November 21st, 2009
Petition to the URI Standing Committee to support the UNIFEM Program to Eliminate Violence Against Women and Girls
Contact Annie Imbens-Fransen, Coordinator URI Council for Women ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
BACKGROUND
The purpose of the United Religions Initiative is to promote enduring, daily interfaith co-operation, to end religiously motivated violence and to create cultures of peace, justice and healing for the Earth and all living beings.
UNIFEM is the women's fund at the United Nations, dedicated to advancing women’s rights and achieving gender equality. It provides financial and technical assistance to innovative programmes and strategies that foster women's empowerment. UNIFEM works on the premise that it is the fundamental right of every woman to live a life free from discrimination and violence, and that gender equality is essential to achieving development and to building just societies.
ACTION
Considering the continuing and increasing violations of the human rights of women and girls throughout the world, we urgently appeal to the URI Standing Committee to issue the following statement,
• URI supports the UNIFEM program and will register as a supporting organization,
• URI website http://www.uri.org will give information about UNIFEM and promotes the celebration of the UNIFEM International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against women on November 25.
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Violence against women and girls continues to be one of the most widespread violations of human rights
Globally, up to six out of every ten women experience physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime. A World Health Organization study of 24,000 women in 10 countries found that the prevalence of physical and/or sexual violence by a partner varied from 15 percent in urban Japan to 71 percent in rural Ethiopia, with most areas being in the 30–60 percent range.
For women and girls between 16–44 years old, violence is a major cause of death and disability. In 1994, a World Bank study on ten selected risk factors facing girls and women in this age group, found rape and domestic violence more dangerous than cancer, motor vehicle accidents, war and malaria. Studies also reveal increasing links between violence against women and HIV and AIDS. A survey among 1,366 South African women showed that women who were beaten by their partners were 48 percent more likely to be infected with HIV than those who were not.
November 6, 2009 UNIFEM will launch a new platform for action, Say NO – UNITE to End Violence against Women. One of these programmes focuses on reducing sexual harassment and violence in urban public spaces. UNIFEM indicates that worldwide millions of girls and women are subjected to harassment and abuse when they use public transport, fetch water or go to work. Despite this widespread phenomenon, this violence is often neglected by laws, policies and society at large. The Safe Cities programme is the first global effort to develop an intervention model that can result in preventing violence against women.
Different Declarations on Women’s and Children’s Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10 December 1948, recognizes in its preamble the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family as the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world.
Article 2.1 Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
June 1993 The Vienna Declaration and Progamme of Action expresses, “The human rights of women and of the girl-child are an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights.” (Article 18).
September 1995 The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action declares, “Governments must not only refrain from violating the human rights of all women, but must work actively to promote and protect these rights.”
“Ensure the full implementation of the human rights of women and of the girl child as an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
Closing Remark
To help create cultures of peace, justice and healing, women and girls may expect that URI will take the necessary steps to stop this worldwide and increasing violence against women and girls.
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