Change for Sam brings you the Turn it Orange Festival.  This festival is to engage the community in fun activities that break down gender stereotypes and gender norms and to support a gender equitable and safe community.

Change for Sam brings you a fun community celebration, to encourage respectful relationships through the demonstration of gender equality in action.

As part of the Change for Sam’s prevention of family violence initiatives, and in alignment with the International 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, Change for Sam are set to TURN IT ORANGE on November 30, with a fun for everyone Festival in Cowes.

Turn it Orange Festival, will deliver positive messages through a range of fun activities and displays which too often are gendered in nature.

Change for Sam endeavour to dispel the myth’s regarding rigid gendered stereotypes and celebrate the fact that we can ALL do and be whatever we wish regardless of our gender.

The purpose of the festival is to break down rigid gender stereotypes, promote gender equality and to support a gender equitable community, because we know through evidenced based research that gender inequality and rigid gender stereotypes are leading drivers of violence against women and girls.

The 16 days of Activism against gendered based violence is an international campaign which every years starts on the 25th November (International Day For the Elimination of Violence Against Women) and ends on the 10th December (Human Rights Day).  Thousands of organisation’s, businesses, communities and individuals across the globe come together during the 16 days of Activism to show their commitment to raising awareness and calling for the elimination of all forms of gender based violence. Change for Sam are committed to being part of this collective global awareness raising campaign.

The community support for this festival and positive messages it aims to deliver is important for both men and women in creating an equitable and safe community.

There will be a range of fun activities to participate in and to learn from. Attendees may simply wander around and check out the displays and activities, or if they choose (and we hope they do) they can participate in the activities and go in the draw to win some prizes. Participants will all be given a ‘We Can Do Anything - Participation Card’ which will be ticked off at each activity or display, this way everyone can experience a range of activities and probably try something they have never done before. Completed cards will be collected to go into the prize draw.

There will be a fabulous range of activities including sports, music, dance, gymnastics, art & crafts, displays and activities by a vast array of local business and organisations, this is sure to be a great day. And rumour has it, gender equality superhero “Captain Equality” will be making an appearance!