Independent women human rights mechanisms are part of the solution to "push back the pushbacks and keep pushing back"

Statement by the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its Causes and Consequences

GENEVA (20 March 2019) – At the closing of the 63rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its Causes and Consequences (SRVAW) and the platform of independent United Nations and regional expert mechanisms on violence against women and women’s rights* join the Secretary-General on the call for strengthened efforts to fight against pushbacks on women’s rights in all regions of the world.

“As CSW63 draws to a close and we embark on the review of the 25 years of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, leading to CSW64 and beyond, it is time to support  the role and achievements of the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and other  independent women human rights mechanisms in working towards the elimination of violence against women and achievinggender equality.

 “Institutional cooperation among our independent mechanisms in line with the the initiative of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women would go a long way to be united against the odds posed by these retrogressive tendencies”, the experts added.

The recommendations of these women’s rights independent mechanisms are guiding  ongoing processes of incorporation and  implementation of the international and regional women’s human rights instruments, which is what is needed particularly in the face of rising regressive movements striving to curtailing women’s rights, autonomy, dignity and choice” the experts say.

To move towards a faster progress, increased support  is needed for the work of  independent UN and regional mechanisms on violence against women and women’s rights in order for them  to forcefully push back against the pushbacks which are blocking and slowing down progress in the elimination of structural discrimination, gender based violence against women, harmful gender stereotypes and patriarchal norms based on historically unequal power relations between women and men.  

“Women marches and movements, such as #MeToo and #NiUnaMenos and their various expressions across the world are demonstrating  the pervasiveness, pandemic and systematic nature of violence against women and need for global action.

Let us use the review process provided by the Beijing +25 to critically assess the role and potential of  each one of the mechanisms of this platform of independent United Nations and regional expert mechanisms on violence against women and women’s rights in order to strengthen their impact on the lives of women and girls around the world.

Stronger and interconnected independent and regional women human rights mechanisms are best placed to jointly guide implementation of the  international women’s rights instruments, the Beijing Platform for Action and 2030 SDG Agenda in it's goal no 5.

ENDS 
 
(*) The UN and regional women’s human rights mechanisms are as follows: Dubravka Šimonovic, Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences; Bandana Rana and Lia Nadaraia, members of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women; Ivana Radačić, Chair of the UN Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice; Feride Acar, President of the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence of the Council of Europe; Margarette May Macaulay, Rapporteur on the Rights of Women of the IACHR, Lucy Asuagbor, Special Rapporteur on Rights of Women in Africa and Sylvia Mesa, President of the Committee of Experts of the Follow-up Mechanism to the Belém do Pará Convention.