Mayor's Office

Resolution proclaiming November 25 - December 10, 2021 as the “16 Days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence.

WHEREAS, the crime of violence against women and girls

• continues to be the most pervasive human rights violation and a global epidemic,
• is due to systemic use of physical, emotional, verbal, sexual, psychological and economic control and/or abuse,
• does not know any national nor cultural barriers and affects millions of women and girls of all races and socioeconomic backgrounds, in peacetime and conflict,
• violates an individual’s privacy, dignity, security and humanity,
• results in serious short-term and long-term physical, sexual, reproductive and mental health problems, including increased vulnerability to HIV; and

WHEREAS, according to UN Women, “As COVID-19 cases continue to strain health services, essential services, such as domestic violence shelters and helplines, have reached capacity [and] more needs to be done to prioritize addressing violence against women in COVID-19 response and recovery efforts”; and

WHEREAS, the World Health Organization estimates that 35% of women worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual violence; and

WHEREAS, according to UNICEF, “around 120 million girls under the age of 20 worldwide (about one in 10) have experienced forced intercourse or other forced sexual acts”; and

WHEREAS, more than 650 million women alive today were married as children and 12 million girls are married before the age of 18 each year; and

WHEREAS, according to the Global Report on Trafficking in Persons by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, “the most common form of human trafficking (79%) is sexual exploitation”; and

WHEREAS, the World Health Organization estimates more than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation in countries where this practice is concentrated; and

WHEREAS, elder abuse, predominantly affecting women, occurs when a trusted caregiver or adult knowingly harms a person 60 years or older through physical, sexual, emotional, verbal and financial types of abuse -- abuse that can be prevented by knowing the signs and responding when signs are seen; and

WHEREAS, Zonta International is a leading global organization of professionals with more than 28,000 members in 62 countries working together to make gender equality a worldwide reality for women and girls and has contributed to help achieve a world free of violence against women and girls for more than 100 years; and

WHEREAS, during the 16 Days of Activism, November 25 - December 10, the Zonta Club of Madison joins with Zonta clubs around the world taking part in the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign to influence the passage of laws and changing gender-based attitudes and behaviors to end violence against women and girls.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor and Common Council of the City of Madison do hereby proclaim the dates of November 25 - December 10, 2021 as 16 Days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence, support the Zonta Club of Madison’s Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign, and encourage all Dane County residents to bring an end to domestic violence, sexual assault and elder abuse by educating the community on the harm caused by these crimes and advocating for survivors of such violence to receive the support and services they require and deserve.

Sources:

https://www.zonta.org/