Posted on by Aashna Jain

London councils, the Met Police, and local voluntary organisations across the city marked the first of the sixteen days of activism to curb gender-based violence against women on November 25 with an aim to protect victims through this specially-targeted campaign.

The campaign will see a diverse range of events over the sixteen days, which include talks, seminars, and art exhibitions to engage the local public.

Corresponding to the actions taken as a part of the UN Project, Addison Lee, the largest private transport provider in London, has collaborated with UN Women UK to become their transportation partner. The company has announced plans to link up with business owners to provide a safe environments for women while they travel and go about their daily lives, such as in cabs and at nightclubs.

Data from the United Nations raises major concerns about women’s safety in the city. Every week, 11 women and girls in each of London’s 32 boroughs are raped or sexually abused. According to a Violence Against Women And Girls (VAWG) strategy report, 74% of female respondents said they were concerned about their safety some or all of the time.

UN Women UK will raise awareness of the difficulties that women face daily, with the help of the collaboration with Addison Lee. The money raised will initially focus on the sixteen days of activism from November 25, which is the International Day to End Violence Against Women, until December 10, Human Rights Day.

Passengers of Addison Lee cabs will have the opportunity to donate to a variety of causes, including the UN Women UK committee’s Safe Spaces Festival, and toward the company’s training programs for staff. Claire Barnett, executive director of UN Women UK, said: “It is exciting to see Addison Lee leading the sector in committing to implementing this program throughout their driver community and organisation, as well as mobilising the public.”

Another significant part of this sixteen day program is the Orange The World Campaign, which is a global movement against violence towards women launched under the theme set by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon’s UNite campaign.

The annual movement has already garnered a lot of traction in the city.

As part of this campaign, the British Embassy visited three of its gender violence abolition projects in Guatemala. These projects aim to fight gender prejudice, ignorance, and sexual violence crimes against all women and girls in the region.

The Dutch Embassy in London also took part in this annual worldwide campaign and shone in orange to call attention to gender-based violence. For sixteen days, a temporary artwork “Glimpse” by Dutch artist Simon Heijdens will be projected through the windows on the façade of the Dutch Embassy’s six-story structure, contributing to the cause and spreading the message of the importance of women safety.

This action was mirrored by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs offices in London, Birmingham, Nottingham, and York.