Rising voices worldwide say enough is enough.
by Courtney Brooks
UNITED NATIONS, March 16, 2013 — Muslim and Western countries have approved a new United Nations declaration aimed at combating violence against women and girls.
The nonbinding declaration, adopted by consensus by the UN Commission on the Status of Women, says that violence against females cannot be justified or ignored by any "custom, tradition, or religious consideration." The declaration also calls on countries to provide girls and women with sexual education and contraceptives.
The declaration was approved on March 15 despite reservations from the Roman Catholic Church, Iran, Russia, and other states. Egypt, where the Muslim Brotherhood wields dominant political power, had claimed the declaration would "destroy society."
A UN diplomat who requested anonymity said contentious issues included gay rights, sexual education for adolescents, access to contraception and abortion, and marital rape.
Shannon Kowalski, director of advocacy and policy at the New York-based International Women's Health Coalition, said the approved text was "ambitious."
"It's a good, ambitious text that takes a strong stand in addressing violence against women and girls, and we're happy to see it adopted," she said.
Diplomats told this reporter that an "unholy alliance" of Iran, Russia, and the Vatican, as well as some African and Middle Eastern states, had pushed from the start to alter parts of the draft text, citing traditional or religious grounds.
A UN diplomat who requested anonymity said contentious issues included gay rights, sexual education for adolescents, access to contraception and abortion, and marital rape.
Kowalski said rights advocates would have liked to have seen the text include a call for women to be able to file a rape accusation against their husbands, as well as the condemnation of violence based on sexual orientation.
The approved text, however, does call on governments to provide emergency contraception to women who have been raped. It also calls for provision of contraceptives and access to treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.
One of the additions requested by Egypt and other countries was a clause allowing states to "opt out" if the text conflicted with "traditional" practices. Critics said such an addition would essentially render the document useless. Kowalski said the approved text included a clause saying states should not use cultural or religious reasons to ignore violence against women.
"There's a very strong statement that says states have the obligation to condemn and respond to violence, and they shouldn't abuse culture, tradition or religion in this regard," she said.
Supporters say that although the declaration is nonbinding, it nonetheless carries political weight.
Radhika Balakrishnan, executive director of the Center for Women's Global Leadership, accused Russia of using the debate to bolster its own international political influence.
Egypt also drew ire from civil society groups for a statement released by the Muslim Brotherhood claiming that the declaration would "destroy" Egyptian society by giving women rights to manage family finances or travel without a husband’s approval.
The declaration was passed in the wake of outrage over recent incidents of horrific violence against females.
They include the October 2012, shooting of 15-year-old Pakistani Malala Yousafzai, a campaigner for girls’ education, by the Taliban, and the gang-rape and murder of a young Indian woman on a bus in New Delhi.
from UN Women, the United Nations entity for the empowerment of women
Violence against women is a universal problem that requires, and has now received, a universal response. Violence occurs in multiple forms in all countries and settings; it harms women and their families and communities, impedes development, and costs countries billions of dollars annually in healthcare costs and lost productivity.
In 2003, when the Commission took up violence against women and human rights, Member States were unable to reach agreement. Thus I am particularly heartened that agreement was reached this year to end violence against women and girls. This agreement comes in unison with rising voices worldwide saying enough is enough.
The document adopted by the Commission condemns in the strongest terms the pervasive violence against women and girls, and calls for increased attention and accelerated action for prevention and response. UN Women welcomes the important focus on prevention, including through education and awareness-raising, and addressing gender inequalities in the political, economic and social spheres. The best way to end violence against women is to stop it from happening in the first place.
Words now need to be matched with deeds, with action. Now is the time for implementation and accountability. We must continue moving forward with courage, conviction and commitment.
By adopting this document, governments have made clear that discrimination and violence against women and girls has no place in the 21st century. They have reaffirmed their commitment and responsibility to undertake concrete action to end violence against women and girls and promote and protect women’s human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The agreement is one step more for realizing the rights and dignity of women and girls. But we cannot stop here. We need to do so much more. Words now need to be matched with deeds, with action. Now is the time for implementation and accountability. We must continue moving forward with courage, conviction and commitment.
UN Women, together with our partners in the UN system, will continue to advance the rights of women and girls through strong and coordinated support. We will work with Member States to turn the Agreed Conclusions of the Commission on the Status of Women into concrete results for women and girls.
We will move forward and build on the basis of the international agreements on women’s rights reached over many years, as articulated in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Platform for Action, the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, and other agreements and treaties.
There is no turning back. We will keep moving forward to the day when women and girls can live free of fear, violence and discrimination. The 21st century is the century of inclusion and women’s full and equal rights and participation.
Civil society groups express concern the document doesn't go far enough.
Statement of feminist and women's organizations on the very alarming trends in the negotiations of Outcome Document of the 57TH Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women
We, the undersigned organisations and individuals across the globe, are again concerned that the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is wavering in its commitment to advance women’s human rights as demonstrated in the constant negotiation of the language in the outcome document.
On the occasion of celebrating the International Women’s Day we call on the states to reaffirm its commitment to agreed upon standards in promoting women’s human rights as articulated in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action as well as other international humanitarian and human rights law.
We say no to any re-opening of negotiations on the already established international agreements on women’s human rights and call on all governments to demonstrate their commitments to promote, protect and fulfill human rights and fundamental freedoms of women.
We commend those states that are upholding women’s rights in totality. We urge states to reaffirm standards that they have agreed to. Considering the lack of an outcome document last year we hope that this is not the pattern when it comes to advancing women’s human rights agenda. Women’s human rights are not to be negotiated away.
Similar to last year, we strongly hold the position that given the progressive development in the international era on standard setting there should no longer be any contention on any issues related to the definition and intersectionality of women and girls experiencing violence against women, including in relations to sexual and reproductive health and rights, sexual orientation and gender identity, harmful practices perpetuated in the context of negative culture and traditions, among others. We remind states that the CSW is the principal global policy-making body dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women with the sole aim of promoting women’s rights in political, economic, civil, social and educational fields. Its mandate is to ensure the full implementation of existing international agreements on women’s human rights and gender equality.
We strongly demand all governments and the international community to reject any attempt to invoke traditional values or morals to infringe upon human rights guaranteed by international law, nor to limit their scope. Customs, tradition or religious considerations must not be tolerated to justify discrimination and violence against women and girls whether committed by State authorities or by non-state actors. Given the current global activism around violence against women it is imperative that member states take the lead in agreeing on a progressive outcome document that reaffirms its commitments to universal human rights standards.
This is an important moment as we are planning the post 2015 process. The outcome document has to advance women’s human rights and not lower the bar for women’s human rights. Future international negotiations must move forward implementation of policies and programmes that secure the human rights of girls and women.
We call upon the member states of the UN and the various UN human rights and development entities to recognise and support the important role of women’s groups and organisations working at the forefront of challenging traditional values and practices that are intolerant to fundamental human rights norms, standards and principles.
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List of signatories
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