WUNRN
HAITI - PETITION TO STOP RAPE &
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN HAITI & SUPPORT LEGAL REFORM
MADRE and the International Campaign to Stop Rape &
Gender Violence in Conflict Launch International Petition
International community joins forces with Haitian civil
society to support legal reform combating violence against women
February 7, 2013—New York, NY— Today, MADRE and the International Campaign to Stop Rape
& Gender Violence in Conflict are launching a petition to raise
international support for a ground-breaking push to address violence against
women in Haiti.
Haiti’s government is now
considering a legal reform measure that would be a landmark in efforts to
address violence against women and provide a model for nations striving to stop
rape. Crucially, it prohibits and punishes all sexual assault, including marital
rape.
Today’s petition launched by MADRE
and the International Campaign to Stop Rape & Gender Violence in Conflict
echoes the call of Haitian women’s rights activists, who have spent years
leading an on-the-ground effort to promote passage of the legal reform.
The launch of this petition follows
on the heels of a workshop in Port-au-Prince, Haiti to raise awareness and
rally support for the passage of the legal reform by the Haitian Parliament
this spring.
The workshop served as a forum for
knowledge-exchange with international and local experts. Rashida Manjoo, United
Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, was a featured panelist.
Passage of this legal reform would
represent a huge step forward for gender equality in Haiti. Click
here to read the text of the petition.
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