Zero gender based violence for girls and women.

Wite: Nouran Elfayoumy

UNFPA created an even and launched three zero campaign to achieve zero gender-

based violence for girls and women in all Africa on March 2020 in Cairo.

Credit: Google image

On the International Women’s day UNFPA celebrated the women who demanded gender

equality and women who made great progress despite the difficulties. In addition, they are

looking forward for today’s generation of activists; women who have a vision for a better

tomorrow for people of all genders.

Dr.Natalia Kanem, the UNFPA executive director, announced on the International Women’s day

the goals of the UNFPA in the coming period and the campaign of three zero.

She mentioned in her statement the violence against women, and how women face violencein the

early years of their lives.

According to the UNFPA ‘A lot of women face physical and sexual violence in their lifetime,

and in every five girls one girl is married before the age of 18. Also, many women are subjected

to physical and verbal harassment on the streets, at work and in means of transportation. Every

year, almost 300,000 women and girls die during childbirth.”

UNFPA is working with their partners, including young activists and change-makers, to

dismantle the barriers standing between women and girls and their rights and choices. To achieve

a gender-equal world, all women and girls must be empowered to realize their sexual and

reproductive health and rights. We aim to achieve “three zeros” by 2030:

• zero unmet need for family planning;

• zero preventable maternal deaths; and

• zero gender-based violence and harmful practices, including child marriage and female genital

mutilation.

Their efforts are based on high-quality data and evidence to ensure that no one is left behind.

Quoted from the United Nations Population Fund, Egypt, "The three numbers are the three

transformative results that the fund is working for and has been highlighted in the Women's Day

celebration organized by the United Nations for Women in the Opera House."

They also announced their cooperation with the Italian Agency, the Italian Cultural Institute in

Cairo, the National Council for Women and the National Council for Childhood and

Motherhood.

The UNFPA started their own campaign by posting on social media “with the International

Women’s day approaching, comment your message to empower women and girls” and created

the hashtag #TargetZero #IAmforGBV. And they announced the interaction of young people

with them in this initiative in order to end women violence. Youth participation was very

important on 8 th of March; International Women's Day. 50 young men and women participated in

sports activities for development, and the interactive theater show, which provides an education

network on the topic of violence against women and their partners, highlighted the youth’s voice

to enhance women's empowerment.

All the genders have the power to change this. By refusing to tolerate the normalization of

violence and discrimination against women and girls, we can end it.

Till now the United Nations Population Fund is still working on the campaign to achieve zero

cases of harassment till the year 2030 through awareness campaigns and through social media.

The question now is: Will we be able to achieve zero cases of harassment after ten years?