Every year on November 25, the date established by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the “16 Days Against Violence Against Women” campaign begins.
This is an international campaign aimed at eliminating all forms of violence against women. The campaign ends on December 10, Human Rights Day. This date is not accidental—it symbolically emphasizes that gender-based violence constitutes a violation of human rights.
The symbol of this campaign is men wearing a white ribbon. The campaign was initiated by Canadian activists following the events known as the Montreal massacre. On December 6, 1989, at the local polytechnic, a 25-year-old man shot 24 women and 4 men. Fourteen women died from their injuries, and the killer committed suicide.
The tradition of wearing a white ribbon began in 1991. Wearing it—particularly by men—is intended to express their opposition to violence against women. The ribbon also symbolizes the personal commitment of the man wearing it never to use, accept or remain silent about violence against women.
Taking action to prevent domestic violence and protect those most at risk is one of the priorities of the Ministry of the Interior. In order to effectively counteract domestic violence, risk assessment algorithms and questionnaires related to domestic violence were developed and implemented nationwide on January 1, 2014.
The Commissioner for Human Rights has joined the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign.
During the campaign, community police officers from the Bolesławiec County Police Headquarters will hold duty hours from 12:00 to 14:00, during which they will provide legal advice to women experiencing violence, including domestic violence.
KPP Bolesławiec/ii