Please be aware, the following contains potentially triggering content. Please be kind to yourself as you view the material and be aware of any reactions you may have. If you need support, click here
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Each winter, the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (25 November to 10 December) offers an opportunity for us all to:
- learn more about domestic abuse and the different forms it can take
- commit to making a stand against it
- discover the support available to those who are experiencing such abuse
Domestic abuse can happen to anyone from any walk of life regardless of ethnicity, age, gender, sexuality or social background.
According to the charity SafeLives, eight women a month are killed by a current or former partner in England and Wales, and 78 per cent of children living with domestic abuse are directly harmed by the perpetrator of the abuse.
Sharing insights each of the 16 days
As a diocesan-family, we are committed to growing safer and healthy cultures across all of our settings.
As part of this, throughout the 16 Days, a series of slides offering an insight into the various forms domestic abuse can take, its impact, and where support can be found, will be shared on Diocesan channels.
They are the idea and creation of Siân, also known as SpaceGirlUK, who engages with the Diocesan Safeguarding Team as a victim/survivor advocate, to ensure the voice and experience of victims and survivors of abuse is heard, and at the heart of all we do.
She has generously agreed to partner with the Diocese during the 16 Days and use her own journey and lived experience of abuse to help us become more alert to domestic abuse and its consequences.
Indeed, she identifies herself not as a victim or a survivor but as a thuri-vor – a mix of thrive and survive.
Bishop Jonathan Gibbs, the Bishop of Rochester, Bishop Simon Burton-Jones, the Bishop of Tonbridge, Archdeacon Allie Kerr, the Bishop’s Lead for Safeguarding, and all of the Diocesan Safeguarding Team, extend their sincere thanks to Sian for collaborating with the Diocese in this way.
How to access the slides
One slide will be shared each day on the Diocese of Rochester Facebook page and they are available to view in their entirety below. View the slides
To ensure the information is as accessible as possible, each slide is also available in text form as one complete document, as well as below each graphic.
Need support?
If you or someone you know is or has been affected by domestic abuse or any of the issues raised by the slides, there is support available.
Please visit the Domestic Abuse Support page on the Diocesan website: www.rochester.anglican.org/safeguarding/domesticabuse/
You can also contact the Diocesan Safeguarding Team (Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm, excluding bank holidays):
- Greg Barry- Head of Safeguarding
07585 952174
email: greg.barry@rochester.anglican.org
- Caroline Smith - Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser
07768 036590
email: caroline.smith@rochester.anglican.org
- Anthony Glockling - Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser
07825 315748
email: anthony.glockling@rochester.anglican.org
In an emergency, please dial 999.
For more information and links to support, please visit: www.rochester.anglican.org/safeguarding/
Slides
Day 1
16 days of Action Against Gender Based Violence 25th of November 2025 to 10th of December 2025
Day One / 25 November 2025 is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women Educate yourself on violence against women: Part 1
The UN have estimated that around 736 million women worldwide have experienced physical and or sexual violence.
It would seem, that girls particularly are at risk and the statistic that one in four adolescent girls is abused by their partners is quoted. Generation Z and millennials are the most affected by technology assisted gender-based abuse. For example, deep fakes and cyber bullying.
You can find out more from www.un.org/en/observances/ending-violence-against-women-day
Day 2
16 days of Action Against Gender Based Violence 25th of November 2025 to 10th of December 2025
Day Two / 26 November 2025 / Educate yourself on violence against women: Part 2
Seventy per cent of women in conflict, war and humanitarian crisis experienced gender-based violence. The sixteen days of action against domestic Violence campaign was initiated in 1991 by the Centre for Women's Global Leadership.
Since then, it has grown into a global movement involving thousands of organisations and individuals from around the world who are committed to addressing. Domestic violence and gender-based abuse.
You can find out more information at www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/16-days-of-action-against-domestic-violence.
Day 3
16 days of Action Against Gender Based Violence 25th of November 2025 to 10th of December 2025
Day Three / 27 November 2025 / Educate yourself on violence against women: Part Three
Globally, every ten minutes a woman is killed. The crisis of gender-based violence is urgent. Nearly one in three women experience violence in their lifetime, and for thousands it ends with their murder by someone they know.
Join the sixteen days of activism to demand accountability, invest in prevention, and build a future free from violence against women and girls.
You can find out more information from www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/unite
Day 4
16 days of Action Against Gender Based Violence 25th of November 2025 to 10th of December 2025
Day Four / 28 November 2025 / Educate yourself on violence against women: Part 4
Women and girls are most likely to be killed by those closest to them.
In 2023, around 51,100 women and girls worldwide were killed by their intimate partners or other family members, including fathers, mothers, uncles and brothers.
This means that on average, 140 women or girls are killed every day by someone in their own family current and former intimate partners are by far the most likely perpetrators of femicide, accounting for an average of 60% of all intimate partner and family related killings.
You can find out more information at www.unwomen.org/en/articles/explainer/five-essential-facts-to-know-about-femicide
Day 5
16 days of Action Against Gender Based Violence 25th of November 2025 to 10th of December 2025
Day Five / 29 November 2025 / Educate yourself on violence against women: Part 5
Across England and Wales, one in four women will experience domestic abuse in her lifetime. Every 30 seconds, the police receive a call for help relating to domestic abuse.
One woman every five days is killed by an abusive partner or ex on average. You can find out more information at www.refuge.org.uk/whatisdomestic-abuse
Day 6
16 days of Action Against Gender Based Violence 25th of November 2025 to 10th of December 2025
Day Six / 30 November 2025 / What is domestic abuse? Part 1
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 defines it as any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between people aged 16 or over who are personally connected.
Personally connected means partner ex partner or family members.
You can find out more information at sections one and two of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (UK)
Day 7
16 Days of Action Against Gender-based violence, 25th November 2025 to 10th of December 2025.
Day 7 / 1 December 2025 / What is domestic abuse? Part 2.
A common myth about domestic abuse, is that its’ only manifestation is physical violence. It can be psychological, physical, sexual, financial, emotional, violent, threatening, controlling, coercive behaviour.
You can find out more information at sections one and two of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 for the UK.
Day 8
16 Days of Action Against Gender-Based violence 25th of November 2025 to 10th of December 2025.
Day Eight / 2 December 2025 / What is domestic abuse? Part 3.
Psychological abuse and emotional abuse. Some examples of psychological and emotional abuse are:
Name calling, criticism, insults, isolating you from your friends or family, extreme jealousy, possessive behaviour, monitoring where you are and who you are with in an inappropriate manner, screaming and shouting, gaslighting, making threats to scare you or control you.
Day 9
16 Days of Action Against Gender-Based violence 25th of November 2025 five to 10th of December 2025
Day Nine / 3 December 2025 / What is domestic abuse? Part 4
Physical and sexual abuse.Examples of physical and sexual abuse are:
Hitting or slapping, using threats or guilt to coerce sexual activity, rough handling, scolding, or burning physical punishments, inappropriate restraint, taking away items needed for comfort or practical needs, solitary confinement, rape or sexual assault.
Day 10
16 Days of Action Against Gender-Based violence 25th of November 2025 to 10th of December 2025
Day Ten / 4 December 2025 / What is domestic abuse? Part 5
Financial and economic abuse. Examples of financial and economic abuse are:
Insisting you have a joint bank account, denying you your right to work, unfair arrangements about division of bills or budget needed for the running of the home, taking up loans in your name, scrutinising or questioning your purchases that makes you feel scared using your bank card or credit card without permission and or stealing.
Day 11
16 Days of Action Against Gender-Based violence 25th of November 2025 to 10th of December 2025
Day Eleven / 5 December 2025 / What is Domestic Abuse? Part 6
Tech abuse. Examples of tech abuse include:
Monitoring your social media or preventing you from having your own account, revenge porn is when someone shares intimate images or videos of you without your consent.
Having unauthorised access to your online banking. Filming you without your knowledge. Using apps on your phone to see your location without consent.
Day 12
16 Days of Action Against Gender-Based Violence 25th of November 2025 to 10th of December 2025.
Day 12 / 6 December 2025 / What is domestic abuse? Part 7
Disability and domestic abuse. Examples of domestic abuse for those living with disabilities (as well as previous ones outlined in earlier slides) are:
Withholding care with intent to cause distress, lack of dignity or discomfort, theft of state benefits awarded to you to support your day-to-day living, demanding sex in return for caregiving, breaking apparatus or items that help you with mobility or other aspects of your well-being.
Making you feel ashamed of your needs or name calling.
Day 13
16 Days of Action Against Gender-Based violence 25th of November 2025 to 10th of December 2025
Day 13 / 7 December 2025 / What is domestic abuse? Part 8
Honour based abuse and forced marriage. Examples of honor-based abuse and forced marriage are:
Pressure to relocate to marry someone not of your choosing. Physical violence, threats or actualities if you don't comply with family members, rules or expectations.
Repercussions if you do not comply or agree with the religion of your family/community. Not having possession of your passport or access to a phone or Internet, not being able to say no to a marriage.
Day 14
16 Days of Action Against Gender-Based Violence, 25th November 2025 to 10th December 2025
Day 14 / 8 December 2025 / What is domestic abuse?
Female Genital Mutilation. What is female genital mutilation? (FGM).
In the UK, FGM is a criminal offence. It is also a criminal offence to take a girl outside of the UK to have procedure performed elsewhere. FGM has no medical benefits and is not voluntary.
FGM is an enforced procedure that involves partial or total removal of the external female genitalia.
Day 15
16 Days of Action Against Gender-Based Violence, 25th November 2025 to 10th December 2025
Day 15 / 9 December 2025 / What is domestic abuse? LGBTQ+ and Domestic Abuse.
Some LGBTQ+ nuanced examples of domestic abuse (as well as examples outlined in previous slides) are:
Threatening to out you to employers or your family or your church demeaning or suppressing your gender expression eg. refusing to use your chosen pronouns or continual and deliberate dead-naming, trying to convince you that outside agencies will not offer support due to homophobic cultures, trying to isolate you from support within the LGBTQ+ community.
www.galop.org.uk are an excellent resource and offer a confidential helpline.
Day 16
16 Days of Action Against Gender-Based Violence, 25th of November 2025 to 10th of December 2025.
Day 16 / 10 December, 2025 / How can you help people affected by domestic abuse?
Listen without judgement to someone who needs your help. Signpost effectively and reassure the person. That there is support available acquit members of your organisation with the skills to support those effects.
Remember the right information at the right time can save lives. Network with local agencies that support domestic abuse victims and survivors. Provide safe spaces for victims to seek help.
Create awareness campaigns in your church and community. Encourage conversations in your church about safety, dignity and equality.
Support slide
16 Days of Action Against Gender-Based Violence, 25th of November 2025 to 10th of December 2025.
Where to find information and support:
• victimsupport.org.uk
• refuge.org.uk
• womensaid.org.uk
• National Domestic Abuse helpline: 0808 200 0247
• stopdomesticabuse.uk
• National Centre for Domestic Violence (www.ncdv.org.uk) / 0800 970 2070
• Shelter.org
If you or someone you know is or has been affected by domestic abuse or any of the issues raised by the slides, there is support available.
Please visit the Domestic Abuse Support page on the Diocesan website: www.rochester.anglican.org/safeguarding/domesticabuse/
You can also contact the Diocesan Safeguarding Team (Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm, excluding bank holidays):
- Greg Barry- Head of Safeguarding
07585 952174
email: greg.barry@rochester.anglican.org
- Caroline Smith - Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser
07768 036590
email: caroline.smith@rochester.anglican.org
- Anthony Glockling - Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser
07825 315748
email: anthony.glockling@rochester.anglican.org
In an emergency, please dial 999.
For more information and links to support, please visit: www.rochester.anglican.org/safeguarding/