Countless buildings in Drenthe and the rest of the world have been turning orange since yesterday. The Orange the World campaign wants to draw attention to violence against women. And that is necessary, because many girls and women in the Netherlands indicate that they have been victims of physical, mental or sexual violence in their lives.
From sexual harassment (73 percent), sexual misconduct (53 percent) to partner violence (20 percent), many women in the Netherlands experience it. This is evident from figures from Atria, Rutgers and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. Moreover, an average of one woman dies here every day due to violence.
But the campaign goes further than just explicit violence. Orange the World also wants to pay attention to women who, for example, are made financially dependent, women who are socially isolated and women of whom intimate images are posted and distributed online.
In Drenthe, the province and many different municipalities participate. From lighting buildings orange and raising the Orange the World flag to showing films and round table discussions.
The municipality of Westerveld already reflected on the campaign on Thursday. Councilor Jacob Boonstra: “It is unfortunately still the case in the Netherlands that almost half of all women and girls experience violence. That is unacceptable. That is why we as a municipality support the fight against violence against women.”
Another municipality that is receiving attention is Assen. “With this theme we want to increase awareness of the fact that various forms of violence occur not only behind the front door and on the street, which people quickly think about, but everywhere in society,” the municipality said. “And above all, that you can be a supporter in all those places. The emphasis in tackling violence is often on identifying, reporting and providing assistance. These matters are crucial, but we must also invest more in preventing violence by to tackle it at the roots. Everyone can contribute to this: individuals, professionals, organizations, companies and governments.”