SOLIHULL residents are being called on to show their solidarity for domestic violence victims on social media.
Solihull Council will be using its platforms to mark the 16 Days of Activism Campaign, which runs from November 25 to December 10 and raises awareness of domestic abuse and call for the elimination of gender-based violence.
The theme for this year’s campaign is “Orange the world: End violence against women now!”.
Each day the Council will be identifying a different theme each day to explore the various forms of gender based violence and sharing these messages across social media in a bid to educate and bring attention to the support that is available for victims.
This year marks the 16 Days Campaign 30-year anniversary and to commemorate this, the campaign has a special focus on femicide, which categorizes the killing of women as a specific type of male violence against women.
Councillor Tony Dicicco, cabinet member for Adult Social Care and Health, said: “For this year’s 16 Days of Activism Campaign, the Council wants to amplify the message that there is ‘no excuse for abuse’ and ‘domestic abuse is everybody’s business’.
“We are keen to ensure these messages are at the forefront of conversation – the more we talk about it the more can be done.
“I encourage all residents of the borough to make this a part of your conversations and spread the message on social media and with your friends and family. This is not a topic we can shy away from.
“The Council is currently refreshing its new domestic abuse strategy and is committed to ensuring the right response is provided, in the right way, at the right time.”
Councillor Alison Rolf, cabinet member for Stronger and Safer Communities, added: “It is important that victims and those at risk know how and where to access help, and those around them must know how to offer support.
“Specialist support for women and girls experiencing abuse is provided by Birmingham and Solihull’s Women’s Aid, Panahghar Safe House, and the RSVP.
“Most of our local GPs have been trained to identify and respond to domestic abuse and have safe pathways to refer their patients to through a special domestic abuse programme called IRIS.
“This is part of a multi-agency borough wide approach to tackling violence against women and girls, so please share this information far and wide – you never know when someone may need it.”
For more visit https://16dayscampaign.org/
