Every year, the WARIF 16 Days of Activism campaign reminds people that every child, man, and woman out there is at risk of facing one form of violence or another, irrespective of race, tribe, or religion.
The WARIF 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that kicked off on November 25th, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, until December 10th, Human Rights Day.
This year’s theme is UNITE! Activism to end violence against women and girls.
As part of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign activities, the WARIF Dialogue and the WARIF No Tolerance March were held in commemoration of the 16 Days of activism to raise awareness of gender-based violence and the power of uniting to say No Tolerance to all forms of violence against women and girls in the different societies around the world.
The impact of the No Tolerance March (NTM) has increased a great deal. With the support of local and international partners, the 2021 NTM was held in five cities across five continents – Lagos, New York, London, Sydney, and Bangkok; with over 1,500 men and women participating in Lagos alone, including top officials like the United States Consular General to Lagos, the First Lady of Lagos State, the First Lady of Ogun State, the Deputy British High Commissioner amongst other.
They also recorded a reach of over nine million virtually.
In Lagos, the march was across the Lekki/Ikoyi link bridge and kicked off with a welcome address from the United States Consular General to Lagos, Will Stevens, recognizing the need for more initiatives such as the No Tolerance March and, stating that 1 in 3 women would have experienced one form of sexual violence before the age of 18.
He commended WARIF for the tremendous initiative and encouraged everyone present to continue the fight against gender-based violence.
WARIF Founder, Dr. Kemi DaSilva Ibru also spoke about the importance of the March stating.
The Importance of a yearly march cannot be over-emphasized as survivors are ostracized and scared to speak out because of the culture of shame, patriarchy, and other harmful cultural practices.
She also stated that the No Tolerance March was birthed out of the need to give survivors the right to have their voices heard and to be given safe platforms to speak and get help.
The 4th Edition of the 2022 No Tolerance March was a huge success with over 1,000 people in attendance, uniting to say No Tolerance to all forms of gender-based violence in Nigeria.
