Ambassadorial Op-Ed Empowering Women and Men to Combat Violence Against Women and Girls December 3, 2013 By Ambassadors, Radek Pech, Harri Maki-Reinikka, Maryse Berniau, Matthias Mülmenstädt, Philomena Murnaghan, Stefano Taliani de Marchio, Kazuko Shiraishi, Igor Klipii, Kornelis Spaans, Leif Ulland, Dan Balanescu, Miguel Arias Estevez, Cecilia Ruthström-Ruin and Deborah McCarthy. Twenty-two years ago, the first 16 Days Campaign was launched as 23 women from all over the world and from all walks of life came together to discuss gender-based violence and global women’s human rights. Coming from places across the world, including the Fiji Islands, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Costa Rica, Peru, Czechoslovakia, Trinidad & Tobago, Brazil, Sweden, the U.S., Ireland, India, Pakistan, Zambia, Venezuela, Zimbabwe and the West Bank, these women met at the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute at Rutgers University in 1991. They were lawyers, policymakers, teachers, health care workers, journalists, researchers and activists. Learning from each other’s experiences, they developed strategies to increase international awareness of the systemic nature of violence against women and expose it for what it is – a violation of women’s human rights. They recognized that combating violence against women around the world would require a global movement. It began with the launch of a worldwide petition aimed at the UN World Conference on Human Rights. The petition called for the conference to address women’s human rights at every level of its proceedings and to recognize gender-based violence as a human rights issue. Before the existence of the internet, the petition made its way to 124 countries and was translated into 23 languages. By the time of the 1995 Beijing World Conference on Women, they had collected over 500,000 signatures. This movement has grown by leaps and bounds over the past two decades. On November 25, 1960, in the Dominican Republic the Mirabal Sisters were murdered and this sparked a powerful movement that ended dictator Rafael Trujillo’s rule within a year. The three sisters, Patria, Minerva, and Maria Teresa, became international symbols of the violence that is perpetrated against women. They are to this day fondly remembered as the “unforgettable butterflies.” Their lives inspired many women in the Dominican Republic, Latin America and throughout the world. In 1999, the sisters received recognition by the United Nations General Assembly, which designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in their honor. Today, the awareness campaign of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence offers an opportunity to renew the global commitment to free women and girls from violence, whether it happens behind closed doors or as a public tactic of intimidation. An estimated one in three women worldwide has experienced violence in her lifetime. Recognizing that women’s rights are human rights, the campaign symbolically begins on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (November 25) and continues until International Human Rights Day (December 10). In the words of one of the founders, Everjoice Win from Zimbabwe, “The 16 Days of Activism are about reminding everyone that the world will not know peace, development or justice if women are violated.” Since the launch of the campaign, violence against women has been mainstreamed into public dialogue – laws have been changed and new public policies have been developed. For instance, Lithuania adopted its first domestic violence law in December 2011, paving the way for great improvements and hosting the European Institute for Gender Equality in Vilnius. Lithuania has also signed in June this year the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, known as the “Istanbul Convention.” The document was opened for signature in May 2011 during Turkey’s Chairmanship of the Council of Europe and represents a milestone in international efforts to combat violence against women. For the 22nd year in a row, the international community has come together during these important 16 days to speak out against gender-based violence. For that reason, we are coming together to call for combatting gender-based violence. Whether it occurs in our own neighborhood or on distant shores, violence against women and girls damages us all – women and men alike. Radek Pech is the Ambassador of the Czech Republic. Harri Maki-Reinikka is the Ambassador of the Republic of Finland. Maryse Berniau is the Ambassador of the Republic of France. Matthias Mülmenstädt is the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany. Philomena Murnaghan is the Ambassador of Ireland. Stefano Taliani de Marchio is the Ambassador of Italy. Kazuko Shiraishi is the Ambassador of Japan. Igor Klipii is the Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova. Kornelis Spaans is the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Leif Ulland is the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway. Dan Balanescu is the Ambassador of Romania. Miguel Arias Estevez is the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain. Cecilia Ruthström-Ruin is the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden. Deborah McCarthy is the Ambassador of the United States of America.
Posted on: Tue, 03 Dec 2013 15:28:39 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015