‘Orange the World’ – Kent’s part in international unity against violence against women.

Amber Lennox 12 December 2021

Image courtesy of The United Nations

On 25 November, the UN Women Society of the University of Kent launched ‘Orange the World’ campaign, aimed at raising awareness of violence against women.

Just outside the campus Sports Centre, the society hung bright orange posters with silhouettes of women throwing their hands in the air, and the instruction “don’t be a bystander” stamped across them.

The young woman that was putting up the posters, Sikemi Okunrinboye, is the chair of the UN Women Society. She explained that the 25 November is the start of the UN Women’s campaign, ‘Orange the World’. A campaign that sees 16 days of activities aimed at raising awareness of, and ending, violence against women.

The campaign was an international affair, using orange as a mark to unite all of its activities, symbolising a design for a better tomorrow, rid of violence against women and girls; as though the sun was finally rising on the darkness.

Some of the activities that the society planned included, putting up posters and some stalls to help promote the campaign. There were also badges available, proclaiming that ‘not all violence is visible’, and ‘justice for survivors.’

Whilst the UN Women’s Society has been unable to procure any more funding for their campaign, they are hopeful that their application for development fund gets approved, in order to achieve more from it.

Around the campus, students will have seen Okunrinboye, along with Becky Wyatt and Filipa Paes who are with the wellbeing services, handing out flyers and helping out in various other activities throughout the campaign, which ended on the 11 December.

Separately, on 25 November, the university also launched their own ‘#ConsentGetIt.’ campaign, which the UN Women’s Society is excited about.

Despite the international nature and prevalence of the violence against women and girls, which ‘Orange the World’ seeks to combat, the campaign is relatively unknown.

The campaign ties in with the UN Secretary-General’s ‘UNiTE by 2030 to End Violence against Women’ initiative, which is relatively self-explanatory in its aim. ‘Orange the World’ is set to amplify the call for global action, especially in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the need for essential services for women who have survived, and are surviving, violence, especially at home.

The campaign also had an emphasis on prevention, with the hope that there shall be no cases of violence towards women by the end of this decade.

‘Orange the World’ highlighted the fact that, in the last year alone, 243 million women and girls were abused by an intimate partner, known as Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), and that less than 40% of these women will report it or seek help of any kind.

Although there is noise being made by the survivors, activists, and all those affected by gender-based violence, according to UN Women, this is not enough. If the ending of violence against women is to become a reality, then the organization explains, that there needs to be more investment, leadership, individual action and that every country needs to see a national response.

To learn more about ‘Orange the World’ and other international campaigns that raised awareness on violence against women, you can visit on Instagram @unwomenukkent, @unwomenuk, and @unwomen.

You can also find out more about the university’s own campaign and activities by visiting @unikentlive.

If you or someone you know, think or are being abused, you can find help with the University Wellbeing and Support Services, a trusted family member or friend, and with Nursing and Healthcare services.