VAWnet News Blog

Oprah accepted her Cecil B. DeMille Award on Sunday night at the Golden Globes with a message to the young girls watching: "A new day is on the horizon"

"Decades before the women's movement, decades before there were speak-outs or anyone saying 'me too,' Recy Taylor testified about her assault to people who could very easily have killed her — who tried to kill her."

"If we are to end violence against women and girls, and create a truly equal world, we need to start to create seismic shifts across our social norms. This is not just about transforming belief systems and behaviours in terms of gender; it also means addressing other norms – for example, around ethnicity, class and disability – all of which contribute to holding other oppressive systems in place."

On Monday, three hundred prominent actresses, female agents, writers, directors, producers and entertainment executives announced the campaign called Time's Up.

As more victims of sexual harassment and assault continue to come forward in the wake of the "Me Too" movement, organizations that provide support to survivors are finding themselves unusually busy. They are feeling the ripple effects of the recent wave of allegations against high-profile men in media, entertainment, and other industries.

From the rise of the #MeToo movement to numerous new laws on violence against women and the conviction of the "butcher of Bosnia" for war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity, including sexual violence, this timeline is a selection of some of the noteworthy moments for women's rights and gender equality from around the world this year.