To commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on Wednesday, the United Nations called on governments worldwide to redouble their efforts and eradicate gender-based violence forever.
In his message for the day, Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the need to prioritize women’s leadership to find solutions and involve more men in the struggle.
“The global community needs to hear the voices and experiences of women and girls and take their needs into account, especially survivors and those facing multiple and cross-cutting forms of discrimination,” he said.
Mr. Guterres reiterated his call from April this year, when he called on the international community to work to end the ‘damage pandemic’ of gender-based violence.
“I repeat and restart the profession today,” he said.
‘First Responders’ Support
The UN chief stressed that action to stop violence against women needed predictable and flexible funding for women’s rights organizations, which so often respond first in countries around the world.
“It is critical that services remain open to survivors of violence, with adequate resources and measures to support health, social and justice responses,” he added.
He further noted that such measures should not only focus on interventions when violence against women occurs, but that they should work to prevent violence from occurring in the first place, inter alia by addressing cultural forces and social norms that create imbalances in may create. .
Police and justice systems must also become more accountable to ensure that offenders do not act with impunity.
“On this international day, let us double our efforts to eradicate gender-based violence forever,” he said. Guterres declared.
COVID-19 and violence against women
While violence against women and girls has been a persistent and ongoing problem, it has only worsened with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Domestic violence in particular has increased dramatically, according to UN-Women.
Women and girls are also disproportionately affected by the socio-economic impact of the pandemic, which increases the risk of violence.
Against this backdrop, UN-Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka wrote to political leaders around the world urging them to take action and express their commitment to end violence against women.
“As the world prepares to celebrate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women,” she said: to make the highest level visible. of COVID-19, ”she said.
Mlambo-Ngcuka suggested that leaders emphasize such commitments through statements on social media, a video message or text.
The International Day
In December 1999, the UN General Assembly designated 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and invited governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations to hold activities to raise public awareness of the issue.
The Day also commemorates the brutal assassination of the three Mirabal sisters, political activists in the Dominican Republic, at the behest of former ruler Rafael Trujillo.