44.4 per cent reported being threatened with death, rape, beatings, and kidnapping while 25.5 per cent had endured some form of physical violence

New York

Immense strides have been made in the quest for gender equality, but major barriers thrown up by the patriarchal system must be dismantled so women can play a fuller role in politics and public life, the UN human rights chief Volker Türk told the UN Human Rights Council on Friday.

Speaking to the Council’s annual meeting in Geneva on protecting the rights of women and girls, the UN High Commissioner said it was an urgent task, and there needed to be zero-tolerance of gender-based violence.

He highlighted the alarming reality that female human rights defenders, women journalists, and those in public office and political decision-making positions, routinely come under “vicious” attack.

Harrowing statistics

“Such acts are deliberate, directed at those seen as challenging traditional notions of family and gender or harmful traditional social norms”, said Mr. Türk.

“Their purpose is clear”, he added, “to exercise control, to perpetuate subordination and to crush the political activism and aspirations of women and girls.”

Another study, by UNESCO, estimates that 73 per cent of women journalists have faced online violence, including through the spread of fake news, doctored images, and direct verbal threats and attacks

To illustrate that, Mr. Türk pointed to a recent study conducted by UN Women in 39 countries. It found that 81.8 per cent of women parliamentarians had experienced psychological violence, while 44.4 per cent reported being threatened with death, rape, beatings, and kidnapping.

Additionally, 25.5 per cent had endured some form of physical violence.

Another study, by UNESCO, estimates that 73 per cent of women journalists have faced online violence, including through the spread of fake news, doctored images, and direct verbal threats and attacks.

Zero tolerance

Confronting the deep-seated structural discrimination requires comprehensive and systemic change. High Commissioner Türk called for the strengthening of national legal frameworks to ensure gender equality and protect women from violence, both online and offline.

“We must adopt codes of conduct with zero tolerance for gender-based violence and establish effective reporting mechanisms for those who experience it,” the High Commissioner said.

Concrete measures, both temporary and permanent, are urgently required. Mr. Türk underscored the need for quotas for women in public and political life. He believes that women should be given more of a chance to get elected to serve on public bodies. For that, awareness-raising campaigns and other forms of assistance to women who want to dedicate their time to politics are needed.

Supporting this point, Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, who also addressed the Council on Friday said: “We must stem the tide of violence against women and girls in the private, public and political spheres of life and we must do so now.”

Challenge archaic notions

Increasing participation needs to start with changing habitual behaviour said the UN rights office (OHCHR) chief.

“We must also challenge archaic notions that confine domestic and care work to women and girls only,” he urged, adding that economic incentives, social protection measures and gender equality campaigns can be driving forces to promote greater equality overall.

Mr. Türk said improving education was an essential precondition for women’s equality participation in public affairs. He stressed the importance of boosting involvement in traditionally male-dominated fields such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Education systems and curricula should include women as role models and highlight their contributions throughout history to address the lack of visibility and recognition.

“Women make up half of humanity. Gender equality is not a matter of isolated gains for women alone, it is a collective pursuit that benefits entire societies,” said Mr. Türk, calling upon Member States and the Council “to pledge to take concrete and transformative action to tackle gender-based violence against women and girls in public and political life, and to promote their participation and leadership.”

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Courtesy: UN News (Posted on June 30, 2023)

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Islamabad

The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN WOMEN) has announced the launch of its Strategic Note (SN) to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women & girls in Pakistan.

The objective of the launch event was to inform all stakeholders and partners of its strategic priorities for the period starting from 2023- 2027.

Welcoming the participants, Country Representative, UN Women Pakistan, Sharmeela Rassool said that the UN Women Strategic Note consists of 5 output areas contributing to a single outcome that is advancing gender equality and women empowerment. “UN Women Pakistan focus is to position women as change agents in every sector and creating environment for them to become their own solution architects.”

The SN is formulated and developed through an inclusive process and is aligned with UNSDCF- 2023-2027. In addition, the SN guides the UN Women’s work in the country.

Head of Resident Coordinator’s Office, Shah Nasir Khan said, “Gender equality and women empowerment is a guiding principle that applies to everything the UN does. I wish Strategic Note’s implementation will shift power structures and the economic, social, and political systems that perpetuate discrimination.”

In his keynote speech Chief Justice Federal Shariat Court, Dr. Syed Muhammad Answer said, “Women and girls play an important part in the development of any country. I commend UN Women and congratulate the entire team on launching this important plan which will ensure women and girls living secure and prosperous lives which, are free from any form of violence and benefiting from non-discriminatory legislation.”

The thematic focus of the SN Outcome aligns with the thematic priorities of the UN Women’s Global Strategic Plan and includes both traditional and emerging areas of work: normative frameworks, data architectures, innovative gender financing, access to goods, services and resources, voice agency and leadership and social norm change. Embedded into the SN structure are linkages and complementarities across the five outputs, including cross-cutting UN system coordination, which results in an SN outcome that is envisioned to be greater than the sum of its parts.

The chairperson, NCSW Ms. Nilofar Bakhtiar, Team leader European Union Mr. Sven Ruesh, Dr. Maha Noor Deputy Ambassador the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Ms. Saadia Khan, Commissioner, SECP along with UN Women team also spoke at the launching event. (PR)

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Monitoring Desk

Geneva

In the last of our Year in Review features, we honor the work of activists helping to protect women’s rights, which once again, came under attack in many countries throughout 2022.

It often takes considerable bravery to stand up for the rights of women. The UN, which is committed to empowering women and girls, works relentlessly with activists and organizations across the world, to protect women from abuse, support health initiatives, and improve lives.

Women living under Taliban rule in Afghanistan

August marked one year since the Taliban seized control once more, of Afghanistan, sparking widespread fears for women’s rights there, which were severely eroded during the regime’s previous time in power during the late 1990s.

Twelve months on, UN Women announced that the agency was committed to continue the struggle for women’s rights in Afghanistan, the only country in the world where girls are banned from going to high school, and effectively barred from political participation.

We marked the anniversary of Taliban rule by telling the stories of some of the women who have decided to stay in the country, even though their lives have been turned upside down.

They include Zarina*, formerly one of Afghanistan’s youngest entrepreneurs, who was forced to close her formerly thriving bakery, amid growing restrictions on women-owned businesses; Nasima*, a peace builder and women’s rights activists, who was forced to shut down most of her projects, but later managed to restart some initiatives; and Mahbouba Seraj, a veteran rights defender, who vowed to stay on and bear witness to what is unfolding in her country.

Ms. Seraj had a sobering message for those who think that Afghanistan is an exceptional case: “what is happening to the women of Afghanistan can happen anywhere, she said. “Roe v. Wade [the case that led to the national right to abortion in the US, which was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2022] destroyed years of progress, taking away the rights of women over their own bodies. Women’s rights being taken away from them is happening everywhere and if we are not careful, it will happen to all the women of the world”.

*Names changed to protect identities

Mahsa Amini: the inspiration for widespread Iranian protests

In November, The UN human rights office, OHCHR, condemned the response of the Iranian regime to protestors demonstrating against the government, in the wake of the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who died in police custody in September, after being detained for wearing her hijab incorrectly, according to the so-called morality police.

Her death led to demonstrations in many Iranian cities, including protest by high-school age girls. The Iranian government responded by arresting thousands of protestors, including women, children, youth, and journalists.

On 22 November, OHCHR stated that, in just one week, more than 40 people had been killed in protests, including two teenagers, and two days later, the Human Rights Council created a fact-finding mission in relation to the demonstrations.

“It pains me to see what is happening in the country,” UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk told those attending the session which voted in favor of the mission. “The images of children killed. Of women beaten in the streets. Of people sentenced to death”.

The growing international condemnation of the Iranian crackdown was reflected in the decision by members of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to remove Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) on 14 December.

The CSW, which meets annually in March at UN Headquarters in New York, is described as the biggest gathering of gender equality advocates in the world.

The United States introduced the resolution, which received 29 votes in favor and eight against, with 16 countries abstaining.

Women tackling the climate crisis

The climate crisis has been shown to disproportionately affect women and girls. In the weeks leading up to International Women’s Day, which is celebrated on 6 March, we highlighted the ways in which women activists improve their local environment, and help their community to adapt to an increasingly hostile climate.

They include Mexican violinist Martha Corzo, who led and inspired a group of some 17,000 local environmental activists, devoted to protecting the remote and beautiful Sierra Gorda; a group of women in Niger who have integrated refugees and migrants in their bid to stave off desertification by creating a thriving market garden; and a mechanical engineer in Kenya who had to fight gender discrimination to develop practical and affordable energy solutions.

In May, Cameroonian activist Cécile Ndjebet’s efforts to improve the lives of those who depend on forests were recognized, when she was awarded the 2022 Wangari Maathai Forest Champions Award, which is chaired by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

In Cameroon, roughly 70 per cent of women live in rural areas and are dependent at least in part on harvesting wild forest products for their livelihoods. However, in some communities, women cannot own forest land, inherit it if their husband dies, or even plant trees on degraded land.

“Men generally recognize the great role women play in improving families’ living standards,” she said at the ceremony, “but it is important for them also to agree that, for women to continue to play that role, and even improve in that role, they need secure access to land and forests”.

Women in blue

UN women peacekeepers and police, continued to serve with distinction in some of the most dangerous postings in the world, facing challenges such as threats from terrorist attacks, and violence fuelled by a COVID-era surge in misinformation and disinformation, amid increasing political tensions, and deteriorating security situations.

On the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, in May, Major Winnet Zharare of Zimbabwe was presented with the Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award, in recognition of her work with the UN Mission in South Sudan, where she was a strong champion for gender equality and women as decision-makers and leaders.

“Her diligence and diplomatic skills quickly gained the trust of local military commanders who sought her advice on women’s rights and protection”, said UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the ceremony. “Her approach helped UNMISS strengthen bonds with local communities and deliver on its mandate.”

In July, at a historic ceremony in South Sudan, members of the first-ever deployment of UN Peacekeepers from Liberia, including several women, were honored with the prestigious UN Medal.

Their achievement symbolized the huge turnaround in the fortunes of Liberia, which suffered a brutal civil war in the 1990s and early 2000s, before reaching a ceasefire, monitored by the UN Mission in the country, UNMIL, which also supported humanitarian and human rights activities; and assisted in national security reform, including national police training and formation of a new, restructured military.

“Our experience of a 14-year civil war and the impact that UN peacekeepers had, is real and tangible for the people we are on the ground to serve,” said UN Police (UNPOL) officer Elfreda Dennice Stewart. “We benefited so much from peacekeepers, and it is our honor to now serve in this young nation under the iconic blue flag.”

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Courtesy: UN News (Posted on Dec 30, 2022)

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Islamabad

UN Women in collaboration with the Ministry of Law & Justice and completely funded by the Bureau of International Narcotics & Law Enforcement (INL) of the US Department of State, jointly launched the initiation of a program “Preventing and Protecting Women from Violence through Enhanced Access to Justice and Services, TAHAFFUZ”. The program, which focuses on preventing violence against women and enhancing their access to justice will be implemented in 5 districts of Punjab and Sindh, as well as the Islamabad Capital Territory from 2022 till 2024.

UN Women Deputy Country Representative Jacqui Ketunuti welcomed the distinguished participants and introduced the TAHAFFUZ program to the audience. She said, “Building on the successes of the previous phase of this project, UN Women will address the issue of violence against women (VAW) through a holistic approach, targeting all the key stakeholders from government institutions, justice and security sector officials, as well as civil society. Using gender and social inclusion strategies, the program will ensure VAW is addressed from all angles and institutions that facilitate women in accessing justice are strengthened to deliver accessible, quality and gender-responsive services.”

The program aims to tackle the issue of violence against women (VAW) in a holistic way through evidence-based legislation & policy interventions, strengthening capacity of duty bearers, enhancing coordination and increasing awareness.

While addressing the National Launch Event of the Program, INL Director Lori Antolinez said, “The U.S. government is awarding $1.5 million to UN Women to help Pakistani women better access justice and legal services via TAHAFFUZ. This continues years of INL’s support and partnership with the Pakistani government, Pakistani citizens, and UN Women.  In 2016, INL was the sole funder for Phase One of the UN Women program, providing $3.5 million.  Gender inclusivity and women’s empowerment in law enforcement and criminal justice is a top priority for INL in Pakistan.  INL supports programs to improve women’s access to justice through improved law enforcement response to gender-based violence.  More and better trained women law enforcement professionals mean superior delivery of justice to Pakistani women.”

During the life of the program, TAHAFFUZ will strengthen capacity of law enforcement officials through improving knowledge and attitudes on gender, enhancing handling of cases of VAW along with improved coordination between security and justice sector stakeholders, forensic officers, and medical examiners.

In his keynote address, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar highlighted the steps taken by the Government of Pakistan towards preventing and protecting women against violence. He thanked INL and UN Women for extending their support, said, “Many progressive laws have been enacted in Pakistan and a strong legislative framework exists – we need to make sure it is implemented in letter and spirit so that the citizens of our country, especially the women, are able to benefit from it. This program will help create a safe and enabling environment for women and girls so that they may play an active role in national progress and sustainable development.”

Chairperson National Commission on the Status of Women, Ms. Nilofar Bakhtiar, MNA and Parliamentary Secretary, MOLJ Ms. Mehnaz Akbar Aziz also spoke at the National Launch Event.

This year marks the 40-year anniversary of partnership between INL and Pakistan under the banner of “Justice, Security, and Prosperity,” with more than $1 billion invested over four decades by the United States government to improve public safety and enhance law enforcement, prosecutorial, and judicial capacity across Pakistan.

INL works in more than 60 countries to help combat crime and corruption; improve police institutions; and promote court systems that are fair and accountable. (PR)

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