This monday, has been opened the 57th session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
This year, the Commission’s focus is on one of the biggest global challenges, prevent and end violence against women and girls,
which affects up to seven in 10 women worldwide. Occurring in multiple
forms in all countries and settings, it impacts millions of women, and
their communities, hampering development, and also costing countries
billions of dollars annually in healthcare costs and lost productivity.
In her opening statement, Michelle Bachelet, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director, has highlight five key areas for action:
- First, to strengthen implementation of laws, policies
and programmes for preventing and responding to violence against women
and girls.
- Second, to place more focus on preventing violence against women and girls.
- Third, to address prevention and response together as part of a comprehensive and coordinated strategy to be effective.
- Fourth, to establish comprehensive and accessible multi-sectoral services and responses is essential.
- Fifth, to have reliable data, analysis and research are
essential to inform the development of laws, policies and programmes on
violence against women and girls.
Commitments range from efforts for prevention, protection and
justice, such as more effective laws and national strategies, stronger
prosecution of violence cases, advocacy campaigns targeted to young
people and men, training of civil servants to detect violence cases, and
expanded public services, such as shelters.
At the Commission, UN Women urges Member States to strengthen global
norms and standards; and increase political commitment and action to end
the pandemic, believing strongly that violence against women is not
inevitable. It is possible to end this pandemic through determined
leadership for prevention, protection and provision of services for
survivors.
Governments who have committed so far are: Albania, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil,
Canada, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany,
Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Jamaica, Japan, Liberia, Mexico,
Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Occupied Palestinian Territory,
Papua New Guinea, Poland, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Serbia, Slovakia,
Spain, Sweden, Thailand, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, United States of America, and Viet Nam.
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UN CSW Opening Session |
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Michelle Bachelet |