Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership.

Guardian Girls and Gender Equality

Guardian Girls is a gender-based violence prevention program to empower girls and women to defend themselves from all forms of violence through sports and holistic martial arts training.

Gender-based violence is a phenomenon deeply rooted in gender inequality, and continues to be one of the most prevalent human rights violations in the world. Gender-based violence is violence directed against a person because of their gender.

Both women and men experience gender-based violence but the majority of victims are women and girls. Worldwide, an estimated one in three women will experience physical or sexual abuse in her lifetime. Gender-based violence undermines the health, dignity, security and autonomy of its victims, yet it remains shrouded in a culture of silence. 

Gender-based violence and violence against women are terms that are often used interchangeably as it has been widely acknowledged that most gender-based violence is inflicted on women and girls, by men. However, using the ‘gender-based’ aspect is important as it highlights the fact that many forms of violence against women are rooted in power inequalities between women and men.