The Government of Canada is marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the beginning of the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence with a social media campaign called “#MYActionsMatter.” The campaign calls on Canadians to take a special pledge.

An online guide from the federal department Status of Women Canada describes #MYActionsMatter as “a call to action that asks everyone to take concrete steps to question, call out, and speak up against acts of gender-based violence.”

Status of Women Canada says gender-based violence “involves the use and abuse of power and control over another person and is perpetrated against someone based on their gender identity, gender expression or perceived gender,” and that Canadians can fight back by doing the following:

  • Listen – be open to learning from the experiences of others.
  • Believe – support survivors and those affected by violence.
  • Speak out – add your voice to call out violence.
  • Intervene – find a safe way to help when you see acts of GBV.
  • Act – give your time to organizations working to end violence, and be the change you want to see.

Canadians are invited to use the hashtag #MYActionsMatter and take the pledge that states “MYActionsMatter and I believe that everyone has the right to live a life free from violence! I pledge to take action to end gender-based violence.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement that reads, in part: “Men must hold themselves and each other accountable and be part of the solution. From speaking up about the rights of women and girls, to promoting women’s leadership in every aspect of our society, to standing against violence whenever it occurs, men have a vital role to play in eliminating gender-based violence.”

Gabrielle Bouchard, President of the Quebec Women’s Federation, told CTV News Channel on Saturday that women in her province are participating with an upcoming open mic night in Montreal and the release of a comic strip that highlights the fact that the women most likely to face sexual violence also face discrimination on the basis of things like race.

“What we want to do is have people who are not in positions of having to face those (forms of discrimination) speak up and help women who are not able to participate, for example, in the hashtag of #MeToo,” Bouchard said.

Bouchard said that while the #MeToo campaign "was very effective,” there are many women who “were not able to participate in because of the marginalized position they are in."

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence begins on Saturday, which is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and ends on International Human Rights Day, Dec. 10.

Quebec recognizes 12 days of action, which end on Dec. 6, the anniversary of the 1989 Montreal massacre that left 14 women dead at Ecole Polytechnique.