Opening Remarks by Lakshmi Puri, Assistant
Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women at a
discussion on “The Prevention and Elimination of all forms of violence
against women and girls” convened by Ms. Rashida Manjoo, the United
Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and
consequences. The event was co-sponsored by OHCHR, UNFPA and UN Women 25
October 2012.
It is a real pleasure to be here today, on behalf of UN Women. I
would like, first, to thank the Special Rapporteur for convening this
important event and for her last report, which has placed a thematic
emphasis on violence against women and girls with disabilities – an area
of particular concern.
The elimination of violence against women is one of the main focuses
of UN Women’s assistance and will be the priority theme of the
Commission on the Status of Women 57th session, which will be held in
March 2013.
Violence against women is the most severe expression of
discrimination and disempowerment of women and girls. As many as 7 in 10
women around the world report having experienced physical and/or sexual
violence at some point in their lifetime. This universal phenomenon is a
threat to democracy, peace and security, an obstacle to sustainable
development and an appalling human rights violation. It not only weakens
social cohesion but also foregoes social justice and constitutes a
heavy burden on national economies, with some countries estimating the
annual cost of such violence to $33 billion United States dollars.
From sexual harassment to rape, from honour killings to child
marriage, many forms of violence against women exist. But the most
pervasive form of violence is intimate partner violence. In the form of
domestic violence, it leads to serious physical injuries and
psychological consequences, and sometimes even results in death. It
happens behind the walls of the home, in the kitchen and in the bedroom,
and it is hidden under a cloak of silence and impunity.
Violence against women is complex, deeply rooted in structural
inequalities and requires a holistic approach in the areas of
legislation, policies, prevention, responses and protection, research
and data collection.
There are clear inter-linkages between prevention of violence against
women and responses and protection of victims. Comprehensive legal
frameworks and multi-sectoral services should be available and
accessible in every country to protect women and girls and to send a
clear message to society that such violence is not acceptable.
Effective prevention strategies usually lead to more women and girls
seeking protection and support and are necessary to stop violence at its
roots, but also to raise awareness amongst the community. Prevention
must address the root causes of discrimination and gender inequality.
Although this is an emerging area, there are many promising practices,
in both developed and developing countries, which extend beyond
awareness-raising to include educational programmes and the engagement
of men and boys, as well as traditional and religious leaders. The next
session of the Commission on the Status of Women will be a good
opportunity to collect those practices.
Efforts have mainly focused so far on responses to the needs of
victims/survivors in the aftermath of violence. However, many gaps and
challenge remain, such as availability of services and access of women
and girls to protection. It is therefore essential to carry on the
efforts to meet the needs of victims/survivors to immediate protection
after violence, including shelters, health, legal and social services,
but also to ensure their longer-term protection and empowerment to avoid
re-victimization.
Violence against women perpetuates the vicious cycle of inequality,
exclusion, and marginalization. Instead, we must create a virtuous cycle
by changing mindsets and stereotypes that are at the root of violence.
We must provide women with access to economic opportunities, ensure
their equal participation in public and political life, repel laws and
practices that continue to discriminate against women, and ensure that
environments are safe for women and girls, including schools and
streets.
UN Women supports States to develop holistic approaches to addressing
violence against women. Over the past two years, UN Women supported the
development, revision and implementation of laws, national action plans
and improved service-delivery standards in more than 30 countries. Our
entity coordinates the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women
which, by the end of 2011, was supporting 96 active projects valued at
over $US 61 million dollars.
Together with UNICEF and UN-Habitat, UN Women also supports the Safe
Cities programme in 14 cities to prevent and reduce violence in urban
public spaces. Through the Secretary-General’s campaign UNITE to End
Violence against Women and our online platform “Say NO-UNiTE”, we have
mobilized and obtained the commitment of Heads of States, Ministers and
parliamentarians from over 70 countries to do more to eliminate violence
against women.
Today, I seized the opportunity to introduce the new Handbook for
National Action Plans on Violence against Women which complements a
series of handbooks, such as the Handbook for legislation on violence
against women and its supplement on “harmful traditional practices”.
Their aim is to provide States and other stakeholders with guidance on
the development of legislation and national action plans addressing
violence against women. They include promising practices and examples of
such legislation and plans from different countries around the globe.
In conclusion, I would like to stress the importance of
intergovernmental processes, such as the General Assembly and the
Commission on the Status of Women, in setting global norms and standards
for the prevention and protection of women and girls from violence.
Ongoing negotiations on the General Assembly resolution on
intensification of efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against
women are critical to strengthen the international normative basis.
Also, the agreed conclusions of the CSW next year hold the potential to
have greater international standards for the elimination of violence
against women.
I call on all Member States to give their full support to these
intergovernmental processes and reassure them that UN Women will stand
ready to support them. Thank you for your attention.
