16 Days
of Activism Against Gender-based Violence 2023
If you are in an emergency situation, please access 9-1-1 (in Canada), for emergency services in your area.
If you are outside of the 9-1-1 service area, please access available emergency services or call a crisis line in your area.
You may also want to consult the list of additional support services for people affected by gender-based violence.
The Government of Canada’s theme for 2023 is Listen. Learn. Act. It addresses the key steps to tackling gender-based violence (GBV). LISTEN refers to supporting survivors who share their experience, and to the experts that work on the frontlines. LEARN encourages us to educate ourselves on what GBV is, how to spot it, and how we can prevent it and take action. ACT is for taking the information and applying it in our daily lives.
Check out the statement to end gender-based violence and video on the 16 Days of Activism Against GBV from the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, which launches the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign and marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
Ways to get involved
- Kick-off the 16 Days by wearing purple on November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, to raise awareness about gender-based violence.
- Throughout the 16 Days, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn. Share the 16 Days campaign posts or create your own using the images from the digital toolkit below and the hashtag #16Days.
- Use the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence 2023 background below during your virtual meetings.
- Learn more about gender-based violence:
- Find out about 16 ways you can help end gender-based violence
- Check out ‘’It’s Not Just’’, our youth awareness campaign to end gender-based violence
- Learn about gender-based violence
- Watch a movie, video or documentary related to gender-based violence such as those available on the National Film Board website (various languages; viewer discretion is advised for some films).
- Attend an event in your community to show your support to victims of GBV. Consider donating to a local shelter if you can.
- On the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women on December 6, honour the victims of the Polytechnique Montréal tragedy by wearing a white ribbon. Visit the web page of the National Day for other ideas
- On December 10, Human Rights Day, read the full text or simplified version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or consult the illustrated booklet of the Declaration.
- Become an ally by adopting these simple but powerful actions all year long:
- Listen: be open to learning from the experiences of others
- Believe: support survivors and those affected by violence. It is very important that you say the words ‘’I believe you’’ and ‘’This is not your fault’’
- Educate (yourself and others): learn the facts about GBV; know what your workplace policies say about violence and harassment; take a course; participate in an event
- Speak out: add your voice to call out violence
- Intervene: find a safe way to help when you see acts of gender-based violence. Name what you see. Express your concern and ask how you can help. Intervening can also mean providing support and resources
- Act: give your time or donate to organizations working to end gender-based violence
16 Days 2023 digital toolkit
Download these visuals and use them on your website, social media channels or virtual meetings.
How to save images to your computer or mobile device
(1) Open the full-sized image
Open the full-sized image by clicking on the link of the image you wish to download.
(2) Open the contextual menu
On a PC: Right-click on the image you want to download.
On a Mac: Hold down the Control key (Ctrl) and click on the image you want to download.
On a mobile device: Tap and hold the image you want to download until the menu appears.
(3) Choose “Save as”
The options on the contextual menu will vary, depending on which web browser you’re using. Some browsers may say “Save as” while others may say “Save image as” or “Save picture as.”
(4) Rename the file (optional)
A dialogue box will open, giving you the opportunity to change the file name or keep it as is.
(5) Choose a destination folder
Specify a location to save the downloaded image and click “Save.”
Web banner
Text version – Web banner
A dark purple shadow of a person's face is on a background of white crumpled paper. To the right, appears the name of the campaign “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence”, part of which is highlighted in fluorescent green. The Canada wordmark is in the right bottom corner.
Use this banner for your web or intranet content.
Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
Text version – Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
A dark purple shadow of a person's face is on the left against a gray background. To the right, against a background of white crumpled paper, appears the name of the campaign “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence”, part of which is highlighted in fluorescent green. Below, the theme “Listen. Learn. Act.” is handwritten and circled in light purple. The hashtag “16 days” is at the bottom of the image and the Canada wordmark is placed in the lower right corner.
Use this image for your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn content.
Text version – Instagram
A dark purple shadow of a person's face is on the left against a gray background. To the right, against a background of white crumpled paper, appears the name of the campaign “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence”, part of which is highlighted in fluorescent green. Above the name, the theme “Listen. Learn. Act.” is handwritten and circled in light purple. In the bottom right corner, the hashtag “16 days” sits above the Canada wordmark.
Use this image for your Instagram content.
Virtual meeting background
Text version – Bilingual background with English text first
A sheet of white crumpled paper covers a purple background. The name of the campaign is placed in the top left corner of the image and reads “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence / 16 jours d’activisme contre la violence fondée sur le sexe’’, part of which is highlighted in fluorescent green. A light purple oval is roughly handdrawn around the paper. The Canada wordmark is placed in the bottom left corner of the image.
Use this background during your virtual meetings.
Modifiable social media versions
These social media shareable images are modifiable by customizing the background image. The image is to be placed behind the gradients. Use the following attributes to your background image to ensure consistency with the look: 33px Gaussian Blur and 5% Grain Noise. Images must be of diverse groups in accordance with the solemn tone of the campaign. Please note that when using any material available, you must not make any modification to the text.
Facebook modifiable background version
Text version – Facebook
A purple ombre background is on the left. To the right, against a background of white crumpled paper, appears the name of the campaign “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence”, part of which is highlighted in fluorescent green. Below, the theme “Listen. Learn. Act.” are handwritten and circled in light purple. The hashtag “16 days” is at the bottom of the image and the Canada wordmark is placed in the lower right corner.
Instagram modifiable background version
Text version – Instagram
A purple ombre background is on the left. To the right, appears the name of the campaign “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence”, part of which is highlighted in fluorescent green. Above the title, the theme “Listen. Learn. Act.” is handwritten and circled in light purple. In the bottom right corner, the hashtag “16 days” sits above the Canada wordmark.
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