WUNRN
Women
In Development Europe (WIDE) is a European feminist network of women´s
organisations, development NGOs, gender specialists and women´s rights
activists. WIDE monitors and influences international economic and development
policy and practice from a feminist perspective.
Brussels, 25 November 2010
International Day of Elimination of Violence Against Women
Ending Structural Violence Against Women
Priority for Human Rights
On 25th
of November 2010, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination
of Violence Against Women (VAW) WIDE
denounces the structural violence against women, be it economic, political,
social and/or cultural as it causes unfair distribution of power and resources
and produces suffering and death.
Women across the world expience /are
subject to various types of gender
violence throughout their lives: One in
three women will be raped, beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her
life time[1]. For
women and girls 16–44 years old, violence is the major cause of death and
disability[2]. Besides those, other more subtle forms of
violence co-exist that are not less harmful: structural forms of violence against women are common violations of human’s rights today:
-
Structural
violence against women is violence that does not hurt or kill through guns,
knives or beats, but kills through economic, political and social structures (or lack of them) that produce poverty and enormous suffering.
-
Structural
violence against women occurs whenever a woman is disadvantaged by political,
legal, economic practises and institutions or cultural traditions. It occurs when the social order
(or disorder) directly or indirectly causes human suffering and death.
- Structural violence against women is a direct consequence of the neo-liberal and
patriarchal agenda we are still facing
today: this agenda goes hand in hand with the cuts in
social services, the liberalization of trade and investment, market deregulation,
privatization and non intervention of governments.
-
Structural violence against women is a consequence of
the current economic and development system that put profit making above rights and wellbeing of people.
WIDE makes a call to governments and institutions to acknowledge
the relevance of economic and structural violence against women as grave forms
of gender violence. Effective social and economic policies need to
be put in place to guarantee women a life free of any kind of violence and the
fulfillment of human rights, including
social andeconomic rights.
[1] UNIFEM Report
« Not a minute more : Ending Violence against women » 2003. Data
from 2010 in UNIFEL website speak about 6 women in 10.
[1] UNIFEM http://www.unifem.org/gender_issues/violence_against_women/
Natalie Giorgadze
Media and Communication Officer
WIDE - Globalising Gender Equality
and Social Justice
59, Rue Hobbema,
B-1000 Brussels BELGIUM
Telf. +32 2 545 90 70
Fax. +32 2 512 73 42
Website: www.wide-network.org
E-mail address: natalie@wide-network.org