16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign supported by the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women to challenge violence against not only women and girls but also, diverse populations including Indigenous people, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, children, and seniors. It takes place every year from November 25th (The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to December 10th (International Human Rights Day). December 6th, which falls right in the middle of this campaign is also the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. This initiative originated from the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute coordinated by the Centre for Women’s Global Leadership in 1991.
This year, the Canadian theme is #MyActionsMatter. It is a call to action to encourage everyone to take concrete steps to question, call out, and speak up against gender-based violence. Women around the world and even in our own country continue to face violence every single day. The United Nations has reported that 35% of women worldwide have experienced either physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives and approximately every six days, a woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner. (As an aside, click here to read an excellent BBC article published a few days ago regarding the stories and unreported cases behind the statistics of gender-based violence.)
In the past year, the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements along with the issue of sexism have been at the front of public discussion. Survivors and their families have been encouraged to shine a spotlight on their own experiences to advocate for the prevention of sexual violence. I believe, that along with the sharing of these stories, it is important to raise public awareness that gender-based violence not only stems from sexual harassment but also from one’s words, actions, and beliefs; from sexist jokes to the language we use to rigid gender norms that are imposed on children.
Whatever one’s opinions on the recent discussion regarding this topic may be, I think it is important to recognize that strong female role models have existed ever since the beginning of time. As such, I have compiled a list of 16 females from diverse backgrounds, fields and time periods throughout history who I believe have been some of the most influential figures either because of their success, ability to bring about change to the norm, or small tidbits of wisdom they have shared. Not only have their words and teachings been instrumental in inspiring generations of young girls, but are also very relevant to the changing climate of gender-based beliefs we live amidst today. 
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“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.” – Rosa Parks
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“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
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“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” –Anne Frank
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“Never explain, never retract, never apologize. Just get the thing done and let them howl.” – Nellie McClung
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“Let us leave the life free to develop within the limits of the good, and let us observe this inner life developing. This is the whole of our mission.” – Maria Montessori
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“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” – Mother Teresa
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“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.” – Hellen Keller
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“Fashion fades, only style remains the same.” – Coco Chanel
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“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” – Oprah Winfrey
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“You have just one life to live. It is yours. Own it, claim it, live it, do the best you can with it.” – Hillary Clinton
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There are still many causes worth sacrificing for, so much history yet to be made.” – Michelle Obama
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“We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.” – J.K. Rowling
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“What makes you different or weird, that’s your strength.” – Meryl Streep
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“It’s not the absence of fear, it’s overcoming it. Sometimes you’ve got to blast through and have faith.” – Emma Watson
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“It’s our challenges and obstacles that give us layers of depth and make us interesting. Are they fun when they happen? No. But they are what make us unique.” – Ellen Degeneres
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We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.” – Malala Yousafzai