The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign running from Nov. 25(International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to Dec. 10 (Human Rights Day). It is a period to raise awareness, demand action and mobilize communities to end all forms of gender-based violence. The campaign highlights the systemic nature of violence against women and girls, linking issues of safety, justice and economic empowerment, and calls on governments, institutions and society at large to commit to meaningful and sustained change.

Muna Nassar, executive secretary for Mission and Advocacy, reflects:

“While our annual witness against gender-based violence is vital, the sin of structural inequality persists. In these 16 days, we are called not only to act but to confront the root causes of injustice. We covenant together, trusting in God’s promise of a restored creation, to continue this work until all people live free from violence and fear.”

Guided by our faith and commitment to justice, the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) stands in solidarity with all survivors of gender-based violence. We denounce this pervasive evil as not only a brutal assault on human dignity but also a manifestation of profound economic injustice. This systemic injustice traps countless women in cycles of abuse, denying them the God-given agency to leave and rebuild their lives in safety. In response, we affirm the pursuit of bold, transformative economic advocacy, such as the universal basic income (UBI) being advocated by the GRAPE program in South Africa. Such a policy can serve as a practical instrument of justice, providing the economic security that upholds the intrinsic worth of every person and empowers survivors with the genuine freedom to pursue a life beyond mere survival.

South Africa has policies and commitments to end gender-based violence, but without coordinated implementation, adequate resourcing and social protection, the system continues to fail those most at risk. On Nov. 21, the G20 Women’s Shutdown to Bring South Africa to a Standstill will call on global and national leaders to treat gender-based violence as a systemic crisis requiring urgent and sustained action.

The World Communion of Reformed Churches has envisioned the GRAPE program to accompany its member churches in addressing the root causes of systemic injustice and ecological crises while recommitting to actionable and faith-based approaches that are locally driven, placing churches in the driver’s seat for those actions. The establishment and functioning of GRAPE national platforms are supported by multiple actors alongside the WCRC, ensuring coordinated advocacy for social, economic and gender justice.

Thandi Henkeman (South Africa GRAPE cohort) states:

“In South Africa, gender-based violence is not a statistic; it’s a daily lived experience—whether in our homes, workplaces, communities or in how we must constantly calculate our safety. As a South African woman and member of the GRAPE cohort, I add my voice to demand a coordinated, adequately funded response that centers survivors’ dignity, justice and economic security. I support this call and advocate for responses that pair safety, justice and accountability with economic measures such as UBI that enable women to live free from violence. GRAPE supports and echoes calls for gender-based violence and femicide to be declared a national disaster.”

The WCRC fully supports this call and urges governments, communities and faith leaders to act decisively—ensuring safety, justice and economic empowerment for all women.