Welcome to Speak out to End GBV 2024, a dialogue bringing the voices of grassroots civil society organisations together to discuss the pressing, unspoken Gender-based violence (GBV) issues that affect our communities.
GBV is a form of violence directed at individuals based on their gender. It manifests in various forms, including physical violence, emotional and psychological abuse, sexual violence, and economic deprivation. According to UN Women 1 in 3 women experience physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime. Despite the rise of numerous movements and the establishment of international laws and guidelines to combat GBV, it remains a pervasive issue affecting individuals globally, cutting across socio-economic, cultural, and geographic boundaries.
This year’s inaugural Speak out to End GBV will focus on sexual violence, defined as “any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, or other act directed against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting.” (WHO, 2024) Our goal is highlight to the power of bottom-up approaches which embrace the voices of grassroot communities who are uprooting the deep social norms which lead to violence.
Programme
Speak out to End GBV 2024 will bring together over 50 Experts from diverse backgrounds to discuss, learn, share experiences and collaborate. By registering and participating in this event, you agree to the Code of Conduct, available here.
Click on the sessions in the Programme below to register for each webinar you would like to attend.
These webinar sessions contain material of a sensitive nature, including discussions on sexual violence, that may be triggering for some individuals. Please be advised.
Each day is dedicated to an overarching area of focus:
- Day 1: Unheard and unspoken forms of violence
- Day 2: Violence in different spaces
- Day 3: Prevention and response to sexual violence
- Day 4: Sexual violence redefined
- Day 5: Movement to end sexual violence
Speak out to End GBV 2024 is open to individuals, activists, CSOs, researchers, academics, UN agencies and international organisations interested in joining the conversation.
Why host this dialogue now?
Despite decades of progress addressing issues that contribute to the perpetration of GBV, the community is facing an increase in pushback and violence. The growth of anti-rights movements across the globe has resulted in attempts to remove key protections and policies, such as recently in The Gambia with an attempt to remove the FGM/C ban. During Covid-19 and the implementation of lockdowns and quarantine policies, sexual violence increased – 45% of women reported that they or someone they knew had experience a form of SGBV since the beginning of the pandemic. The continued growth and influence of digital technology has contributed to growing online and digital violence.
Speak out to End GBV places civil society organisations at the forefront of the conversation about all aspects of GBV. The aim is to increase the visibility of grassroots advocacy and bring together diverse voices, expertise, and experiences. Knowledge exchange between civil society advocates and donors, UN agencies and other stakeholders will contribute to best practices and opportunities to enhance collaboration and cooperation in ending GBV.
Through this dialogue we aim to
Celebrate the resilience and achievements of the GBV movement to date
Deepen the understanding of GBV and foster networks, collaboration and movement building amongst participants and panellists
Identify solutions to unique challenges faced by marginalised communities in Africa, South Asia and the Middle East and enhance knowledge sharing and support
Find ways to influence the legal frameworks and policy spaces through sharing advocacy strategies and tactics
Meet the steering committee
The steering committee for Speak out to End GBV 2024 is made up of AmplifyChange, Migration and Asylum Project, African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF), Stop Au Chat Noir, Reach Out Cameroon, and Women's Action Group (WAG). All organisations are committed to supporting and implementing initiatives to end GBV across the world.
Register, participate, share #GBVDialogue2024
Contact events@amplifychange.org with questions or feedback.
Speak out to End GBV is a civil society dialogue co-organised by AmplifyChange, Migration and Asylum Project, African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF), Stop Au Chat Noir, Reach Out Cameroon, and Women's Action Group (WAG). We owe a debt of gratitude to AmplifyChange grantee partners and other organisations across the globe for bringing this conversation together.
