We Are Taking Action This Month: 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence
This month, we are taking action.
Across Gloucestershire, we are coming together to listen to survivors, raise awareness, strengthen support and call for meaningful change as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
Working alongside Honour Thy Woman Group, local organisations, professionals, survivors and allies, a programme of activity is taking place throughout November and into December.
From sharing survivor voices and releasing new survey findings to community workshops, professional events and a peaceful protest outside Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court, each activity has the same ambition:
To ensure survivors are heard, believed and supported, and that their experiences help shape the change that is needed.
At the heart of everything is an important principle: survivors are the experts of their own experiences.
For too long, systems and services have sometimes been designed around survivors rather than with them. This campaign is about listening differently, recognising lived experience as expertise and turning those voices into awareness, accountability, safer communities and lasting change.
Listening to Survivors: Why Our Voices Must Lead the Way
The work has already begun.
On 23 October, Keasha joined Lucy for Season 8, Episode 3 of DIP in and out, sharing an important conversation about survivor voice and why lived experience needs to be at the heart of domestic abuse recovery.
Honour Thy Woman Group is survivor-led, survivor-informed and survivor-driven. Its programmes, advocacy and community spaces are shaped by real experiences of abuse, recovery, resilience and hope.
Listening means more than simply hearing someone’s words. It means recognising the courage it can take to speak, valuing lived experience as knowledge and creating environments where survivors can be honest, heard and supported.
When survivors share their stories, they are not simply recounting their past.
They are helping to shape the future.
They show us where support works, where gaps remain, what barriers still exist and, importantly, what needs to change.
Turning Survivor Experiences into Insight
Listening also means asking questions and taking action on what we hear.
Throughout October, a survey gathered experiences and perspectives to help develop a clearer understanding of the realities survivors face and the changes they want to see.
The survey closed on 31 October, with the findings due to be shared on 25 November, the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism.
This is another important opportunity to ensure conversations about domestic abuse are informed not by assumptions, but by real lived experience.
25 November: Bringing Survivor Voices into the Conversation
On 25 November Keasha, will take part in an invite-only talk with Gloucestershire County Council.
The event provides an opportunity to bring survivor perspectives and lived experience into conversations that can help influence change.
The principle is simple:
If we want to improve how we respond to domestic abuse, survivors need to be part of that conversation.
26 November: Creating Safer Futures
The following day, the focus turns to children and young people, awareness, prevention and recovery.
On 26 November, Honour Thy Woman Group & Friends will hold a small collaborative event at The Speech House Hotel in the Forest of Dean, from 10:30am to 2:00pm.
Designed for professionals working with children and young people, the session will explore:
The impact of domestic abuse on young people
Child exploitation awareness
Online harm and digital safety
Recovery, resilience and early intervention
Current exploitation trends
Grooming tactics and online risks
Safeguarding young people
Collaboration to help create safer futures
There will also be a special guest speaker and an interactive breakout session exploring child exploitation and safeguarding.
Places are limited to 20 attendees, and lunch is included.
To register interest, email info@honourthywomangroup.org by 16 November, including details of any dietary requirements.
30 November and 5 December: Justice for Women Workshops
Awareness also needs to be visible.
As part of Justice for Women: A Peaceful Call for Action, two community workshops will give people an opportunity to come together to create banners and posters ahead of December’s peaceful protest.
Monday 30 November
10:00am to 12:00pmThe Golden Lion, Cinderford, Forest of Dean
Join us to create banners and posters for the campaign and peaceful protest. Materials will be provided and everyone is welcome.
Saturday 5 December
11:00am to 1:00pmTrinity Rooms, Stroud
Help amplify survivors’ voices and prepare for action. Materials and refreshments will be available, and everyone is welcome.
These workshops offer another way for communities to lend their voices to the campaign and stand together for:
Awareness. Accountability. Safer communities. Lasting change.
7 December: Stand With Women. Demand Change.
The programme will culminate in a visible and peaceful call for action.
On Monday 7 December, from 10:30am to 12:30pm, survivors, families and allies will come together outside Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court for a peaceful protest for change.
The message is clear:
Enough silence. Enough excuses. It’s time for change.
The protest will raise awareness and call for:
Justice for women
Accountability for perpetrators
Better protection for women and children
Meaningful system change
Free hot drinks will be available, and those attending are encouraged to bring a banner, bring their voice and bring their solidarity.
From Listening to Action
There is a reason survivor voice runs throughout all of this work.
Survivors do not need to be “fixed”.
They need to be heard. They need to be believed. They need to be supported.
Survivors need services and systems that reflect the realities of their experiences, not assumptions about what they need.
Communities have a role to play too.
A podcast gives lived experience a platform.
A survey turns experience into insight.
An event brings professionals together to learn, listen and collaborate.
A workshop transforms words into visible action.
And a peaceful protest brings people together to say that change is both possible and necessary.
No single activity will end domestic abuse. But collectively, these actions can build awareness, challenge assumptions, strengthen support and make survivor voices harder to ignore.
This month, we are proud to support and shine a light on the work being led locally throughout the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
Because survivor voices matter.
Their experiences matter. Their stories matter. Their futures matter.
And when those voices are listened to, believed and placed at the heart of change, together we can help create safer communities and a better future.
Fundraising spotlight
It’s wonderful to see support for Honour Thy Woman Group continuing to grow, with two very different fundraising challenges choosing to support our work.
⚔️ Two Knights Jousting for Charity has selected us as one of the charities it is raising funds for. We’re particularly encouraged to see male allies championing our work and helping raise awareness of the experiences of women and children, something we hope to see even more of. Read more and support Two Knights Jousting for Charity
🌍 We’re also delighted to be supported through WICC Walks The World, an ambitious team fundraising challenge. Read more and support WICC Walks The World
A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved for choosing to stand alongside us and support the work we do.
Listen. Believe. Support. Act.
Together, we demand better.
Find out more
Visit Honour Thy Woman Group Gloucestershire to learn more about its work, domestic abuse recovery programmes and support.
Watch Keasha’s podcast and hear more about why survivor voices must lead the way.
Learn more about the 16 Days of Activism 2026 and the international call to ensure justice, protect survivors and end impunity.
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