16 Days Campaign since 1991!
An impressive stat but has it made a difference? No.
Yes it is a noble cause and everybody is getting involved and doing their bit... and when the 16 days is over?
How many victims will there be during these 16 days.
I know there is a general outcry at times that the focus is on women and children but lets be real about this. They are the main victims. And more often than not their abusers are known to them. I've been a victim. I know what it does to you psychologically. And you never really get over it. You learn to deal with it and learn how to not let it control you but all it takes is one act by one person to throw you straight back in the hole again. And then you have to slowly start the journey of clawing your way back out again... I've been there to. And it wasn't a stranger who threw me back down, it was a friend.
There are no easy answers. Education is needed. But as you see from the stats above 23 years on the violence has not stopped. Yet with internet and social media the reach for educators is wider than ever but the message isn't getting across.
Teach both your sons and daughters to respect themselves, each other and all living things. Just like it is never okay for a man to hit a woman so is it not okay for a woman to hit a man. What is good for the goose is good for the gander... ladies you can't have it your own way all the time.
And this isn't just about violence between men and women. It goes across the board. We are all human. We all bleed red. We all live and die the same. All forms of abuse against anybody - regardless of race or sex - should never be tolerated. That is the only way we will eventually win this battle.
It needs to be not tolerated every day... not just for 16 days on the calendar.