UN Women responds to girl’s death

The Asia and the Pacific region contains some of the world’s most powerful economies—and two-thirds of its poorest people. Rich in political, cultural and other forms of diversity, it faces common challenges from stark socioeconomic disparities, including those linked to gender. Many countries have made formal commitments to gender equality, but implementation is undercut by a variety of factors, from limited resources to inconsistencies in upholding laws to upheaval from natural disasters.

Integral to Asia’s economic boom, women make up nearly half of business owners. Aside from East Asia, however, they have a higher unemployment rate than men, almost twice the global average. In the majority of countries, migration remains a primary means for securing a livelihood, with female migrant workers often equalling or exceeding the number of men on the move. As is true for employment in general, however, many end up in poorly paid jobs with no protections, especially in care and domestic work.

THERE are several things essential to address violence against women at the village and community level.

UN Women Pacific said this in response to the death of a girl in Isabel, allegedly in the hands of her father.

The UN Women says to address this terrible problem at the village and community levels there are crucial things to make.

“These include questions all forms of violence against women and challenge the idea that it is not a serious issue or crime, change the shaming and blaming that many survivors of violence against women face and treat violence against women seriously with proper punishment of perpetrators and fair justice for survivors, from the perspective of the survivor.”

The UN Women Pacific pointed out that violence against women is preventable.

“People change their attitudes, beliefs and actions everyday based on new information, technology and knowledge. This is also true about how women and girls valued, and the roles that men and boys have.”

It said women and girls are essential and valuable contributors to communities, families, and entire countries and their rights must be protected to allow them to live up to their full potential.

UN Women is partnering with five other UN agencies (ILO, UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO) and numerous governments and civil society groups to advance the UN Joint Programme on Ending Violence against Women and Girls to prevent and respond to violence in a comprehensive way.

The organization added that through the ‘Protecting Women’s Human Rights through CEDAW implementation project’, UN Women and the EU aim to strengthen women’s access to justice in Solomon Islands.

By TRIXIE CARTER

Our solutions

Through its regional office in Bangkok and a number of country and multi-country offices, UN Women builds on a long history of support to governments and women’s movements. We advocate for aligning legal frameworks and election processes with the goal of women’s increased participation in political and other forms of decision-making. We assist legislative reform measures to stop violence against women and girls, including in markets and cities, and help extend services to survivors and ensure the implementation of effective existing laws.

Our economic empowerment programmes seek greater security for marginalized groups of women, encompassing home-based workers, migrants, rural women, informal market vendors, and women vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters. A regional initiative for migrant workers stresses access to justice, the management of migration to respond to differences between men and women, and the application of international standards protecting women migrants regardless of what type of job they do.

Other programmes in Asia and the Pacific involve partnering with women in their efforts to engage in peace and reconstruction efforts, and push for gender equality provisions integral to mitigating and responding to natural disasters. To bolster gender-responsive budgeting and public planning, we assist efforts to monitor the different impacts of budget and policy choices on women and men.

Violence against women and girls is a grave violation of human rights. Its impact ranges from immediate to long-term multiple physical, sexual and mental consequences for women and girls, including death. It negatively affects women’s general well-being and prevents women from fully participating in society. Violence not only has negative consequences for women but also their families, the community and the country at large. It has tremendous costs, from greater health care and legal expenses and losses in productivity, impacting national budgets and overall development.

Decades of mobilizing by civil society and women’s movements have put ending gender-based violence high on national and international agendas. An unprecedented number of countries have laws against domestic violence, sexual assault and other forms of violence. Challenges remain however in implementing these laws, limiting women and girls’ access to safety and justice. Not enough is done to prevent violence, and when it does occur, it often goes unpunished.

Women’s right to live free from violence is upheld by international agreements such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), especially through General Recommendations 12 and 19, and the 1993 UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women. UN Women works with countries at the global level to advance the international normative framework through support provided to inter-governmental processes, such as the General Assembly and the Commission on the Status of Women. At the country level, UN Women supports Governments in adopting and enacting legal reforms aligned with international standards.

We partner with Governments, UN agencies, civil society organizations and other institutions to advocate for ending violence, increase awareness of the causes and consequences of violence and build capacity of partners to prevent and respond to violence. We also promote the need for changing norms and behaviour of men and boys, and advocate for gender equality and women’s rights. UN Women supports expanding access to quality multi-sectoral responses for survivors covering safety, shelter, health, justice and other essential services. Policy guidance helps to step up investments in prevention—the most cost-effective, long-term means to stop violence.

We work with Governments to develop dedicated national action plans to prevent and address violence against women, strengthening coordination among diverse actors required for sustained and meaningful action. UN Women also advocates for the integration of violence in key international, regional and national frameworks, such as the post-2015 development agenda.