Like a number of iconic buildings and landmarks across the world, Shire Hall is going orange for 16 days as part of the United Nations 16 Days of Activism to End Violence Against Women campaign.

GRANQuinte, a local branch of the Grandmothers Advocacy network that was born out of the emerging AIDS crisis facing grandmothers in Africa, is answering the UN’s call to engage in activism to eradicate violence against women.

Sharon Vanclief of GRANQuinte explained the global initiative begins on November 25th (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) and continues to December 10th (International Human Rights Day). It has come to be known as the Orange Campaign because the United Nations chose that bright colour to represent hope and a future free of violence.

“It’s 2023 and violence is still a real threat to many, many women and girls world-wide. It remains one of the most serious – and the most tolerated – human rights violations,” she said “It is both a cause and a consequence of gender inequality and discrimination and its continued presence is one of the clearest markers of societies out of balance.”

More than four in ten women experience abuse from an intimate partner – and rates of abuse are on the rise. In some instances, that results in death—a woman is killed by her intimate partner approximately every six days in Canada.

Ms. Vanclief said the local advocacy group was proud of Prince Edward County Mayor Steve Ferguson and Council for agreeing to light Shire Hall in orange for 16 days and said violence against women and girls is pervasive. But it is not inevitable–“Unless we stay silent,” she said, “speak out, Orange the World and break the cycle of violence.”

In the words of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, “not until the half of our population represented by women and girls can live free from fear, violence and everyday insecurity, can we truly say we live in a fair and equal world.”