16 Days of Activism 2026: Ensure justice, protect survivors, end impunity
16 Days of Activism 2026: ensure justice, protect survivors, end impunity
For sixteen days, RFLD and its 1,143 member organisations across Africa act together against violence against women and girls. This page gives you everything you need to take part: campaign visuals in English and French, messages ready to copy, a day-by-day calendar and free online training.
What we demand in 2026
Africa has strong texts: the Maputo Protocol, ratified by 46 of 55 African Union member states, and the new African Union Convention on Ending Violence against Women and Girls. What is missing is enforcement. This year, the network asks for three things.
Every complaint investigated and judged
Survivors need police who record complaints, prosecutors who act and courts that decide. Legal aid must reach women outside the capitals.
Safety, care and choice
Shelters, health care, psychosocial support and protection from reprisals, offline and online. Survivors decide what happens to their story.
No perpetrator above the law
States must apply the laws they adopted, lift reservations to the Maputo Protocol and report on progress to the African Commission.
Hear from those on the front line
Defenders and RFLD experts speaking at the 89th Session of the African Commission in Dakar, October 2026.
Tech-facilitated violence and human rights: protecting survivors
Deodatte Bisomerine, DRC: Voices of Defenders
Kanni Abdoulaye, Niger: Voices of Defenders
Protecting women defenders in the African system: Hannah Forster
Fourteen short videos to share
Seven short videos, each in English and in French. They are made for Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, TikTok and X. Post them as they are, or add them to your own reels. They carry no sound, so add music from your platform’s library if you wish.
Visuals to download and share
Each design exists in English and in French. Click a visual to see it full size, then download the version you need. Please keep the RFLD logo and do not crop the text.
Thirty more visuals, in every format
Fifteen new designs, each in English and in French: posts, stories, banners for your pages, a poster for print with a QR code, an email signature and a profile picture frame. Use the format that fits your channel.
The right visual for each channel
| Channel | Best format | Design to use |
|---|---|---|
| Facebook and LinkedIn feed | 1200×630 or 1080×1350 | Main landscape post, pillar portraits |
| Instagram feed | 1080×1350 (4:5) or 1080×1080 | Pillar portraits, Article 4 quote, fact card |
| Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp stories | 1080×1920 | 16 actions story, support message, vertical video |
| Page covers | 1640×624, 1500×500, 1584×396 | Facebook cover, X header, LinkedIn banner |
| YouTube | 1280×720 | Thumbnail for your 16 Days videos |
| Profile picture | 1080×1080 transparent PNG | Frame: place your photo under it in Canva or any editor |
| 600×150 | Signature banner, linked to rflgd.org/16-days | |
| A4 portrait | Poster with QR code for offices, schools and health centres |
Ready to copy and post
Copy a message, paste it on your page and add one of the visuals above. Post in French first, then in English.
Du 25 novembre au 10 décembre, le RFLD et 1 143 organisations de femmes en Afrique se mobilisent pour les 16 jours d’activisme contre les violences faites aux femmes. Cette année, nous exigeons justice pour chaque femme, la protection des survivantes et la fin de l’impunité. Une loi sur le papier ne protège personne : elle doit être appliquée. Rejoignez-nous : https://rflgd.org/16-days/ #16Jours #OrangezLeMonde #FinDeLImpunité
From 25 November to 10 December, RFLD and 1,143 women’s organisations across Africa mobilise for the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. This year we demand justice for every woman, protection for survivors and an end to impunity. A law on paper protects no one until it is enforced. Join us: https://rflgd.org/16-days/ #16Days #OrangeTheWorld #EndImpunity
16 jours pour exiger justice, protection des survivantes et fin de l’impunité. Du 25 nov. au 10 déc., rejoignez le RFLD : rflgd.org/16-days #16Jours #FinDeLImpunité
16 days to demand justice, protection for survivors and an end to impunity. 25 Nov to 10 Dec, join RFLD: rflgd.org/16-days #16Days #EndImpunity
Je participe aux 16 jours d’activisme avec le RFLD : justice pour chaque femme, protection des survivantes, fin de l’impunité. Visuels, messages et formations gratuites ici : https://rflgd.org/16-days/
I am taking part in the 16 Days of Activism with RFLD: justice for every woman, protection for survivors, an end to impunity. Visuals, messages and free courses here: https://rflgd.org/16-days/
Hashtags: #16Days #OrangeTheWorld #EndImpunity #16Jours #OrangezLeMonde #FinDeLImpunité #RFLD
Sixteen days, sixteen actions
One theme a day. Share the visual of the day, use our resources and tag RFLD.
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
Launch of the campaign across the network.
Laws that protect
What the law says in your country, from our open data.
Access to justice
How survivors can file a complaint and follow their case.
Online violence
Digital safety and the legal toolkit on cyber harassment.
International Women Human Rights Defenders Day
Standing with defenders at risk.
Ending female genital mutilation
Keeping bans in force and applied.
GivingTuesday
Fund the women-led organisations that support survivors.
Child marriage
Girls’ right to choose.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Women and girls with disabilities facing violence.
Survivor support
Care, safety and mental health first.
Women in conflict and displacement
Resolution 1325 in West Africa.
Economic violence
Control of money, land and work.
Accountability at the African Commission
Using the Maputo Protocol and alternative reports.
Media and narratives
Reporting on violence without harming survivors.
Ending impunity
What States must do now.
Human Rights Day
Closing of the campaign and our commitments for 2027.
Run your own 16 Days activity in five steps
Choose a theme
Pick one day of the calendar that matches your work and your community.
Bring partners
Invite local leaders, health workers, police, lawyers, journalists and youth groups.
Plan safely
Think about the safety of participants and survivors. No names or faces without written consent.
Act and share
Hold a dialogue, a radio show or a march. Use the visuals and messages on this page.
Report back
Send us your photos and results at programs@rflgd.org so we can feature your work.
What each of us can do
Governments
- Apply existing laws on violence against women and fund their enforcement.
- Ratify and apply the African Union Convention on Ending Violence against Women and Girls.
- Lift reservations to the Maputo Protocol and report to the African Commission.
- Fund shelters, legal aid and psychosocial support.
Organisations and communities
- Believe survivors and refer them to safe services.
- Document cases with consent and follow them in court.
- Use the African Commission and UN mechanisms through alternative reports.
- Protect defenders, offline and online.
Partners and funders
- Give flexible, multi-year funding to women-led organisations.
- Fund survivor services and legal accompaniment, not only awareness.
- Support the protection of women human rights defenders.
- Back the network on GivingTuesday, 1 December.
The Maputo Protocol already protects women
Justice for survivors is a legal duty for the states that ratified the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa. Use it in your messages and in your meetings with officials.
“Every woman shall be entitled to respect for her life and the integrity and security of her person.”Maputo Protocol, Article 4
African Union states have ratified the Maputo Protocol. Nine still have not, and several keep reservations on key articles.
See the Maputo BarometerTake the free Maputo Protocol course
Download the training manual
Free online training for the campaign
Courses from the RFLD Academy, free and with a certificate, in English and in French. Create your learner account · Créer mon compte apprenant
AU-CEVAWG Convention: Ending Violence against Women and Girls in Africa
Human rights defenders: protecting yourself and taking action in West Africa
CEDAW, laws against violence and the CSW: advocacy tools for women’s rights
The Maputo Protocol: understanding and using women’s rights in Africa
Civic Space and Democracy: Advocacy in the Digital Age
Resources to support survivors and demand justice
Five ways to act this year
Organisations, activists, journalists and partners can all play a part.
- Share one visual and one message each day, in French and in English.
- Take one free course and invite your team to follow it.
- Organise a community dialogue or a radio programme, and send us your photos with the consent of the people shown.
- Ask your authorities how they apply the Maputo Protocol and the African Union Convention.
- Support the women-led organisations that care for survivors on GivingTuesday, 1 December.
How to talk about survivors
A campaign about protection must protect the people it talks about. Please follow these rules in every post, photo and video.
Do
- Get written consent before you share any name, photo or story.
- Speak of survivors and of their rights, strength and choices.
- Name the responsibility of perpetrators and of the state.
- Share where people can find help.
- Use photos of public events or illustrations.
Avoid
- Faces, names, villages or details that can identify a survivor.
- Graphic images or descriptions of violence.
- Words that blame the survivor or excuse the perpetrator.
- Sharing a case without the survivor’s agreement, even to help.
- Photos of children linked to violence.
Make your own visuals in the campaign colours
If you design your own posts, use these colours and fonts so that the campaign looks the same across Africa. Keep the hashtags on every post.
Fonts: Playfair Display for titles, Inter for text, Montserrat for labels. All are free on Google Fonts.
Hashtags: #16Days #OrangeTheWorld #EndImpunity #RFLD, and in French #16Jours #OrangezLeMonde #FinDeLImpunité.
If you or someone you know needs help
If someone is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services or a trusted local organisation first. This page is not an emergency service.
Women human rights defenders at risk can write to RFLD’s safeguarding channel at integrity@rflgd.org. See also our Survivor Support Toolkit and where to find help.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 16 Days of Activism?
An international campaign that runs every year from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day.
Can my organisation use the RFLD visuals?
Yes. Download them freely from the campaign kit, keep the RFLD logo and do not change the text. You may add your own logo in a free corner.
Are the courses really free?
Yes. All RFLD Academy courses are free, with a certificate. Create your learner account to start.
How can we be featured by RFLD?
Send photos, a short description and the consent of the people shown to programs@rflgd.org. We share member activities during the campaign.
How can I support the campaign financially?
Give on GivingTuesday, 1 December, or write to our partnerships team through the contact page.
Press corner
About RFLD. The Réseau des Femmes Leaders pour le Développement (RFLD) is a pan-African network of women-led organisations, founded in 2013. It brings together 1,143 member organisations in more than 35 countries. RFLD holds Observer Status N°553 with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
For the 16 Days 2026, RFLD and its members call on African states to ensure justice, protect survivors and end impunity for violence against women and girls.
Media requests
communications.info@rflgd.org
Visuals and videos on this page are free to use with credit to RFLD. Interviews with RFLD spokespeople can be arranged in English and in French.
Join us on social media
Stand with survivors
Need help now? Contact local services first. For questions about the campaign, write to programs@rflgd.org.