Lao PDR

UNDP News

07 March 2007

ENDING IMPUNITY FOR VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS

Violence against women and girls is increasingly recognized as one of the most serious and urgent challenges of our times. In all parts of the world, its very real and harmful effects on women and girls have been seen to impede the pursuit of development, peace and gender equality. The international community and civil society together have concluded that there are no circumstances that can excuse violence that targets women and girls: it is always a violation of their human rights, it is always a crime, and it is always unacceptable.

All too often, perpetrators of violence against women and girls go unpunished. Such impunity—viewed by many as equally widespread, and equally unacceptable, as the violence—is a key element in perpetuating that violence and discrimination. As long as impunity for violence against women and girls is accepted and tolerated by society, so too will society continue to accept and tolerate acts of violence.

But despite growing awareness of the magnitude of the problem, its dimensions, forms, consequences and costs—to both the individual and society at large—the political will to end the culture of impunity, and to effectively prevent and address violence against women and girls, has not yet materialized.

The theme of International Women's Day for 2007 is ‘Ending Impunity for Violence against Women and Girls'. International Women's Day is a reminder to those in positions of power, to policy makers, and ordinary citizens that despite efforts to stop harm to women and girls through practices such as sexual abuse, child labour and early and forced marriage we need to work together to bring about lasting change.

The ongoing impacts of discrimination and violence against girls are devastating: as many as 55 million girls continue to be left out of formal schooling; millions of school-aged girls work in domestic service; an estimated 40 per cent of child soldiers are girls; and of young people aged 15-25 living with HIV/AIDS globally, more than 60 per cent are female.

To understand the underlying causes of violence against women we must recognise that many still consider women to be unequal to men and believe that it is acceptable to dominate women. All people, including women and girls have the right to live a life free of violence, to deny this is to seriously infringe a person's human rights.

Raising the visibility and awareness of women's rights, and actively engaging men and boys, are important strategies for eliminating discrimination and violence and empowering women and girls. Adolescent boys need to be provided with opportunities to engage in constructive dialogue on gender identities and roles. Special attention is also necessary to focus on the prevention of early and repeat pregnancies and the control of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS.

Increasing access to education is fundamental to building self esteem and empowering women and girls. Girls' domestic labour, which is unregulated and largely invisible in many statistics, often, prevents them from getting an education. Girls may be forced to withdraw from school in order to take on a large share of domestic and child-rearing duties. Less participation in school and lower academic achievement in turn increase the likelihood that girls will one day live in poverty.

It was women's efforts that led to the 1979 adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), by all Governments including the Government of Lao PDR. The CEDAW is the principal international human rights instrument for women and girls. In its opening paragraph, the CEDAW reminds us that the United Nations Charter “…reaffirms faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women…”. It then goes on to define discrimination against women as any “ distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect … of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women … on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms…” The CEDAW, as well as many other legal instruments and negotiated outcomes of international conferences, upholds the rights of women and girls to a life free from violence.

Based on many international agreements, States have a recognized duty to respect, protect, promote and fulfil human rights. The crucial recognition that women's rights are human rights extended the State's responsibility to protecting women and girls from violence that targets them, which is an act of discrimination and violates their human rights. Thus, women and girls have a right to a life free of violence.

However, despite many efforts by States, UN organizations and agencies and civil society, progress on the ground in fighting violence and impunity has been insufficient and inconsistent in all parts of the world. Violence against women and girls cannot be eliminated unless there are sufficient resources and political will to effect change. Elimination of violence must be a priority at all levels -- local, national, regional and international -- and commitment demonstrated at the highest levels through sufficient resources and determined efforts.

Consistent with trends in most developing countries, women and girls in the Lao PDR experience a lower general status of living than men. The Millennium Development Goal 3 calls on countries to ensure that girls have equal access to education by 2015 and to improve empowerment of women. The Lao PDR still has many gender disparities. Women and girls continue to be disadvantaged in terms of access to educational opportunities. Fewer girls than boys are enrolled in school, and the proportion falls steadily as the level of education increases. In the Lao PDR the status of women and girls' education, health, and income opportunities is generally poorer in rural areas and more so among ethnic groups. Although the government of the Lao PDR has subscribed to the Beijing Platform for Action, CEDAW and other gender related conventions, gender mainstreaming still remains a challenge. While the NSEDP proposes to mainstream gender more fundamentally, specific support to the relevant institutions will be necessary to achieve this.

However, ending violence against women and girls is not the responsibility of the State alone but extends to everyone. It will take urgent action, at all levels, collectively and individually, to secure gender equality for women and girls, and to end the complacency which so often accompanies violence against them in the private sphere, allowing it to be seen as culturally acceptable or as inevitable. It is necessary to support and sustain a political and social environment in which violence against women and girls is not tolerated -- an environment in which friends, family members and neighbours, men and women together, will intervene to ensure that no perpetrators go unpunished.

We all share a responsibility to uphold basic human rights for women and girls, and to bring an end to discrimination and violence engendered in institutions, policies and everyday life. The United Nations has committed itself to developing policy and practices to prevent and address these issues, recognizing that it still has more to do. However, it cannot act alone; it needs the commitment and courage of all people to bring an end to impunity from violence against women and girls.

As part of International Women's Day Celebrations the United Nations are exhibiting images of women and girls in association with the First Lao Women's Art Exhibition at the National Faculty of Fine Arts.  The exhibition will run 6 - 11 March.

 UN Trust Fund supports work to end violence against women

In 1996, the United Nations General Assembly established a multi-national trust fund to support local, national and regional efforts to combat violence against women. Managed by UNIFEM, the UN Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence against Women began operations in 1997, and in its 10 years of existence this multilateral grant-making mechanism has distributed nearly US$13 million to 226 programmes in more than 100 countries. For more information, please visit: www.unifem.org/campaigns/trust_fund_10th_anniversary.

One-Stop Centres

First developed in Malaysia , One-Stop Centres are models for providing to victims and survivors of domestic or sexual violence the services of many agencies in one location. After medical treatment, the victim-survivor receives counseling. If returning home could place the victim in danger, alternative arrangements are made, such as admitting her to an emergency shelter or a hospital ward. Victim/patients are encouraged to file police reports and to follow up with appropriate service providers at a later date. In cases involving serious injury, police can record the patient's statement in a medical setting to initiate an investigation. This model is currently being replicated in much of Asia as well as in other countries, including South Africa .