Virus of Indifference Kills – UN Women’s Online Campaign against Gender-Based and Domestic Violence

The virus of indifference kills – an online multimedia campaign against violence against women and domestic violence has been kicked off by UN Women with European Union support.

The campaign is a part of the 16 Days of Global Activism against Gender-Based Violence. Along with awareness-raising visual materials, there were 4 audioplays produced within its framework, the authors of which are Georgian writers Nestan Nene Kvinikadze and Lasha Bughadze. The plays describe various  forms of violence against women and domestic violence, with scenes and situations as close to reality as possible.

According to the National Study on Violence against Women in Georgia released jointly by UN Women and the National Statistics Office in 2017 with financial support from the EU, one in seven women reported having experienced domestic violence in their lifetime. The study findings show that 41% of population believe that cases of domestic violence should not be disclosed.  Based on these findings both the audio plays and the campaign itself, target society at large, as far as the communities can often save the lives of women if they respond correctly. This stands true especially now, when the restrictions and isolation caused by COVID-19 have further heightened the threat of violence against girls and women. The society plays a special role in this situation, which should not remain indifferent to the cases of violence that may occur, for example, behind the door of a neighbor, friend, or just an acquaintance.

The campaign is part of the project “Ending Violence against Women and Girls in Georgia”, which is implemented by UN Women in cooperation with UNFPA, with the financial support of the European Union. The project aims to develop policies and legislation needed to prevent and respond to the domestic violence and the violence against women, as well as to build the capacity of relevant institutions. At the same time, it the project will aims to change negative gender stereotypes, social norms and attitudes within the society, to support the women’s rights and promote gender equality.

16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence has been marked since the early 1990s. It aims at raising public awareness and demonstrating solidarity with the victims of gender-based violence. This year, the campaign highlights the “shadow pandemic” that followed the spread of COVID-19: after imposing the restrictions on movement and isolation, the number of reported cases of all forms of violence against girls and women, especially domestic violence, has increased. UN Women joins the violence survivors, activists, decision-makers, the UN system and representatives of all walks of life to highlight the need for funding, essential services, prevention and data to provide a more informed response to violence against girls and women.

For more information, please contact: Nino Natroshvili, UN Women, 595 35 64 68, nino.natroshvili@unwomen.org

Follow the campaign HERE.