As the UN Secretary-General affirmed in the opening of the 2023 Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) earlier this week, “progress [on women’s rights] won over decades is vanishing before our eyes,” with the achievement of gender equality implausible in any of our lifetimes. Violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains prevalent around the world, exacerbating and creating inequalities. Currently, it is estimated that more than 30% of women aged 15 and older are subject to physical and/or sexual violence, with women in low- and low-middle income countries experiencing disproportionately higher rates. Even at the highest echelons of power women are targeted. For instance, across Africa, 80% of women parliamentarians cite having experienced psychological violence in parliament, with nearly 70% subject to sexist comments and behaviors. Online VAWG – a key sub-theme under discussion by member states during this year’s CSW – is also rising, with women 27 times more likely to face online abuse compared to men. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has thus called for a feminist revolution in the digital sphere.
Last year, Stimson issued a report examining how a diverse cross-section of UN member states are implementing their multilateral commitments to combat VAWG and counter abuse of human rights defenders. Across the case studies (Canada, Colombia, Liberia, Malaysia, Norway, and the United Kingdom), the authors identified opportunities for further government action, such as strengthening domestic framing of human rights, promoting intragovernmental coordination, allocating appropriate funding and resources, enforcing justice and accountability, and partnering with civil society. However, one year later, the question presents itself: what actions have member states taken since in the global fight against VAWG?
One standout practice is when member states prioritize ending VAWG within their domestic agenda, such as through the development of national action plans, policies, or legislation. As an example, the UK government proposed legislative measures last month that would elevate VAWG to the status of a national threat, alongside terrorism, organized crime, and child sexual abuse. In support of this, the UK seeks to increase punishments for controlling and coercive behavior to be on par with physical violence.
At the international level, Women, Peace and Security (WPS) framing is well known in multilateral circles but often less so with domestic audiences given its traditional focus on conflict settings. Consequently, many member states have focused their WPS national action plans on external support to other countries, rather than including a focus on the threat posed by VAWG domestically. In a positive development, the UK introduced a domestic angle to its 2023-2027 WPS national action plan, adding links to its Tackling VAWG Strategy and Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan.
As each country has its own culture(s), traditions, and social values, domestic action should also be adapted to each country’s unique context. For instance, in Malaysia, the government found that 80% of sexual harassment goes unreported, with surveyed respondents citing fear of social stigma as a key reason. In its first-ever national legislation against sexual harassment, the Malaysian parliament voted last year to establish a closed-door tribunal specifically for sexual harassment cases, providing greater privacy for prosecuting incidents and thereby increasing the likelihood of higher reporting rates in the future.
Domestic politics may, however, preclude effective or immediate government action in the fight against VAWG. For this reason, countries should seek to promote the role of civil society leaders and organizations in addressing and preventing VAWG. In Liberia, for example, efforts to ban female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C) across the country have been blockaded by political inaction. Thus, Liberian ministries and international partners have advocated and supported the National Council of Chiefs and Elders in taking preventive action, including declaring a three-year temporary ban in 2022. The largest step forward occurred last month when the Council officially declared a permanent ban on FGM/C, a move welcomed by the international community.
It is similarly vital that civil society continue to hold governments to account. New legislation and proposed reforms mean very little if they are not well-designed or remain unimplemented. For instance, leading civil society organizations in the UK have raised the alarm that the proposed Online Safety Bill may not have the intended impact on VAWG, as the bill fails to adopt a gender lens or even mention women and girls. And in Liberia, important commitments made by the president in 2020 to tackle the national rape crisis, such as installing a special prosecutor on rape or establishing a national registry for sex offenders, have yet to be implemented, prompting continued calls for action from Liberian human rights defenders and activists.
As UN member states commemorate International Women’s Day today, they must go beyond preserving multilateral human rights gains by holding themselves and each other accountable for implementing them back home. Ultimately, the barometer of success in protecting the rights and safety of women and girls will be concrete action. UN member states must thus continue to work together to safeguard related multilateral commitments, create realistic and achievable domestic action plans, and diligently evaluate progress towards ending this pandemic of violence against women and girls.
Photo: Ajna Jusic, President of the Association “Forgotten Children of War,” Bosnia and Herzegovina, receives a standing ovation at the official commemoration of the UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in 2019 – “Orange the World: Generation Equality Stands Against Rape.” Credit: UN Photo/Evan Schneider.
Tackling Violence Against Women & Girls
By Julie Gregory
Human Rights & IHL
As the UN Secretary-General affirmed in the opening of the 2023 Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) earlier this week, “progress [on women’s rights] won over decades is vanishing before our eyes,” with the achievement of gender equality implausible in any of our lifetimes. Violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains prevalent around the world, exacerbating and creating inequalities. Currently, it is estimated that more than 30% of women aged 15 and older are subject to physical and/or sexual violence, with women in low- and low-middle income countries experiencing disproportionately higher rates. Even at the highest echelons of power women are targeted. For instance, across Africa, 80% of women parliamentarians cite having experienced psychological violence in parliament, with nearly 70% subject to sexist comments and behaviors. Online VAWG – a key sub-theme under discussion by member states during this year’s CSW – is also rising, with women 27 times more likely to face online abuse compared to men. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has thus called for a feminist revolution in the digital sphere.
Last year, Stimson issued a report examining how a diverse cross-section of UN member states are implementing their multilateral commitments to combat VAWG and counter abuse of human rights defenders. Across the case studies (Canada, Colombia, Liberia, Malaysia, Norway, and the United Kingdom), the authors identified opportunities for further government action, such as strengthening domestic framing of human rights, promoting intragovernmental coordination, allocating appropriate funding and resources, enforcing justice and accountability, and partnering with civil society. However, one year later, the question presents itself: what actions have member states taken since in the global fight against VAWG?
One standout practice is when member states prioritize ending VAWG within their domestic agenda, such as through the development of national action plans, policies, or legislation. As an example, the UK government proposed legislative measures last month that would elevate VAWG to the status of a national threat, alongside terrorism, organized crime, and child sexual abuse. In support of this, the UK seeks to increase punishments for controlling and coercive behavior to be on par with physical violence.
At the international level, Women, Peace and Security (WPS) framing is well known in multilateral circles but often less so with domestic audiences given its traditional focus on conflict settings. Consequently, many member states have focused their WPS national action plans on external support to other countries, rather than including a focus on the threat posed by VAWG domestically. In a positive development, the UK introduced a domestic angle to its 2023-2027 WPS national action plan, adding links to its Tackling VAWG Strategy and Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan.
As each country has its own culture(s), traditions, and social values, domestic action should also be adapted to each country’s unique context. For instance, in Malaysia, the government found that 80% of sexual harassment goes unreported, with surveyed respondents citing fear of social stigma as a key reason. In its first-ever national legislation against sexual harassment, the Malaysian parliament voted last year to establish a closed-door tribunal specifically for sexual harassment cases, providing greater privacy for prosecuting incidents and thereby increasing the likelihood of higher reporting rates in the future.
Domestic politics may, however, preclude effective or immediate government action in the fight against VAWG. For this reason, countries should seek to promote the role of civil society leaders and organizations in addressing and preventing VAWG. In Liberia, for example, efforts to ban female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C) across the country have been blockaded by political inaction. Thus, Liberian ministries and international partners have advocated and supported the National Council of Chiefs and Elders in taking preventive action, including declaring a three-year temporary ban in 2022. The largest step forward occurred last month when the Council officially declared a permanent ban on FGM/C, a move welcomed by the international community.
It is similarly vital that civil society continue to hold governments to account. New legislation and proposed reforms mean very little if they are not well-designed or remain unimplemented. For instance, leading civil society organizations in the UK have raised the alarm that the proposed Online Safety Bill may not have the intended impact on VAWG, as the bill fails to adopt a gender lens or even mention women and girls. And in Liberia, important commitments made by the president in 2020 to tackle the national rape crisis, such as installing a special prosecutor on rape or establishing a national registry for sex offenders, have yet to be implemented, prompting continued calls for action from Liberian human rights defenders and activists.
As UN member states commemorate International Women’s Day today, they must go beyond preserving multilateral human rights gains by holding themselves and each other accountable for implementing them back home. Ultimately, the barometer of success in protecting the rights and safety of women and girls will be concrete action. UN member states must thus continue to work together to safeguard related multilateral commitments, create realistic and achievable domestic action plans, and diligently evaluate progress towards ending this pandemic of violence against women and girls.
Photo: Ajna Jusic, President of the Association “Forgotten Children of War,” Bosnia and Herzegovina, receives a standing ovation at the official commemoration of the UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in 2019 – “Orange the World: Generation Equality Stands Against Rape.” Credit: UN Photo/Evan Schneider.
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