Each year, the international 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign seeks to mobilise governments, civil society and individuals around one inescapable fact: violence against women is the most pervasive breach of human rights across the world.
This year, CTG is honouring four courageous changemakers who are fighting against gender-based violence around the world – both individuals and organisations dedicated to this critical cause. In a world grappling with rampant gender-based violence, the stories of these changemakers inspire hope in their relentless efforts to address and prevent it.
Girls Not Brides: a global partnership to end child marriage
© Girls Not Brides. Child marriage is fuelled by gender inequality, poverty, social norms and insecurity. *
Girls Not Brides is a global partnership of more than 1400 civil society organisations working to end child, early and forced marriages and unions (CEFMU). The number of child brides around the world is now estimated to be 650 million. That figure includes girls under the age of 18 who have already married, and adult women who married in childhood.
Founded in 2011, Girls Not Brides works across more than 100 countries to:
- raise awareness of the harmful impact of child marriage,
- advocate for stronger laws and policies, and
- provide support to girls and communities affected by the practice.
Girls Not Brides brings together a diverse coalition of organisations (ranging from grassroots groups to international NGOs) to tackle the root causes of CEFMU, such as poverty, gender inequality, and lack of education, and drive collective action for lasting change.
Just last year, the organisation was instrumental in securing a groundbreaking commitment by Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera to end child marriage. And on top of that, they were successful in their advocacy for the adoption of a sixth Human Rights Council resolution on child, early and forced marriage, which was co-sponsored by 78 states.
Girls Not Brides is more than a global movement to end child marriage; it is a community that uplifts girls’ power. It amplifies their voices, and advances their ability to choose a future for themselves.
– Dr Alaa Murabit, Chair of Girls Not Brides Board of Trustees
Read more about Girls Not Brides and their work here.
Ifrah Ahmed: advocate for the eradication of Female Genital Mutilation
Ifrah Ahmed lobbies for stronger legal frameworks to protect girls. *
Ifrah Ahmed is a 35-year-old Somali-born activist and one of the leading global voices in the fight against female genital mutilation (FGM). Having survived FGM herself, Ifrah has become a passionate advocate for the eradication of this harmful practice that affects millions of girls and women worldwide. In Somalia alone, the prevalence of FGM among women aged 15–49 is 99.2%. That’s around 9 million women and girls.
In 2010, Ahmed founded an organisation dedicated to ending FGM through education, awareness, and advocacy, called the Ifrah Foundation. The foundation provides vital support to FGM survivors, works to change cultural attitudes around FGM, and lobbies for stronger legal frameworks to protect girls.
Since 2022, the foundation’s Dear Daughter Campaign has trained 665 people to serve as anti-FGM champions in their communities, and has amassed 82,106 pledges to end FGM in Somalia. Ahmed’s efforts have earned international recognition. She has been involved in high-profile campaigns, including working with the UNHCR and other global bodies.
Learn more about the Ifrah Foundation and Ifrah Ahmed’s work here.
Nadia Murad: a brave voice against genocide and CRSV
© Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. Nadia Murad at the PSVI Conference in London in 2022. *
In 2014, Nadia Murad and thousands of other women were kidnapped and forced into sexual slavery by ISIS, who were ethnically cleansing Yazidis from Iraq. After escaping, Nadia dedicated her life to speaking out against the genocide committed against the Yazidi community, and to raising awareness of the devastating impacts of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV).
Not only did she share her traumatic experience of human trafficking with the UN Security Council, but she also publicly sued ISIL commanders for their actions. Nadia assumed the role of UNODC Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking, and went on to become a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, alongside Dr Denis Mukwege. The prize was awarded for their efforts to help end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict.
I want to be the last girl in the world with a story like mine.
She also launched Nadia’s Initiative with the aim of advocating for the resource and policy changes that will protect and support survivors of sexual violence and rebuild communities in crisis. In 2023, the initiative had 450,000 direct beneficiaries.
A portion of this includes beneficiaries of survivor-centric women’s empowerment programmes that help rescue and document Yazidi women who have been held captive by ISIS and provide reparations. In 2024, the organisation opened Sinjar region’s first Women’s Centre, a safe, community-focused space offering services such as health and psychosocial support, maternal and childcare, and legal aid.
Learn more about Nadia Murad and the Nadia Initiative here.
STEWARDWOMEN: supporting survivors of GBV in South Sudan
© STEWARDWOMEN. The team behind STEWARDWOMEN are on a mission to secure human rights for women, girls and children. *
STEWARDWOMEN was founded by a group of South Sudanese women in March 2009 to address violence against women, including sexual and gender-based violence, community insecurity and conflicts, and poor governance in the country.
In South Sudan, UNICEF studies have found that 65% of women and girls have experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime, and some 51% have suffered intimate partner violence (IPV).
On a mission to develop, shape and empower South Sudanese women, STEWARDWOMEN prioritises GBV prevention, risk mitigation and response services. They embark on community engagement programmes to transform harmful social norms, providing survivor support and GBV case management services, as well as providing dignity kits to women and girls across the country.
Since 2009, they have helped over 5,000 GBV survivors with psychosocial support, provided over 5,000 women and girls with legal aid services, and supported livelihood opportunities for over 3,000 women and girls.
Learn more about STEWARDWOMEN and the work they do here.
Together for better
These four changemakers demonstrate that change is not only possible, but already happening. Their courage, dedication and innovative approaches are already shaping a safer world for thousands of women and girls, and inspiring others to play their own part.
Every action counts. Read our blog here to learn what you can do to amplify the efforts of these changemakers.
Together, we can make a difference for better.
Learn more about the issues and how you can get involved in ending gender-based violence.
- TOGETHER FOR BETTER: 16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
- SHINING A LIGHT ON PROGRESS: THE FIGHT AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
*These photos are for the purpose of illustration only. Persons featured in the photos are not necessarily survivors of GBV.