Human Rights

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) implements comprehensive counter-trafficking campaigns worldwide as part of its prevention and protection strategy. Campaigns raise awareness about trafficking risks and recruitment tactics, equip vulnerable populations with protective information, encourage reporting of suspected cases, and train professionals to identify trafficking indicators. IOM integrates anti-trafficking measures into humanitarian emergency responses and develops e-learning courses for humanitarian staff. The organization backs initiatives like Mission 89's "The Line We Don't Cross" campaign combating child trafficking in sport. Campaigns emphasize empowerment over stigmatization.

Tostan's Community Empowerment Program (CEP) uses human rights-based education to facilitate collective abandonment of female genital cutting (FGC) and child marriage across West and East Africa. Since the first public declaration in Malicounda Bambara, Senegal (1997), over 8,830 communities representing 5.5 million people have declared abandonment of FGC and early marriage. The approach emphasizes community-led decision-making through dialogue, storytelling, and cultural learning. In Senegal, FGC prevalence fell by more than half in declaring villages. UNICEF evaluation: only 24% of women in participating villages intended daughters to undergo FGC vs. 44% in non-participating communities. The model is endorsed by the Government of Senegal and integrated into their national FGC abandonment strategy. Benefits extend beyond FGC to democracy, health, literacy, gender equality, and reduced violence.

The Spotlight Initiative, launched 2017 by the European Union and United Nations with €500 million, is a global program to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls by 2030. Operating across Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Latin America, and Pacific, it addresses sexual/gender-based violence, FGM, child marriage, femicide, trafficking, and domestic violence. Results: 540+ laws/policies signed or strengthened; conviction rate for GBV doubled across 13 countries; 5,000+ grassroots women's organizations reported increased influence; 3 million women/girls accessed GBV services; 8 million young people participated in gender-equitable programs; 6 million men/boys educated on positive masculinity; campaigns reached 384 million people; 50 countries strengthened National Action Plans. 49% of funds ($195M) go to civil society organizations, with 10% earmarked for grassroots women's groups.

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an annual global campaign running from November 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to December 10 (Human Rights Day). Launched in 1991 by the Center for Women's Global Leadership at Rutgers University, it has grown to include 6,000+ organizations in 187 countries. The campaign raises awareness about the crisis affecting 1 in 3 women globally, promotes evidence-based prevention through the RESPECT Women framework (Relationship skills, Empowering women, Services, Poverty reduction, Enabling environments, Child abuse prevention, Transforming norms), and calls for action from governments, tech companies, and individuals. The 2025 theme focuses on digital violence. The campaign is supported by UN Women's UNiTE initiative and features orange as its symbolic color.