Gelephu, 26 November 2023
In a groundbreaking multi-sectoral collaboration to harness the power of sports for social change, UNFPA joins the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Bhutan and the Bhutan Football Federation (BFF), in partnership with RENEW in launching the innovative campaign ‘Kick for Equality’ aligned with the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment through football.
A friendly all-women football game between national women's football and representative of the Gelephu community marks the begining of the campaign. This is one of the many key activities under the Football for the Goals Initiative for 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence.
As a call to action to amplify support to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the campaign recognizes a unique opportunity to leverage the power of sports, specifically football, to advance the SDGs.
The campaign aims to:
- Raise Awareness about Gender-Based Violence: The campaign will utilize football-related content and engagement to educate the Bhutanese population, especially youth, about gender-based violence, challenging stereotypes, and encouraging reporting.
- Promote Behavioral Change: By using football as a platform, the campaign aims to encourage sustainable practices related to gender equality and gender-based violence.
- Engage Young People as Agents of Change: Empower young people in Bhutan to actively advocate for and implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), leveraging their enthusiasm for football to drive positive social change and challenge societal norms.
- Showcase Female Role Models: The campaign will highlight female athletes as role models, breaking barriers, and inspiring young girls to participate in football and other sports, fostering inclusivity and teamwork.
- Foster Multisectoral Collaboration: Collaborate with various sectors in Bhutan, including government, civil society, and private organizations, to jointly address social issues, using football as a unifying platform.
The campaign will run from 25 November coinciding with the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women and end with the Human Rights Day on 10 December.
The campaign includes five activities as follows:
- Campaign Launch Event (26 November): The campaign kicks off with a friendly all-women football match involving national women’s football and representatives from the community in Gelephu.
- #OrangeTheWorld TikTok Challenge: The TikTok challenge encourages users to share stories, perspectives, and messages of support for the 16 Days of Activism.
- Women in Sports Panel Discussion: A panel discussion featuring prominent female athletes and leaders in sports will be held in Thimphu. The discussion will focus on breaking stereotypes and inspiring dreams, empowering women through sports.
- Bodyright Campaign: Bhutan will also join the global Bodyright- own your body online campaign to stop online body abuse. Bodyrigth is a social movement that asks us all to take gender-based online abuse seriously. The core of this online and social media campaign is the bodyright symbol. This symbol can be added to any image of a human body directly on social media or any other digital content sharing platform. The aim is to drive tech companies and policy makers to take the violation of human rights and protecting bodily autonomy online as seriously as they take copyright infringement. https://www.unfpa.org/bodyright
- The Strength of a Woman: To celebrate the achievements and challenges of Bhutanese women, a panel discussion with leading Bhutanese women will be organized who will provide providing insights into their journeys and contributions to society.
UN Bhutan in collaboration with the Bhutan Football Federation and RENEW kicked off the 16 days of activism against Gender-Based Violence at Girls Academy in Gelephu on 26 November 2023. The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign is an opportunity to recommit ourselves to the cause of creating a world where every woman and girl can live free from fear, discrimination, and violence. The WHO Representative of Bhutan, Dr Bhupinder Kaur Aulakh, graced the opening ceremony of the campaign. The campaign kicked off with a friendly all-women football match involving the Academy Girl's team women’s football and representatives from the community in Gelephu
The "Orange the World TikTok Challenge" is a social media campaign aimed at raising awareness about gender-based violence and promoting gender equality. The campaign takes inspiration from the international 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, an annual global campaign that runs from November 25th (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to December 10th (Human Rights Day). Through this challenge, we aim to leverage the immense reach and influence of TikTok to engage users worldwide in conversations about ending violence against women and girls.
UNFPA also joined the global Bodyright - own your body online campaign to stop online body abuse. Bodyright is a social movement that asks us all to take gender-based online abuse seriously. The core of this online and social media campaign is the bodyright symbol. This symbol can be added to any image of a human body directly on social media or any other digital content sharing platform. The aim is to drive tech companies and policy makers to take the violation of human rights and protecting bodily autonomy online as seriously as they take copyright infringement. Nearly 100 people comprising of high-level officials from UN, government, and influencers joined the campaign. 
