Orange the World is a global campaign where buildings, landmarks, and logos are bathed in orange lights to send a strong message for ending violence against women and girls. In the context of this campaign, the orange color stands for hope and a future without violence.

WU is also on board this year: For 16 days, the WU logo at the campus entrance will be illuminated in orange – as a symbol of respect, equal opportunities, and nonviolence. With this step, WU is joining a global movement involving governments, NGOs, companies, universities, and countless individuals.

The annual “16 Days Against Violence” campaign runs from the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25 to Human Rights Day on December 10 –but it’s by no means the only way in which WU Vienna is taking a stand against gender-related violence and inequality.

Countering structural violence through research and education policy

In 2002, WU established its Institute for Gender and Diversity in Organizations. For almost a quarter of a century now, WU researchers have been involved in developing cross-, trans-, and interdisciplinary perspectives on gender and diversity in organizations as part of the discourse on academic research and teaching, in Austria and internationally.

About the “16 Days Against Violence” campaign

UN Women started this initiative in 2015 as part of the UNiTE campaign launched in 2008. Orange the World addresses an alarming situation: According to UN statistics, one in three women worldwide has experienced physical or sexual violence. Orange the World aims to raise awareness, strengthen social dialogue, and calls upon institutions and policymakers to take action.

By illuminating its logo in orange, WU is not only sending a clear signal – our university is also doubling down on its ongoing commitment to provide a study and work environment where violence has no place.