Information Services Team Blog

Today (November 25th) is the first day in the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign.

16 Days of Action Against Gender Violence is a global campaign that runs annually from November 25th to December 10th. It was launched in 1991 by the Center for Women's Global Leadership and now counts over 2,000 organizations from over 154 countries among its participants.

The 16 Days campaign calls for the elimination of all forms of gender-based violence worldwide and highlights several significant dates, including:

• November 25th: International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
• December 1st: World AIDS Day
• December 6th: National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada
• December 10th: International Human Rights Day

To mark the start of the 16 Days campaign, here are sixteen reference resources on the subject of gender and violence that are available in print or online through the Toronto Public Library:

Selected books:

• Gender Violence: A Cultural Perspective by Sally Engle Merry (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009)
• Women, Gender, and Human Rights: a Global Perspective edited by Marjorie Agosin (Rutgers University Press, 2001)
• Women's Human Rights: Seeking Gender Justice in a Globalizing Age by Niamh Reilly (Polity Press, 2009)
• Violence Against Women: Myths, Facts, Controversies by Walter S. DeKeseredy (University of Toronto Press, 2011) 
• Violence Against Women in Canada: Research and Policy Perspectives by Holly Johnson (Oxford University Press, 2011)

Selected encyclopedias:

• Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History edited by Bonnie G. Smith (Oxford University Press, 2008) Online resource; sign on with library card.
• Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge edited by Cheris Kramarae and Dale Spender (Routledge, 2000)
• Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender edited by Fedwa Malti-Douglas (MacMillan Reference, 2007) Online resource; sign on with library card.

Selected article databases:

• GLBT Gender Studies: Indexed and full-text articles about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered culture and issues. Online resource; sign on with library card.
• The Secretary General's Database on Violence Against Women: A project of the United Nations.
• Women's Human Rights Resources Database: This database lists articles, documents, and links, related to both international and Canadian women's rights law. A project of the Women's Human Rights Resources Programme of the Bora Laskin Law Library at the University of Toronto. 
  

Selected websites:

• WomenWatch: This is the central gateway for online information and resources related to the promotion of gender equality and women's empowerment in the United Nations.
• Status of Women Canada: This federal government organization works to advance equality for women in Canada with particular emphasis placed on women's economic security and the elimination of violence against women.
• Ontario Women's Justice Network: Here you will find general legal information and resources on issues related to violence against women. A project of the Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children (METRAC).
• Springtide Resources: This Toronto-based registered charity develops and delivers programs and resources to decrease the incidence of violence against women and the effect that abuse has on children.
• 16 Days campaign Resources: This section of the 16 Days campaign website includes suggested books, articles, reports, and websites on gender and violence as well as campaigning.