PRESS BRIEFING ON CAMPAIGN TO ELIMINATE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN AFRICA

Press Briefing

PRESS BRIEFING ON CAMPAIGN TO ELIMINATE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN AFRICA

While equal rights for women and men was one of the pillars on which the United Nations was founded, those rights were far from being universally observed, Angela King, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women, told correspondents at a Headquarters press conference today.

Speaking on behalf of the Secretary-General on African Women's Day, Ms. King said that the widespread violence against women was an especially shameful violation, which deprived women of their rights. As long as it remained unchecked, no one could honestly claim to be making progress towards the universal objectives of equality, development and peace.

On the occasion of the launching of a campaign to eliminate violence against women in Africa by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), Ms. King was joined by the Director of UNIFEM, Noleen Heyzer; Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Thelma Awori; and the President of the Research, Action and Information Network for the Bodily Integrity of Women, Nahid Toubia. Halima Ali of Somalia offered a personal testimony.

Ms. Heyzer said that the elimination of gender-based violence was seen by the United Nations as a political yardstick to measure achievement in the area of development and sustainable development, as well as the extent to which government authorities practiced human rights. The campaign, which was linked to the Declaration of Human Rights, had already been launched in Latin America. Similarly, it was hoped that widespread coverage would be achieved in Africa. The campaign was a major expression of United Nations reform, she said. As an inter-agency activity, it was built on a partnership between the United Nations, Governments and civil society. It also represented a link of both the normative and operational aspects of the United Nations system. Moreover, it was an innovative way to follow up on United Nations conferences, and on their implementation. Much of the action to come out of the campaign would be supported by the trust fund on the elimination of all forms of violence against women, which was managed by UNIFEM. The campaign, which would address the many dimensions and costs of violence, was aimed at increasing public awareness and policy advocacy. It was also intended to motivate Governments to reform institutional laws and practices in the area of gender-based violence, as well as to strengthen the capacity of the media in that regard. Successful strategies for the elimination of gender discrimination would be highlighted, as well as the role of men and women in societies, especially in periods of economic hardship.

The campaign issues were violence within families; gender-based violence in war or conflict and post-conflict situations; the integrity of women's bodies; economic and political violence; and the State and community responsibility for the protection of women's human rights. Activities such as drama competitions and public readings of excerpts from relevant United Nations treaties would be undertaken across Africa.

Ms. Awori, of the UNDP, expressed her concern that the issue of violence against women was escalating in Africa, largely due to the increasing conflict on the continent. There were the old forms of culturally-based violence, as well as those emerging from socio-economic disparities. Female genital mutilation and discriminatory inheritance laws, for example, deprived women of certain basic rights, and exposed them to human rights violations.

She said that the campaign also sought to examine new forms of violence which were affecting African women. With African women as the "bedrock of development" in Africa, all development efforts would be meaningless if measures were not undertaken to stem gender-based violence as well. Gender- based violence included mass rape as an instrument of war, the abduction and killing of young girls, as well as the burning of schools. In such countries as Uganda, Sudan, Somali and Liberia, the campaign sought to assess the trauma that women experienced from losing their children and other loved ones to war or abduction. Also being studied were the general violations of human rights, such as the denial of women's access to family plan services.

Another source of concern were those issues not included in the current efforts, such as the exposure of African women to life-threatening illnesses like HIV/AIDS. The women in the villages often were "sitting ducks waiting to be shot". Their husbands would return to their homes for the weekend and often refuse to use condoms. In the rural sectors, women were the engines who drove those economies. It was therefore time to support an end to the violence against them in order to ensure the success of ongoing efforts to promote sustainable development on the continent.

Ms. Toubia, of the Research, Action and Information Network for the Bodily Integrity of Women, said there was tremendous denial in Africa about the issue of violence against women and girls. The abuses suffered by the continent itself, ranged from slavery to colonialism to the new economic order which had placed Africa on the lowest rung. As a result, Africans had created a defensiveness about any criticism of their society. They were very proud and they did not want to change their cultures or social systems. That philosophy was "a recipe for suicide", she said.

Women had paid a great cost, she went on. Whenever they spoke out about violations of their rights, they were told that they were becoming "western" or that they were adhering to the views of international agencies. Yet, they all must examine their own houses and begin to clean them. Many African non- governmental organizations, which were led by women and supported by men, were

UNIFEM Press Briefing - 3 - 31 July 1998

emerging. Those were willing to deal with the issues, even those that had long been suppressed.

Ms. Ali of Somalia, had experienced first hand the struggles faced by women during civil war. Women and children had been abused; they were sexually assaulted and raped; and they were missing their children, husbands and siblings. With violence everywhere, she would encourage all women to stand ready to talk about their needs.

On behalf of the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a gentleman commended the initiative and the courage to work on it. West Africa had been through a lot, and its victims were primarily the women and children, he said.

Amadou Kebe, Permanent Observer for the Organization of African Unity (OAU), said his presence at the press briefing was intended to demonstrate the OAU's participation in and support of the campaign.

Replying to a question about the lack of access to a film screening yesterday at the United Nations on the subject of mutilation in Sierra Leone, Ms. Awori said that for every victim of amputation that came to the hospital, there were three or four more who died in the bush. The film, which heard testimonies of people who had lost their limbs, really brought home the extent of the violence.

To a question concerning the targeted countries of the campaign, she said that the UNDP would be looking at the situations in South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Ms. Toubia added that peace, human rights, and freedom from violence had to be internalized, especially by African women who did not believe they had many rights. The women themselves were the ones "who could take this and run with it". Without that, nothing was going to change.

Ms. King said that a few years ago, those issues could not be discussed publicly. Today, the real indignities and inhumanities had a public platform, and there was a willingness to build partnerships. Women could not do this alone, however. Their equality had to be a focus of society.

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