against violence against women and girls

Once again, November 25 reminds us that around the world, it is mostly women and girls who are victims of acts of violence. The figures published on the international day against violence against women and girls are frightening: one third of the women worldwide are victims of physical and sexual violence by their partner, every hour six women worldwide are killed by men from their own family. (More data can be found here: World YWCA).

It is all the more important to realize that each and every one of us can do something about it (see tips from UN Women Germany) and that organizations like Horyzon have been working for years against gender-based and sexual violence and for the empowerment and advancement of girls and women in developing countries.

In Horyzon's Espace Sûr project in Haiti, girls and young women are given access to a safe place where they are supported to complete their basic education and prepare for vocational training and the job market. They also receive courses on topics such as rights, self-esteem, health, sexuality and gender-based violence. To support beneficiaries' development into confident individuals, family members are intentionally involved in the project's activities.

In South Sudan, the Horyzon project My Body, My Right, My Future encourages girls and young women to regularly attend school and complete their education. This gives them a better chance of escaping poverty and economic dependence. In addition, prevention work on the topic of sexual violence is intended to reduce sexual and gender-based violence in the region. As a result, adolescent pregnancies are also reduced. This is achieved by including boys and men in the activities. Village talks and radio talk shows are used to sensitize further sections of the population to the issues of sexual violence and contraception.

In the Horyzon project Together for Peace and Justice in Uganda, victims of violence receive psychosocial support and learn strategies for overcoming their traumas. In counseling centers, young people find a safe place and gain access to information in the areas of sexuality and reproductive health.
In Colombia, young people in the Horyzon project Paza la Paz address and process the issue of domestic violence and femicide through theater and dance. With their theater, the young people are doing important educational work in their communities. Together they raise their voices and bring the feminist strike cry "ni una menos" to their families and communities. At the same time, the theater is also a way for them to come to terms with their personal traumas related to violence. After all, since the outbreak of the Covid 19 pandemic, the numbers of domestic violence against girls and women have risen dramatically, not infrequently with fatal results.
In summary, Horyzon programs are committed to:
- For reduction of teen pregnancies.
- For education regarding gender-based and sexual violence.
- For education regarding own rights.
- For care and counseling for victims of sexual and gender-based violence.
- For equal rights.
- For empowerment of girls and women to become self-determined people full of healthy self-confidence.

We will not give up our efforts until the International Day against Violence against Women and Girls is no longer necessary. Thank you for supporting us in this!