Sixteen days every year, beginning from 25 November to 10 December, are globally recognized and dedicated to raising awareness on Gender Based Violence. While Dastak works all year with the vision and mandate to respond to GBV, its team undertakes a few programs to join the annual campaign. This year too, Dastak organised multiple activities to commemorate this global campaign:

Activity 1: On the first day of the campaign, also marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, an information session was organized at its shelter informing women about the campaign and its impact and steps that are being taken locally to improve the women protection system.
Activity 2: Understanding the benefits of using expressive art as a form therapy for survivors of violence, Dastak organized a painting workshop for women and girls who had experienced domestic violence. The workshop theme was ‘Reimagining a home free from violence’ and the participants were given blank white canvases on which they illustrated and/or wrote about their idea of a safe space where they felt respected and protected.
Activity 3: On the last day of this year’s campaign, which coincides with the International Human Rights Day, Dastak organized an interactive information session on ‘Know your Power’ with trainees of the Qasr-e-Behbood vocational training centre run by the Government of the Punjab. The session was attended by 60+ women and girls who shared their insights and experiences of exercising their rights in Pakistan while Dastak gave them knowledge on relevant resources and laws to prevent and be protected from human rights violations in their daily lives.