English  |  Français  |  Español
 
OMCT LogoOMCT logo
Make a donationRSSOMCT on FacebookOMCT on TwitterOMCT BlogHomeAbout OMCTActivitiesCATOMCT NetworkOMCT EuropeContactsMake a donation
  • Urgent campaigns
  • Assistance to victims
  • Human rights defenders
  • ESCR
  • Rights of the child
  • Violence against women
  • Monitoring protection mechanisms
 Save as PDF Print version
Events / 2017 / June

On the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture - Why stand up to violence against women?



Sex matters

Even in progressive societies equipped with legislation promoting gender equality, women are under-represented among corporate or political decision-makers.

Glass ceilings quash their voices.

Women maintain a weaker position of power at home, as 80% of them worldwide perform household chores even when working full-time.

Some patriarchal societies overtly consider them as second-class citizens: cultural prejudices and religious traditions often legalize violence against them. From genital mutilation, to forced pregnancies, to beatings and traditional practices such as dowry violence, forced or child marriages to honour killings are tolerated or silenced.

Rape victims’ family members punish them for having been raped. When they file a complaint, police officers and courts consider rape victims partly responsible, re-victimizing them.

Violence against women (VAW) is commonplace and seems nowhere near being eradicated. Women’s suffering is therefore invisible, silenced, tolerated or condoned. Globally, one in three women has experienced domestic or sexual violence in their lifetime, according to the World Health Organization.


Women are unlikely to speak up and seek justice; perpetrators of violence against women continue hurting them unhindered.


Laws are not made to help victims seek justice.


But States have a duty to protect all citizens, or else they become complicit of the violence.


Gender-based violence constitutes torture when carried out by, or at the instigation of, or with the consent or acquiescence of public officials.

In armed conflict it is a crime against humanity when it is a widespread and systematic attack on civilian population.

We must provide survivors with medical, professional, legal and psychosocial assistance to recover from their trauma. We must also prevent discrimination and violence against women by educating communities and holding perpetrators accountable

Our ask

To you

  • Be a positive role model and educate young boys and girls of the importance of respectful relationships and gender equality. 
  • Be aware of the signs and consequences of GBV, and denounce it when you see or hear of it. 
  • Raise awareness and mobilize your community to stigmatize and condemn those who are the perpetrators, not the victims. 
  • Give money now to OMCT’s Victims fund – all collections from today until June 27 will be dedicated to female victims of torture. We aim to raise 5,000 Swiss francs to assist victims of sexual violence: (https://goo.gl/77hkd7)
  • Share, tweet, talk about this campaign around you. Get everyone involved. The more the merrier.  

To female victims of rape and violence:

  • Have the courage to denounce all violations – both in court and within your communities.
  • Understand you have no shame to feel – they do.

To Governments:

  • Educate against gender-based discrimination and violence:
  • States must ensure that everyone, both girls and boys access education, and implement mechanisms such as equality enhancing programs to prevent and respond to violence. This will go a long way to reducing gender norms and stigmas.
  • States can encourage women to stay in the education system longer. Education is positively correlated with women's employment opportunities and socioeconomic status, which will reduce power relationship differences between males and females.
  • Educate state officials and citizens to eradicate gender discrimination and raise awareness about VAW.
  • Provide women equal economic access:
  • Ensure women have the opportunity to find a space in key sectors of the economy to reduce their dependency on their male counterparts and hold important positions in the progress of societies.
  • In low-income settings, strategies to increase women’s economic and social empowerment, such as micro-finance combined with gender equality training and community-based initiatives have shown some effectiveness in reducing intimate partner violence.
  • Use/change the legislation to better protect women:
  • Act to stop violations against women by punishing culprits of VAW
  • Allow victims of rape to be able to file complaints without limit of time: Review statutes of limitation to allow victims of violence to speak up against their abusers in their own time, when they feel comfortable, protected and confident.
  • Introduce gender mainstreaming in national legislation and in particular enforce standards against torture to better take into consideration the discriminatory nature of violence against women. More systematically pick up on rape as a form of torture or ill treatment.
  • Better address the reparation needs of victims of sexual and gender-based violence.
  • Better protect victims of violence from their own families and communities to ensure they can recover and denounce culprits.

To the International Criminal Court:

  • Consider sexual violence and rape as violations of international law
  • Systematically pursue all perpetrators around the world of acts of sexual violence as a weapon of war as crimes against humanity

To the European Union:

  • Be more receptive of women's rights in legislation. At the EU level, there is no gender-based legislation to prevent gender-based violence, other than the protection of women framed under non-discrimination.
  • Improve data collection on VAW.

Properties

Date: June 26, 2017
Type: Events

Share this

Tweet

Languages

This page is available in:

English


You can also translate it on the fly:

Recently Viewed Articles

OMCT International Secretariat
PO Box 21, 8, rue du Vieux-Billard, CH-1211 Geneva 8, Switzerland
Tel: + 41 22 809 4939
Fax: + 41 22 809 4929
E-mail:
OMCT Europe
Rue Franklin 111
1000 Brussels
Tel. / Fax: +32 2 218 37 19
E-mail:
OMCT TUNIS
3, Rue Hassen Ibn Nooman
Cité Jardins | Tunis 1002
Tel: +216 71 791 114
Fax: +216 71 791 115
E-mail:
  • Blog
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Rss
  • Privacy Policy