On Sunday, December 1, the street protest “Violence is not our tradition” was held in Lviv. Concerned activists came together to raise awareness of violence against women.
“Violence against women is not a tradition. We urge women to speak up and ask for help because violence is a crime. We urge you not to stay silent when you witness violence because silence only enhances it. Being a silent, passive witness means fostering impunity. We stand against blaming and humiliating the victims. Remember: only the perpetrator is guilty of violence. We encourage you to come together and make our society safe for women — for our sisters, daughters, friends, and mothers. We need to debunk these harmful stereotypes. Every one of us can be affected tomorrow. While our defenders are fighting the enemy at the battlefront, we are ready to stand up for women’s rights in Ukrainian cities and villages,” said the protest organizers, activists from the NGO “Feminist Workshop”.
Some of the slogans voiced at the protest stated “No excuse for abuse”, “Silence is not consent”, “Don’t push women, push for equality”, and “It is not me who should be ashamed”. The protest was organized as part of the global campaign “16 days of activism against gender-based violence” annually held from November 26 to December 10.
