St George’s Hall lit up orange for Orange the World
Today (Friday 25th November), Savera UK and Zonta Club London (part of Zonta International) will march through Liverpool city centre to raise awareness of ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA) and other forms of gender-based violence.
The march marks the start of the annual global Orange the World campaign and start of the UN’s 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence, which takes place between the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls on 25th November and Human Rights Day on 10th December.
There will be speeches from Savera UK CEO and Founder, Afrah Qassim, Dianne Jeans from Zonta Club London, Merseyside PCC, Emily Spurrell and survivor stories from 4pm, after which the group will march through Liverpool city centre.
The march will be accompanied by Movema’s Sankofa Bird, representing belonging and freedom, and will end in Derby Square to join the “Liverpool’s Lost Women” vigil, led by Liverpool Domestic Abuse Service, RASA Merseyside and Amadudu.
Several civic buildings and landmarks will also illuminate orange in solidarity with the campaign, including Liverpool Town Hall, the Cunard Building, St George’s Hall, World Museum in Liverpool, Greystone Footbridge in Knowsley, the Mersey Gateway Bridge in Halton, Merseyside Police Headquarters and Wallasey Town Hall in Wirral.
The annual awareness day is even more poignant for the city region this year, as it is also the first anniversary of the deaths of two victims of male violence – Ava White and Malak ‘Katy’ Adabzadeh.
Savera UK CEO and Founder, Afrah Qassim, said: “Gender-based violence and abuse, including the specific issue of ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA) and harmful practices that we as an organisation tackle, must be stopped.
“We will march through Liverpool in memory of the 5,000 people who die globally each year due to HBA and in protest against these practices, which amount to nothing more than abuse of human rights. We hope people will join us and support our mission to eradicate HBA and harmful practices for good.”
Speaking of the illumination of Greystone Footbridge in Knowsley, Cllr Shelley Powell, Knowsley’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods, said: “Sadly, domestic abuse is an issue that affects people across the UK, and Knowsley is no exception. Not only does it have a major impact upon those directly affected, it also negatively affects families and the wider community.
“Earlier this year we launched our Domestic Abuse strategy which outlines how we support victims and children if they experience domestic abuse and sets out how partners will work together to stop the cycle of abuse.
“Supporting International Day of the Prevention of Violence Against Women is a key date in our calendar and illuminating the Greystone Footbridge is a sign of our support. We will continue to ensure our residents know that help really is just a phone call away – please seek help and don’t suffer in silence.”
Savera UK’s campaign will continue throughout November and December, with the charity inviting people to do a #5KForTheFiveThousand and help raise awareness and funds to help it continue its work campaigning, educating, and advocating for and supporting survivors. You can register to join the fundraising campaign here.
Savera UK and Zonta Club London’s “Orange the World” toolkit, which contains information, resources and ideas for speaking out against gender-based violence and abuse, can also be found here.
If you are at risk of ‘honour’-based abuse or other harmful practices, call Savera UK’s national helpline on 0800 107 0726 (operates Monday – Friday 10am – 4pm).
As part of the Orange the World 2021 campaign, Savera UK and Zonta London (a member of Zonta International) will be holding a panel event titled ‘Culture is Beautiful: No Excuse for Abuse’. Panelists will discuss tackling the harmful ways that culture is wrongly conflated with human rights abuses against women and girls.
Speakers will include; Nazir Afzal OBE, former Chief Prosecutor for the North West (UK) and Savera UK patron, Dr Leyla Hussein OBE, a psychotherapist specialising in supporting survivors of sexual abuse, Dr Elham Manea from Zurich University, a political scientist specialised on the Arab Middle East and Mansi Mehta, Deputy Director, Global Cause Partnerships from UNICEF USA.
Also speaking will be Afrah Qassim, Savera UK CEO and founder and Britt Gustawsson of Zonta International.
The event will also share the voices of survivors and there will be an open Q&A session where attendees can put their questions to the panellists.
Meet the speakers
Ngunan Adamu, BBC Radio Merseyside presenter/producer
Ngunan Adamu is a BBC Radio Merseyside presenter/producer for the Upfront Show. She is the founder and CEO of iWoman, a programme which helps unemployed women in the region develop the skills and confidence to get into media, and has also been involved in training other journalists for the BBC World Service and worked on the BBC Young Reporter programme.
Find out more about iWoman here: https://www.iwoman.co.uk/
Mansi Mehta, Deputy Director of Global Cause Partnerships at UNICEF USA
Mansi is the Deputy Director of Global Cause Partnerships at UNICEF USA, she is a partnership development and public health professional. In her current role, she works to build partnerships with organisations whose mission and vision align with that of UNICEF and UNICEF USA. One of these organisations is Zonta International who since 2014 is supporting the UNFPA-UNICEF Global
Program to End Child Marriage.
Previously, Mansi worked at the Earth Institute of Columbia University on various health and education-related programs with a focus on empowering girls in sub-Saharan Africa through information, communication and technology. She has her Masters in Public Health and her undergraduate degrees are in Biology and Policy Studies
Dr. Elham Manea, Associate Professor at the Political Science Institute, University of Zurich
PD Dr. Elham Manea is a Privatdozentin (equivalent to Associate Professor) at the Political Science Institute, University of Zurich, a writer and human rights advocate. Her research focuses on
countries of the Arabian Peninsula, especially Yemen, Gender and Women under Muslim Laws; and Islamism. In 2010 she was appointed by the Swiss Federal Council as a Member of the Federal
Commission for Women Affairs and in 2020 at the Federal Commission for Migration, where she serves as a vice president. She has published academic and non-fiction books in English, German, and Arabic in addition to two novels in Arabic.
Nazir Afzal OBE, Savera UK Patron and Former Chief Prosecutor for North West England
Nazir Afzal OBE is the Patron of Savera UK and the Former Chief Prosecutor for North West England. He is an expert in de-radicalisation and a senior British lawyer who campaigns on issues
around child sexual exploitation and violence against women. He is also the author of The Prosecutor, a “searing insight into the justice system and a powerful story of one man’s pursuit of the truth”.
Afrah Qassim, CEO and Founder of Savera UK
Afrah is the Founder and CEO of Savera UK, a leading national organisation tackling the causes and effects of harmful practices including ‘honour’-based abuse, female genital mutilation and
forced/child marriage. Afrah is also the Chair of Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (LAAF).
Britt Gustawsson, Treasurer of Zonta Club London
Britt Gustawsson is a long-standing member of Zonta International, presently Treasurer of the Zonta Club
London and member of the Zonta International Nominating Committee. She is active in the UK CSW Alliance, which organizes civil society in the UK before and during the Commission
on the Status of Women (CSW). She has had a long career in senior management in privately owned multinational companies both in Sweden and the UK, and has worked globally in risk management, compliance and dispute resolution in multiple jurisdictions.
Savera UK aims to make events as accessible as possible. If you require reasonable adjustments to access this online event, then please contact us one week before the event so that actions can be taken to support you.
ACC Ngaire Waine of Merseyside Police at Savera UK and Zonta London’s Orange the World launch event (Image credit: Gary Lambert)
Yesterday (Thursday, 25th November) Savera UK and Zonta London (a member of Zonta International) hosted a launch event to mark the beginning of Orange the World 2021 and 16 Days of activism centred on ending gender-based violence.
At Lovelocks Coffee Shop in Liverpool city centre yesterday we were joined by speakers who discussed why we must tackle violence against women and girls and what can be done to support the organisations doing this work.
Savera UK Chair Aislinn O’Dwyer (Image credit: Gary Lambert)
Savera UK Chair Aislinn O’Dwyer chaired yesterday’s panel and explained as we start the 16 Days of activism for Orange The World, we want to raise awareness of the fight against gender-based violence and abuse, which includes harmful practices such as forced marriage and child marriage, ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA) and female genital mutilation (FGM).
The Lord Mayor of Liverpool Councillor Mary Rasmussen led a moment of silence for those who have been lost to male violence before discussing sobering statistics including how globally, 137 women each day are killed by a member of their own family. The Lord Mayor urged people to continue working together to raise awareness, and ended her speech by saying “All do what you can. We have got to keep going.”
A member of Savera UK Youth read two moving poems, one titled ‘Honour’ and a second titled ‘A Woman’s Mind’.
Savera UK Founder and CEO Afrah Qassim at the launch event for Orange the World 2021 (Image credit: Gary Lambert)
Savera UK Founder and CEO, Afrah Qassim, explained the 16 Days of activism toolkit was this year created in partnership with Zonta London in response to feedback last year from organisations and activists who wanted to get involved but didn’t know how.
Assistant Chief Constable Ngaire Waine of Merseyside Police explained the force receives 250 reports of sexual offences every month and outlined the work the force is doing to tackle gender-based violence. She said the force takes domestic violence “very seriously”.
Unfortunately, Merseyside Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell was unable to attend the event but shared a video message in which she explained the scale of the issues we face, including that every minute the UK police are called to an incident of domestic abuse.
The PCC said: “The reality is that gender-based violence and abuse does not occur in a vacuum. It is part of a society that allows misogyny and patriarchal attitudes to fester that leads to these types of behaviours going unpunished. If we don’t address these daily occurrences of harassment and abuse and call it out for what it is, we will never seriously change things in our society for the better.” You can watch the video message in full here.
Finally, Dianne Jeans of Zonta London discussed the important campaigning their organisation does to raise awareness of issues surrounding gender-based violence. She explained day two of the 16 Days of activism, (Friday 26th November), was themed on envisioning, and asked people to share the futures they envision for women and girls by writing them on tags provided and hanging them on the envisioning tree.
Savera UK was deeply saddened to hear later that same evening two murder investigations were launched following the deaths of 12-year-old Ava White and a 47-year-old woman who has not been named.
The events that happened in Liverpool last night do not reflect the world that we want. The world that we envision – and the one that we will continue to fight to create – is one where all women are free to live and thrive without fear of abuse, violence or death.
Our thoughts remain with the victims’ families at this tragic time.
Liverpool Town Hall will be illuminated orange to raise awareness of gender-based violence
Iconic buildings and landmarks across the Liverpool City Region will be illuminated bright orange from this evening (Thursday 25th November), as part of a campaign aimed at ending gender-based violence.
We are partnering to raise awareness of gender-based violence and abuse in the UK and around the world, through a series of events and initiatives that will take place during the United Nation’s 16 Days of Activism, which run from the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls on 25th November to Human Rights Day on 10th December.
The campaign will begin with the illumination of landmarks in the Liverpool City Region and beyond in memory of all those lost to male violence, but also as a symbol of hope for a brighter future free of fear. Landmarks being illuminated include Liverpool Town Hall, St George’s Hall, Cunard Building, World Museum Liverpool, Merseyside Police Headquarters, Rose Hill and its Canning Place offices, Greystone Footbridge in Knowsley, Mersey Gateway Bridge in Halton and Wallasey Town Hall in Wirral. Everton FC will support the campaign by illuminating Goodison Park in solidarity, while Sefton Council will be “lighting up digitally” on 25th November to mark the start of the 16 days of the campaign. Outside of the city region, the Library of Birmingham will also illuminate in support of the campaign and individuals across the UK are also being invited to light an orange candle or light at home after sunset and place it in a window, as a mark of remembrance and symbol of hope.
Our campaign also features an activismtoolkit that will make it easier for people to participate in and engage with the 16 days of activism.The toolkit addresses themes such as allyship, advocacy and knowledge, and includes a bank of resources including social media assets and fact sheets, information about local and national organisations tackling gender-based violence, and events that people can attend to learn more.
The campaign will culminate in an online panel discussion on Thursday 9th December (4pm – 6pm), Culture is Beautiful: No Excuse for Abuse, which will tackle the harmful ways that culture is wrongly conflated with human rights abuses against women and girls.
Savera UK CEO and founder, Afrah Qassim and Britt Gustawsson of Zonta International will be joined by a panel including Mansi Mehta, Deputy Director, Global Cause Partnerships from UNICEF USA, Dr Elham Manea from Zurich University, a political scientist specialised on the Arab Middle East, Nazir Afzal OBE, former Chief Prosecutor for the North West (UK) and Savera UK patron, and Dr Leyla Hussein OBE, a psychotherapist, specialising in supporting survivors of sexual abuse.
This year’s campaign ‘Orange the World’ campaign is more vital than ever, as violence against women remains devastatingly pervasive in our society. In the 28 weeks following the kidnap and murder of Sarah Everard on 3rd March this year, 81 other women were killed in circumstances where the suspect is a man.
A recently-released government survey also found that 97% of 18–24 year-old women have been sexually harassed, while 80% of all women have been sexually harassed in public.
Savera UK CEO and Founder, Afrah Qassim, said: “The statistics about gender-based violence are shocking yet, sadly, no longer surprising. Across their lifetime, 1 in 3 women – around 736 million – will be subjected to physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence from a non-partner. This figure has remained largely unchanged over the last 10 years.
“It has never been more important for people to take action against gender-based violence. Activism takes many forms and even the smallest steps, such as educating yourself about different forms of abuse or identifying yourself as an ally can have an enormous impact. Our Orange the World toolkit provides a starting point for people to enact change.”
Zonta Club London President, Anne-Li Stjernholm, said: “As organisations Savera UK and Zonta Club London are very much aligned on our aim to promote a world without violence against women and girls and this partnership is very valuable for us. We hope it will last for many years to come and that we can expand our reach. Speaking with one voice makes our message so much stronger.”
Merseyside’s Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell said: “We know there are women and girls – relatives, neighbours, friends and colleagues – who are suffering gender-based abuse and violence in our communities every single day.
“Today, and over the next 16 days, we want to make it clear that there is no excuse for abuse. This campaign is about demonstrating our shared commitment to eradicating violence against women and girls. By lighting up some of Merseyside’s most iconic building in orange, we are sending out a visible message that are determined to create a brighter future for women and girls, free from violence and abuse.
“I would urge any woman or girl who is experiencing abuse to please reach out for help. There are many fantastic organisations on hand to offer care and support across Merseyside, please visit www.victimcaremerseyside.org for more information.”
Merseyside Police ACC, Ngaire Waine, said: “As a society we all need to take a strong stance against attacks on women and girls, who should be empowered to live their lives without fear of sexual objectification, harassment, or physical and mental abuse.
“Alongside our partners we are committed to making the streets, homes and environments across Merseyside safer for women and girls so they can enjoy their lives to the full without fear.
“Merseyside Police will continue to target perpetrators of this abhorrent abuse and we will support and work with women and girls who are subjected to stalking or harassment, violence, domestic abuse, honour-based abuse or any other crimes based on their gender, so we can identify offenders and put them before the courts.”
Mayor of Liverpool Joanne Anderson said: “Women and girls are disproportionately affected by gender-based violence and abuse, and tackling it is a priority. I am proud of the vital work being done by frontline organisations across the city, providing much-needed specialist support to survivors. The Orange the World campaign raises awareness and understanding of the issue and symbolises our city’s commitment to eliminating all forms of violence.”
For the second year, Savera UK and Zonta London are joining forces for Orange the World 2021.
The campaign will see landmark structures lit orange to mark 16 days of activism from Thursday, 25th November to Friday, 10th December. During the 16 days, we will raise awareness of violence against women and girls in the UK and around the world.
St George’s Hall lit up orange for the last Orange the World campaign (Image credit: Jennifer Bruce)
We are speaking out against domestic violence, rape and harassment, as well as more hidden harmful practices like ‘honour’-based abuse, female genital mutilation and forced marriage. We want to rally people to take action that will ensure that our towns, cities and homes are places where women and girls can live without fear of violence, abuse or harassment. There is no excuse for abuse.
To help you get involved in the 16 days of activism, this year we are releasing a toolkit with themes, activities and events you can participate in. We will also include information on the services available to those at risk.
To be the first to receive the toolkit and find out more about the event, please register your interest here.
Culture is Beautiful: No Excuse for Abuse panel event
The Culture is Beautiful: No Excuse for Abuse panel event will take place on Thursday, 9th December 2021 between 4pm and 6pm.
During the Orange the World campaign Savera UK and Zonta International will host a powerful online panel event titled Culture is Beautiful: No Excuse for Abuse.
On Thursday, 9th December between 4pm and 6pm, an exciting and influential international panel will come together to discuss how cultures and cultural beliefs, including religion, are used as an excuse for male violence against women/girls and harmful practices.
They will also highlight the misinformation that perpetuates this belief and how such harmful practices are in fact a violation of human rights that need to be tackled. The panel will also discuss how we can work together to end harmful traditional practices.
Savera UK CEO and founder, Afrah Qassim and a representative of Zonta International will be joined by a panel including; Mansi Mehta, Deputy Director, Global Cause Partnerships from UNICEF USA, Dr Elham Manea from Zurich University, a political scientist specialised on the Arab Middle East, Nazir Afzal, former Chief Prosecutor for the North West (UK) and Savera UK patron, as well as other speakers yet to be confirmed.
The event will share the voices of survivors and attendees will be able to put their questions to the panel in a Q&A session. If you would like to attend the free, online event, you can register here.
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Ngunan Adamu, BBC Radio Merseyside presenter/producer
