The Permanent Committee on Human Rights hosted a dialogue session on violence against women and girls on the sidelines of the 57th regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, in cooperation with the League of Arab States, the United Nations Population Fund and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women..
The session highlighted the regional and global perspectives aimed at addressing this issue and ensuring the safety and rights of women and girls, provided a platform for exchanging best practices and strengthening legal frameworks and enforcement mechanisms aimed at protecting women and girls, and stressed the importance of addressing negative social norms that perpetuate violence against women and girls..
The session’s agenda included an assessment of the progress made and a discussion of future steps, and witnessed the participation of a group of prominent speakers, including His Excellency Jamal Juma Al Musharakh, Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, His Excellency Ambassador Hisham Bayoud, Head of the Mission of the League of Arab States in Geneva, Dr. Moza Al Shehhi, Director of the Liaison Office of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women in the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries, and Bernie Finger, Director of the United Nations Population Fund Office in Geneva, and moderated by Hind Al Owais, Director of the Permanent Committee on Human Rights..
In this regard, His Excellency Jamal Juma Al Musharrekh said: “Gender equality and women’s empowerment are values rooted in the history and culture of Emirati society. The UAE is committed to taking effective steps to ensure the rights of women and girls to safety and protection, by adopting advanced legislative and institutional frameworks and cooperating with regional and international partners to drive change globally. We stress the importance of adopting a comprehensive approach to confronting violence against women and girls.”“
In turn, His Excellency Ambassador Hisham Bayoud stressed the importance of regional cooperation in this regard, pointing to the success of the Arab Declaration to Combat All Forms of Violence against Women and Girls, which was launched in 2022, as a milestone in the efforts made to eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence..
His Excellency said that all women and girls have the right to live in safety and we are working in the Arab region to achieve this goal. The importance of cooperation in accelerating progress in this area and implementing strong regional frameworks to combat violence against them is highlighted.“
For her part, Dr. Moza Al Shehhi pointed out the importance of taking serious and coordinated measures to address this issue, while Bernie Finger stressed that violence against women and girls results from the absence of gender equality..
The event provided an opportunity for dialogue and interaction between speakers and experts with the aim of exchanging knowledge, cooperating and unifying efforts. It witnessed the participation of Minister Plenipotentiary Duaa Khalifa, Director of the Women’s Department at the League of Arab States, Reem Al Salem, Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences at the United Nations, Hannah Wu, Director of the Women’s Human Rights and Gender Affairs Section at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Sophia Kaltorp, Director of the Geneva Office and Chief of the Humanitarian Action Section at UN Women..
Reem Al Salem said that addressing violence against women and girls is a moral issue and a fundamental commitment to protecting human rights, calling for the need to address the root causes of this problem by adopting a practical approach based on two axes: calling for legislative changes, and influencing negative societal norms at the local, regional and international levels..
For her part, Hind Al Owais pointed out the importance of taking into account regional and global perspectives, saying that different regions around the world face diverse challenges and conflicts, while there are unique opportunities to address issues of violence against women and girls. She said that it is necessary to work in close coordination with local partners to develop customized policies and programs that are in line with local contexts..
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