As the world recognised International Women’s Day lasr week, a UN agency called on all in society to join the fight in ending violence against women as it is not a responsibility of the state alone.
“All in society have a moral and ethical obligation to speak out against gender violence, to speak out against sexual exploitation and to ensure that all women enjoy, on an equal basis with men, personal safety and bodily integrity in the home and the community,” a release from the United Nations development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) said.
According to the release, violence against women and children can and must be ended, but all have to speak and act unequivocally. “There are no circumstances under which such violence can be tolerated, condoned or ignored. The responsibility to stop all forms of violence against women and girls is common to all of us.”
The theme of the day this year is ‘Ending Impunity for Violence against Women’, and to this end the UN is urging a deeper commitment to protecting women and preventing or punishing all forms of violence against women.
According to the release, significant steps in this direction have been made in the Caribbean as violence against women is recognised as “deeply rooted in structures of gender inequality, fuelling the spread of HIV/AIDS and undermining women’s ability to break cycles of poverty.”
It said that across the region, a few countries, including Belize, Guyana, St Lucia – have made a clear legislative statement on sexual harassment in the workplace.
The release further said that child protection must be reinforced to include all children at risk. “To do so we must devise and implement a system of mandatory reporting (as St Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago have done) and response to all suspected cases of child abuse. Parents, teachers, medical personnel, guidance counsellors and all who care for children must be supported in meeting their responsibilities through guidance for preventive and remedial actions – including recognising signs of abuse and referring for protection and counselling.”
However, the release pointed out that protecting women and children requires more than improved legal, medical and social services. “Eradicating violence requires a common message and actions that contribute to building a culture of peace, equality and respect for human rights.”
