DUSHANBE, November 25, 2013, Asia-Plus – A campaign to prevent the gender-based violence has been launched in Tajikistan.

The16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign was launched on November 25.

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign continues the theme of “From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Let’s Challenge Militarism and End Violence Against Women!” in 2013.

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign originating from the first Women''s Global Leadership Institute coordinated by the Center for Women''s Global Leadership in 1991. Participants chose the dates November 25- International Day Against Violence Against Women- and December 10- International Human Rights Day- in order to symbolically link violence against women and human rights and to emphasize that such violence is a violation of human rights.  This 16-day period also highlights other significant dates including November 29, International Women Human Rights Defenders Day, December 1, World AIDS Day, and December 6, which marks the Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre.

The 16 Days Campaign has been used as an organizing strategy by individuals and groups around the world to call for the elimination of all forms of violence against women by: raising awareness about gender-based violence as a human rights issue at the local, national, regional and international levels; strengthening local work around violence against women; establishing a clear link between local and international work to end violence against women; providing a forum in which organizers can develop and share new and effective strategies; and creating tools to pressure governments to implement promises made to eliminate violence against women.

Over 5,167 organizations in approximately 187 countries have reportedly participated in the 16 Days Campaign since 1991.

Violence against women has become a particularly wide-spread phenomenon in Tajikistan.  Negative issues like unemployment, poverty and social inequality that deteriorated during transition period led to increased level of psychological, sexual and physical violence towards women in the country.

According to some researches, neither victims of domestic violence nor their abusers can be classified by education level or social status.

Domestic violence can occur equally in families with high socio-economic status as well as in poor families.  Moreover, in the families with high income level victims are less likely to disclose a violence situation they face in the family not being able to break out the vicious cycle.

In a country like Tajikistan, where customs and traditions are extremely important, battered women do not speak out and prefer to conceal the truth fearing criticism from neighbors and family.  In the meantime, human rights experts say that for around 90 % of Tajik families domestic violence is an issue.