16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is a global campaign calling for an end to violence against women and girls.
WAGGGS
16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence
16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is a global campaign calling for an end to violence against women and girls. It takes place every year and begins on the 25th November, the International Day of the Elimination of Violence Against Women and finishes on Human Rights Day, the 10th of December.
Each year, WAGGGS and the Stop the Violence campaign invite the Movement to join an awareness-raising campaign on a certain thematic area. This year, we are focusing on the legal system, mechanisms, and human rights infrastructures in place around the world to address violence and discrimination against women and girls. We must #KnowHerRights in order to be able to use the law, and advocate for better.
This year’s campaign looks at a topic that is becoming part of girls’ everyday lives: Artificial Intelligence (AI). The campaign focus is #AIneedsHer, underlining the importance of ensuring girls and women’s voices and their rights are included at every stage of development, governance, evolution, access and enjoyment. We know that it can reinforce violence to women and girls, and we are committed to being part of the solution, shaping a safer technology tool, free from harm.
From our pilot research findings, conducted in 2026 in WAGGGS’ four languages, members of the Girl Guides and Girl Scouts told us that:
- Girls are already seeing harm - Nearly two thirds of girls of those who answered have seen or experienced AI-related harm.
- Girls do not trust what AI tells them and cannot reliably spot it. Nearly two thirds of girls shared that they cannot fully trust AI-generated information. With 70% stating that they wouldn't be confident to identify and detect use of AI.
Girls have hopes and fears for use of A.I. At WAGGGS, this 16 Days of Activism, we will be part of advocating for change, sharing knowledge and information as power.
AI is not neutral. It can reinforce colonial, patriarchal and extractive systems, or it can serve as a tool to support equity, sustainability and empowerment if programmed and allowed to do so. Join us in action, find out how below.
How can YOU take and inspire action?
Join us in one of the five ways below and get involved in our 16 Days of Activism campaign to:
Lead in Action: Download the 16 Days of Activism Activity Pack entitles: A.I., Gender and Violence; An activity Pack for Learning and Action. Exploring How AI Can Reinforce Violence Against Women and Girls, and How We Can Shape a Safer World. Use this resource for activities that can be run and completed within your Member Organisation, district or unit, as a leader, or with your peers as a Girl Guide/Girl Scout.
- Download here from website: https://www.wagggs.org/en/news/ai-gender-and-violence-an-activity-pack-for-learning-and-action/
- Download here from Campfire: https://campfire.wagggs.org/topic/ai-gender-and-violence-activity-pack-learning-and-action
Advocate for change: Help us to raise awareness and create change in our world against gender-based violence, malpractices and inequality within your community. Join us in raising awareness about how A.I. is gendered, biased and can perpetuate violence. We need girls and women to be part of the development, creation, legislation, governance and ethics structures in place for A.I. The use of this technology is a choice.
Be social: Share, tag, and comment on WAGGGS channels - we are louder together and will be unstoppable in creating a safer world. #AIneedsHer and we will be the change so that this is our reality. Campaign templates will be available to download here on 19 November 2026. Share the actions you’re taking and why this matters. Remember to use the hashtags #AineedsHer and #16DaysofActivism, as well as tag WAGGGS global channels so that we can amplify and stay connected as a Movement.
Get Vocal: Your voices are crucial in guiding the future we want, and highlight our needs, wants and experiences. We know that Artificial Intelligence has the potential for both harm and good, we ask you as voices in the Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting Movement, you as the voices with lived experiences that make up our 11.5 million WAGGGS members to share your voice on why #AIneedsHer. We are gathering your voices to support and be used in our global WAGGGS advocacy, hearing what you want, need, and deserve, to live in safety and dignity, as empowered, global citizens reaching their fullest potential. Add your voice from 19 November 2026 (link update to follow). Share what you would like the tech developers to know here. We are asking. What do you want the people building AI to know?
Be informed: Join our #AIneedsHer webinar, where we will be hearing from experts in the field of AI, gender and governance, and lead by girls themselves, facilitating and sharing their experiences and demands. Save the date: 4 December, at 12:00 GMT. The session will be on zoom. More information and registration information will be updated on 25 November.
CONSENT
Please seek consent before sharing images with us. By sharing photos with us, you consent for these images to be shared externally, on social media and our website. Make sure girls are not taking pictures of each other and sharing them on social media or other channels without permission.
If you have any questions, please get in touch with the Stop the Violence team at the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts via email: stoptheviolence@wagggs.org
WAGGGS SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS
Previous WAGGGS Campaigns
- 2024: #StopTheViolence - understand how violence happens and take action to be the change. We will not stand still whilst almost 1 in 4 adolescent girls (24%) have already been physically, sexually, or psychologically abused by a partner by the time they are 19.
- 2023: #Stoptheviolenceperiod to encourage and support girls, within and beyond the Movement, to dismantle the myths and smash some of the stigmas.
- 2022: #SheSurfsFreedom calling on digital spaces that are safe, healthy, regulated and free from violence for girls and women. Collaborating with Malala Fund to campaign and also hosted an online webinar on digital safety.
- 2021: #HerStoryIsOurStory we created Brave Spaces for girls around the world to share their voice and stories on the experience, prevalence and thoughts of gender-based violence
- 2020: #notHERfault we stood against victim blaming, the shaming of girls and women who have been made to feel like they are responsible for the violence inflicted on them.
- 2019: #OurStreetsToo #ImHereForHer we stood in solidarity with girls and women who experience harassment in the streets
- 2018: #OurStreetsToo we called on governments around the world to stop street harassment
- 2017: #GirlsAreUnsafe identified where girls felt the most unsafe by asking them to draw these places.
- 2016: #16 Ways in #16Days shared stories and small personal steps everyone can take.
- 2015: For Girls are valuable we asked girls to make noise about how girls aren’t valued.
- 2014: For 16 Days. 16 Voices. we delivered a Stop the Violence Facilitators Training.
- 2013: Bust the Myths: 16 Myths for 16 Days, showcased a harmful belief or myth on along with the reality.
- 2012: From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Creating Safe Spaces asked groups to identify a space to make free from violence.
Previous 16 Days resources are available here.
