PRESS BRIEFING ON WOMEN'S HUMAN RIGHTS

Press Briefing

PRESS BRIEFING ON WOMEN'S HUMAN RIGHTS

Representatives of five international organizations addressed correspondents on women's human rights this morning, at a press briefing sponsored by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). Roxanna Carrillo, Adviser to UNIFEM, facilitated questions and answers.

Introducing the speakers, UNIFEM Executive Director Noeleen Heyzer said that women must be allowed to live free from violence and from poverty. Those goals depended on the right kind of political leadership and government structure, as well as partnerships at different levels of society.

Samya Burney, Human Rights Watch, said that despite lip service, governments had done little to combat violence against women. In Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, rape and sexual violence had been committed on a massive scale. Yet, in both countries, perpetrators enjoyed impunity. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda had issued only two indictments for crimes of rape and sexual violence. The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia had issued indictments against 27 persons for such crimes, but 22 remained free and some even held positions of power. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces knew suspects' locations and were mandated to arrest them, but they did not do so, because of a lack of political will.

Routine acts of violence against women were also ignored, she continued. Governments worldwide had done very little to combat domestic and sexual violence perpetrated by family members and strangers. In fact, governments created barriers to women's quest for help. Police, forensic doctors and judges often withheld treatment or blamed female victims for their plight.

She called on the Commission on the Status of Women to ensure that in the former Yugoslavia and in Rwanda, crimes against women were properly investigated, and those responsible were brought to justice. Further, governments should identify and dismantle barriers to women's rights in their own countries.

Charlotte Bunch, Executive Director of the Centre for Women's Global Leadership, spoke on behalf of a global campaign for women's human rights. Over 200 organizations had joined the campaign, which was based on the recognition that women's rights were human rights. It was impossible to speak of a world that respected the rights articulated 50 years ago in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights when women's rights were neglected.

The Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995) was being implemented too slowly, and without sufficient resources, she said. Resources which were now devoted to military expenditures and other efforts that were not essential to human rights should be used to feed and house the poor, and to give women and children peace.

The United Nations should designate 50 per cent of the $1 billion Turner Fund to addressing women's human rights and needs, she continued. Women around the world would be sending postcards to the Secretary-General with that message. She called on heads of State to use the occasion of the International Women's Day, on 8 March, to speak out about ending violence against women. The Commission should urge the United Nations and governments to increase their protection of human rights defenders, she added.

Atsango Chesoni, of the Kenya Chapter of the International Federation of Women Lawyers, called on all governments that had not yet ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, including the United States, to do so. Those States with reservations, such as Kenya, should remove them. Further, countries which had ratified the document must implement it. International instruments became meaningful for ordinary people only when they were incorporated into domestic laws.

Many governments were not acknowledging internally displaced women, she said. For example, in Kenya, there were no camps of internally displaced persons, despite the fact that in 1997 and 1998 there had been at least two ethnically motivated massacres. The Commission was currently considering the conditions of women living in armed conflict. Laws and policy frameworks must be developed to address the needs of women who were survivors of civil strife.

Gender-based discrimination, such as female genital mutilation, was not recognized as grounds for asylum, she said. Also, many women obtained citizenship through marriage. In cases where domestic violence ensued, they often remained in the marriage, since their citizenship depended on it.

Sheila Dauer, Amnesty International, called on the United Nations and the international community to adopt gender-inclusive language. Francophone countries and the United Nations must change the expression "droits de l'homme" to a gender-inclusive phrase.

A working group was now completing a draft optional protocol to the Convention, she said. That text would empower the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which monitored implementation of the Convention, to receive complaints and investigate violations. She supported the strongest possible optional protocol, which could provide a real remedy for women who had not been able to obtain justice in their own countries.

Governments must protect human rights defenders, particularly women defending women, she stressed. For the International Women's Day, Amnesty International was highlighting cases where governments failed to protect women against violence.

Alda Facio, Director of the Women's Caucus for Gender Justice at the International Criminal Court, said governments had agreed to integrate a gender perspective in the negotiations for the creation of an international

UNIFEM Briefing - 3 - 3 March 1998

criminal court, but had not done so. The Women's Caucus lobbied and monitored the negotiations and reminded governments of their commitments.

"We don't only want commitments, we want compliance", she said, quoting the United States' President Bill Clinton. More women should be involved in negotiations to create the court, and balance between men and women was needed in all of its organs.

A correspondent asked for opinions on statements by United States politicians to the effect that the United States had not ratified the Convention because it would be a meaningless effort.

Ms. Dauer said that ratification of the women's Convention provided women with a platform for action and a standard against discrimination. Women around the world were organized to ensure that governments complied with the Convention. The optional protocol would strengthen the document and give it the same standing as every other international human rights treaty.

A correspondent said that some countries were pushing the Commission to adopt a resolution condemning the treatment of women in Afghanistan. How valuable was that effort? he asked. Ms. Bunch answered that the Commission must speak up when there were crises, such as in Afghanistan. Such action indicated recognition of abuses against women which were crimes against humanity.

A correspondent said that there were widespread complaints that NATO forces in the former Yugoslavia were not arresting suspects. Was Ms. Burney saying that those accused of crimes against women in particular were not being arrested? Ms. Burney said that she had highlighted problems related to women, but recognized that, in all cases, much work remained to be done. Out of 79 persons who had been indicted for war crimes, 50 were still at large. Of the 27 persons indicted for crimes of sexual violence, only four were in custody.

Asked about past violations against women, Ms. Burney said she hoped the international criminal court would be an instrument for achieving justice. The court should be empowered to investigate crimes against women. Ms. Bunch added that there was no time limit on crimes against humanity.

Asked why the United States had not signed the Convention, Ms. Dauer said some politicians strongly resisted participation in any international standard on women. Ms. Bunch said that some were afraid the Convention might be an effective tool against discrimination.

Asked whether it was realistic to expect that countries would remove their reservations to the Convention, Ms. Chesoni said that reservations were removed where it could be shown that support was widespread and legitimate.

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