REFLECTING ON THE 16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM 2025
THE UN'S CAMPAIGN AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
by Beth Nash - Safe & Secure Manager
Reflecting on the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, it is encouraging to see that so many businesses across the City continue to place Violence Against Women and Girls firmly on their agenda. The campaign serves as a powerful annual reminder that ending gender-based violence requires collective action, long-term commitment, and visible leadership from workplaces, communities, and individuals too.
At Fleet Street Quarter, we focused our efforts across three key pillars, ensuring our activity was both visible and meaningful. Central to this was standing in solidarity with the UN’s global campaign and raising awareness of the colour orange, which symbolises a brighter, safer future free from violence against women and girls. To bring this message to life, we launched Orange the Quarter, an initiative designed to unite our business community around a shared, highly visible show of support. We were proud to be joined by Apex Hotels, MACE, and many other organisations who took part by lighting their buildings orange or wearing orange into the office, helping to spark conversations and demonstrate collective commitment across the Quarter. (It helped that the team at FSQ had plenty of branded beanies and scarves to show off during the campaign too!)
Our strong sense of community was further reflected through the Fleet Street Quarter Pledge Tree, hosted at 160 Fleet Street. Over the 10 days of the campaign, members of the FSQ community were invited to visit the installation and make a personal pledge, setting out the actions they would commit to over the coming year to help tackle violence against women and girls. The response was really heart-warming, with pledges highlighting the power of everyday actions, allyship, and personal accountability.
“I pledge to be a voice of support in all situations”
“I pledge to protect women and girls through challenging harmful behaviours”
“I commit to promoting respect, safety and equality for all”
Supporting victim-survivors by amplifying their voices was at the heart of our work throughout the 16 Days. In collaboration with local businesses, we shared victim-survivor stories from EIDA to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and reinforce the importance of safe, supportive environments both inside and outside the workplace. By promoting our partnership with EIDA we were able to highlight the vital role employers play in recognising, responding to, and supporting employees experiencing domestic abuse.
As a founding BID Strategic Member, we strongly encourage local businesses to consider how they can better support employees through robust yet effective domestic abuse policies. For FSQ businesses, joining EIDA is free and represents an important step towards becoming a responsible employer, committed to safeguarding the wellbeing of all employees and overall – doing the right thing.
I’d like to emphasise that this work does not stop when the 16 Days (or any specific targeted day of action) ends. To help businesses begin — and continue — this journey, we will be launching something special early in 2026. Keep an eye on our social channels for further details as we build on this momentum and continue working together to create a safer, Fleet Street Quarter.
✉️ For any questions about the event or safety matters in the Fleet Street Quarter, please contact our Safe and Secure Manager Beth Nash at beth.nash@fleetstreetquarter.co.uk