UNITED
NATIONS INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE FOR
THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN
(INSTRAW) |
PRESS
RELEASE
|
NACIONES UNIDAS INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE
INVESTIGACIONES Y CAPACITACION PARA LA PROMOCION DE LA
MUJER
(INSTRAW) |
For Immediate
Release
Wednesday 07 March
2007
Statement of Carmen
Moreno, Director of United Nations International Research and
Training Institute for the Advancement of Women
(UN-INSTRAW) International Women’s Day - 8 March 2007
Eliminating Violence Against Women Is
Everyone’s Business
We would not
let our neighbour’s house burn to the ground without calling the
Fire Department. Yet how many female cries and screams would we
ignore before daring to “interfere in domestic affairs”?
Too
often, when a woman’s security is at risk, we turn a deaf ear, close
our eyes, and remain silent. Too many people in the world still
regard gender-based abuse, harassment and assault as private matters
to be resolved as quietly as possible within families or couples.
They are not.
It is society as a whole that pays the bill for
the devastating physical and psychological damage suffered by
millions of women. Both men and women are part of this problem, both
must be part of the solution. Eliminating this crime is your
business. My business. Everyone’s business.
That is why
UN-INSTRAW reiterates the call of the United Nations
Secretary-General, Mr. Ban-Ki Moon, for increased partnerships among
governments, international organizations, civil society and the
private sector.
It is not only States that are responsible
for protecting their citizens. Their duties shouldn’t prevent us
from asking ourselves what we can do to build safer households,
communities, schools and workplaces for all women.
If we are
really serious about eliminating violence against women, we must
eradicate the problem at its root: gender inequality. Challenging
sexist cultural attitudes is one of the best ways to stop violence
before it occurs.
As a teacher or parent, you can change the
way girls and boys relate to each other, channel stress and deal
with anger. As a journalist, you can highlight how to bridge the
gender gap. As an employer, you can make sure that none of your
female staff is targeted by sexist “jokes”.
As a
publicist, you can challenge stereotypes on roles between men and
women. Yet, some seem to have chosen to reinforce them. In different
European countries, a famous fashion house recently launched an
aggressive advertising campaign showing a bare-chested man holding a
woman down by her wrists while other men look on.
A
few weeks ago, the Spanish Government set an example by calling for
the withdrawal of this sexist advertisement. In Italy, where the
same picture has been used, the Minister for Equal Opportunities
issued a similar call last week. Last Tuesday, as a result of the
international mobilization, the fashion company decided to remove
the controversial advertisement in both countries. UN-INSTRAW
welcomes this decision on the eve of International Women’s
Day.
The Spanish and Italian governments were right. By
tolerating violence against women in magazines and on TV screens, we
make it more socially acceptable and we become accomplices to this
crime. Art should never be an excuse for depicting women as sexual
objects to be freely assaulted. Cultural forms of expression should
not explicitly encourage people to commit this pervasive --yet
punishable-- crime.
Abuses, harassments and assaults
targeting women should never remain unpunished. Although mediation
between offenders and victims might be seen as a solution, it should
under no circumstances be a substitute for justice.
A place
where women are completely safe will never be found in today’s
society. Unless we build it together. There is no immunity for the
victims; there must be no impunity for perpetrators.
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Press contact: Mr.
Laurent Duvillier Communications Assistant Tel: 1
809-685-2111 ext. 227 E-mail: lduvillier@un-instraw.org | |