International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
Protecting women is a “job for all of us”
On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the UN in Ethiopia reaffirmed that protecting women’s safety and dignity required a joint and robust effort for men and women to stop everyday abuses.
25 November 2014
ADDIS ABABA (ILO News) – Protecting women and girls is all of our concern and is “a job for all of us” demanding concrete action, urged Eugene Owusu, the United Nations Resident Coordinator, on the launch of the 16 Days of Activism on Violence against Women in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
“Violence against women is a consequence of discrimination against women and girls, in law and in practice, and of persisting inequalities between men and women”, said Mr Owusu at the launching ceremony in the presence of ILO Country Director for Ethiopia and Somalia, George Okutho.
The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women states that violence against women means any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.
“It will not be eradicated until all of us - men and boys, husbands, fathers, brothers, teachers, religious leaders, police, community leaders, parliamentarians, and business owners – refuse to tolerate it”, Owusu added.
Violence against women is a global epidemic, present in all corners of the world. The World Health Organization estimates that at least one woman in every three has been battered, assaulted, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime.
“Violence is not just a women’s issue, it is an issue of our societies and it goes beyond/ cuts across colour, race, nationality and sex divisions”, emphasized Letty Chiwara, UN Women Representative to Ethiopia, AU and UNECA.
“Women are being harassed in the workplace, abused on the streets and beaten in their own homes. These women are our mothers, daughters, sisters and friends. These women are likely to even be seated amongst us today. Violence against women is an intolerable violation of human rights and we must fight to end it”, Chiwara underscored.
“We need to end impunity, violence and assure provision of service to survivors of violence”, added the UN Women representative supporting three young Ethiopian women who were victims of such violence and who shared their testimonies today.
The theme of this year’s UN worldwide event is “Orange Your Neighborhood: End Violence against Women Now”, which emphasizes engagement with local communities in order to end violence against women.
Earlier today, the ILO Director-General Guy Ryder reiterated in his global message that “violence against women is a human rights issue and it must be stopped”.
For the International Labour Organisation (ILO), “violence in the world of work is deeply injurious to women as individuals and there are obvious consequences for their families and societies. Ending gender-based violence at work is central to the ILO’s goal of promoting decent work for all women and men in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity,” he concluded.
For more information, please contact: Ms. Rahel Kebede, [email protected]
“Violence against women is a consequence of discrimination against women and girls, in law and in practice, and of persisting inequalities between men and women”, said Mr Owusu at the launching ceremony in the presence of ILO Country Director for Ethiopia and Somalia, George Okutho.
“It will not be eradicated until all of us - men and boys, husbands, fathers, brothers, teachers, religious leaders, police, community leaders, parliamentarians, and business owners – refuse to tolerate it”, Owusu added.
Violence against women is a global epidemic, present in all corners of the world. The World Health Organization estimates that at least one woman in every three has been battered, assaulted, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime.
“Violence is not just a women’s issue, it is an issue of our societies and it goes beyond/ cuts across colour, race, nationality and sex divisions”, emphasized Letty Chiwara, UN Women Representative to Ethiopia, AU and UNECA.
“We need to end impunity, violence and assure provision of service to survivors of violence”, added the UN Women representative supporting three young Ethiopian women who were victims of such violence and who shared their testimonies today.
The theme of this year’s UN worldwide event is “Orange Your Neighborhood: End Violence against Women Now”, which emphasizes engagement with local communities in order to end violence against women.
Earlier today, the ILO Director-General Guy Ryder reiterated in his global message that “violence against women is a human rights issue and it must be stopped”.
For more information, please contact: Ms. Rahel Kebede, [email protected]