For the first time, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) marked the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (Nov. 26-Dec. 10, 2025) through a campaign featuring joint events with UN Women and peer multilateral development banks and the launch of a Gender Champion award recognizing staff who advance gender equality in investment operations. The initiative, driven by teams across the Bank, reinforced AIIB’s commitment to preventing and responding to gender-based harm internally and in its operations.
“Our message is clear: Speak openly, act decisively, uphold zero tolerance for gender-based violence at work, online and wherever we operate,” AIIB President Jin Liqun said at the launch of the campaign. “As a multilateral institution, gender inclusion is essential to sustainable development and to our Gender Action Plan. Empowering women and amplifying their voices is essential to dignity, opportunity and progress for all. There is no sustainable future without gender equality.”
The campaign focused on digital violence, a form of harm that extends beyond online platforms into workplaces, homes and public spaces. Through discussions and knowledge sessions, AIIB emphasized that digital violence is far from “virtual” in its impacts: It can affect mental health, economic participation, personal safety and dignity – and increasingly intersects with infrastructure, connectivity and digital access. The campaign combined learning events and visual engagement with open dialogue. A dedicated “Envelope Board” invited staff to share reflections, commitments and concerns, fostering openness, trust and transparency – essential foundations for addressing sensitive workplace issues.
Nearly one in three women worldwide has experienced physical or sexual violence in her lifetime, most often by an intimate partner. About 140 women and girls are killed every day by a partner or family member. Hundreds of millions of women face violence and abuse that undermines their rights and economic participation. These figures span all countries, income levels and sectors, making decisive action essential for institutions shaping development outcomes.
Launched in 1991 by women’s rights advocates, the 16 Days campaign runs annually from Nov. 25 (International Day for the Elimination of All Forms of Violence Against Women) to Dec. 10 (Human Rights Day). Its message is clear and consistent: Violence against women and girls remains a global human-rights crisis and a barrier to development, and ending it requires sustained actions, not symbolism.
Launched in September 2024, AIIB’s Gender Action Plan (GAP) provides a practical framework to move from awareness to action. Its four pillars call for:
- Sectoral gender guidelines to ensure consistent application of good practices for integrating gender in operations
- Risk management capacity development to identify, prevent and mitigate against the risks to women and girls in its operations
- Internal capacity to support AIIB project teams to further improve and enhance their project design, and
- Learning and partnerships among diverse infrastructure stakeholders to support information sharing, practical decision-making and implementation.
AIIB’s 16 Days campaign was anchored in these pillars. Discussions during the campaign spotlighted how gender considerations can be embedded in project preparation and supervision. The inaugural Gender Champion awards reinforced this commitment by recognizing staff who demonstrate leadership in integrating gender equality into investment operations.
“The Gender Action Plan is more than a document – it represents collective wisdom, shared commitment and concrete action,” Kaisu Christie, AIIB Vice President and Chief Administration Officer, said. “It is a three-year journey designed to establish an operational framework and a systematic approach that embeds gender considerations into everything we do. GAP goes beyond compliance; it drives transformational impact across projects, policies and partnerships, ensuring that gender equality becomes a core part of AIIB’s development agenda.”
Our 16 Days campaign achieved three key outcomes:
- Raised staff awareness and engagement
- Linked advocacy to project design and supervision, and
- Recognized gender champions driving institutional change.
Awareness, however, is only a starting point. As the Bank moves from 16 days of orange to a year of action, embedding gender-sensitive design, strengthening accountability and deepening client partnership will be critical to ensuring infrastructure truly benefits everyone.
The time to act is now – because equality cannot wait, and every project is an opportunity to build a safer, more inclusive future.
