Remarks by H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly
23 June 2022
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Her Excellency Mrs. Jeannette Kagame, First Lady of Rwanda,
Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall,
His Excellency Taneti Maamau, President of Kiribati
The Right Honourable Patricia Scotland QC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth,
Her Excellency Amina J. Mohammed, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Deputy Secretary General,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
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Violence against women was pervasive even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting 1 in 3 women and girls worldwide.
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Yet the virus¡¯s emergence has compounded the underlying realities of sexism and gender-based violence.
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Since its spread, 1 in every 2 women report that they, or a woman they know, have experienced some form of violence and abuse.
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This silent and hidden ¡°shadow pandemic¡± reached alarming heights as the isolation and social distancing measures, enacted to contain viral spread, placed many victims in lockdown with their abusers. Very often those abusers were their own partners or spouses.??
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When we speak of COVID-19¡¯s exacerbation of gender-based violence, we must realize that the underlying issue is not the virus itself, but the fundamental imbalance of power in our societies.
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This imbalance is rooted in the belief that violence towards women and girls is normal or appropriate behavior, and is condoned by society.?
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Violence against women and girls takes many forms. This includes sexual assault, domestic violence, female genital mutilation, so called ¡°honour¡± crimes, and forced marriage.
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This violence is ongoing. As we speak, an additional 13 million girls are at risk of forced marriage.?
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Excellencies,
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Violence against women and girls is not only a human rights violation which upends the security and safety of its victims, but it also impedes women and girls¡¯ chances of being full and equal participants in society.
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The trauma and scars of abuse can endure for the entirety of their lives. Children in violent households are 3 to 9 times more likely to be injured and abused.
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Violence and the threat of violence can stop girls from going to school, from being able to choose if and who they marry, and from reaching their full potential.
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Throughout history conflict has also played a major role in the exacerbation of gender-based violence. As an example, the violence endured by women and girls during the genocide against the Tutsi had severe impacts on the lives of victims and survivors, on their families, and on the country at large.
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These physical and psychological consequences cannot be overstated and must be addressed.
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It is important that we combat violence against women and girls by empowering them, and by reversing the legacies of gender inequality. This will require addressing discriminatory attitudes and beliefs, gender stereotypes, and social norms that tolerate and perpetuate violence and abuse.
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Parents, educators, and policymakers all share a collective responsibility to challenge the underlying belief that violence is a normal means of communication for boys and men. The Education Summit in 2022 will be a useful opportunity to leverage momentum and to promote principles of equality through education initiatives.?
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Media also has a role to play in challenging harmful gender norms, including stereotypes that idealize violence and aggression in men and boys, and submissiveness in women and girls.
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Ending gender-based discrimination and violence is a global priority that requires urgent collective action, which needs to be consistent with and incorporated into our recovery from Covid-19 policies.
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As we endeavor to get back on track to meeting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we must keep in mind that eradicating violence against women is critical to achieving each and every one of the SDGs.
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One of the most impactful levers to combat violence against women and girls is SDG5, which directly mandates us to not merely ¡®promote¡¯ but to ¡®achieve¡¯ gender equality.?
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Solutions must be context-specific and should speak to different regions and countries¡¯ needs.
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And those solutions must tap into the efforts and expertise of stakeholders across the board, harnessing the energies of all of society.
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Towards that end, I am glad that this event will see the Official Launch of the Guidelines for the Implementation of the Whole Systems Approach in Addressing Violence Against Women.
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These guidelines will strengthen our approach to implementing comprehensive and holistic policies and strategies to ending gender-based violence.
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In that same spirit, I take the opportunity to congratulate the Government of Rwanda for the innovative and holistic approaches taken to end violence against women and girls, and child domestic abuse, through the Isange One Stop Centre model.
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This initiative was launched by Rwanda in 2009 to facilitate victims¡¯ access to support services, such counselling, filing police reports, and legal counsel. Many similar centers have opened in the country since, and these efforts are highly commendable.
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Friends,
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We must promote women¡¯s and girls¡¯ autonomy and choice. And we must guarantee the right of women and girls to live a life free from violence. In these endeavors, we must redouble our collective efforts.
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The path to preventing and combatting violence against women lies in the improvement of protection and services for survivors, and in the implementation of measures to ensure their safety and security.
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It is our duty to work together on initiatives and mechanisms to prevent this systematic problem from being exacerbated.
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Prevention is the only way to stop violence before it even occurs.
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Together, we can tackle the roots of the problem rather than simply addressing its symptoms.
Together, WE can say NO MORE, and we can eliminate violence against women and girls everywhere.
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I thank you.