VIUFA’ Status of Women Committee and the Canadian Federation of University Women Nanaimo have teamed up to create a video campaign, orange light displays, and public banners in support of this year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence.

Video Campaign

Now, more than ever, we need to make our voices heard.  We’ve been calling upon women, all genders who are disproportionately impacted by gender violence, and their allies to voice support for this international campaign led by the United Nations.

The team continues to accept 1-minute video submissions sent to womenactnanaimo@gmail.com. New videos will be added to our YouTube playlist of voices, linked below, throughout the campaign period of November 25, 2020 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to December 10, 2020 (Human Rights Day).


Orange Light Displays and UNiTE Banners

In solidarity with the UN theme “Orange the World,” our teams created two orange light displays. One is located at the Bastion on Front Street in downtown Nanaimo, and other is located at the VIEW Gallery, VIU’s Art Gallery, located at Building 330 and visible from Fifth Street. Accompanying banners, at both locations, declare: UNiTE TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN.

Special thanks: to Robin Boxwell (VIU Theatre Department) for generously offering his technical expertise on this project; to Marni Stanley (Dean of Arts and Humanities) for her immediate support for the campaign; to the City of Nanaimo for their renewing their Proclamation in support of 16 Days of Activism; to everyone who contributes a video, shares a message, enacts change, big or small.

Let’s gather our voices, even if we are physically apart, to make the concrete changes we wish to see in our communities, near and far.