WUNRN
Human Rights Council 7th Session- 18 March 2008
PANEL ON INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE
JOINT NGO INTERVENTION ON GENDER
IMBALANCE OF UN
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL PANEL ON
INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE
Delivered by Conchita Poncini - International Federation of University Women
Joint Statement in the interactive dialogue on behalf of International
Federation of University Women, Zonta International, International Federation
of Business and Professional Women, Femmes Africa Solidarité, Interfaith
International, Women’s International Federation for World Peace, International
Council of Women, Women’s International Zionist Organization:
In any country, whether developed or developing, women and girl children have
been the target of cultural stereotypes and harmful practices. The CEDAW
Convention has 22 reservations on culture and religion. We strongly feel
that the all-male panel of experts today although incontestably competent in
discussing intercultural dialogue on human rights, should have been gender
balanced in order to ensure a more realistic assessment of factors paramount to
such a dialogue. May we remind this august body of its resolution 5/1 to
have a gender perspective and a gender balance in its programme of work and
institutional mechanisms.
Culture and religion are closely interlinked and have been the two main factors
used in human rights discourses and practices to subordinate women’s
reproductive and caring roles and excluding women from decision and
policy-making in all spheres. Furthermore, gatekeepers of cultural and
religious institutions being fundamentally male-dominated, it is necessary to
invite women from the grassroots and experts level to give their views and
present models of best practices on intercultural, ethnic and inter-religious
dialogue among civilizations notably in conflicts situations, as called for in
Security Council Resolution 1325.A good example of this model is the case of
the Mano River women who succeeded in bringing together African male leaders
under one roof to reach peace agreements.
Finally, as reported by the first Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women,
Ms Rhadika Coomaraswamy, cultural relativism has been the most pervasive factor
in perpetuating violence against women. Through building alliances and global
campaigns, women organizations have advanced inter-cultural dialogue. We ask
the panelists if any of them have analysed intercultural dialogue
systematically with a gender lens?
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Thank you.