United Nations A/HRC/23/NGO/64

General Assembly Distr.: General

22 May 2013

English only

Human Rights Council

Twenty-third session
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights,
civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development

Written statement* submitted by Liberal International, a

non-governmental organization in general consultative status
The Secretary-General has received the following written statement, which is circulated in
accordance with Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31.
[10 May 2013]

*
This written statement is issued, unedited, in the language(s) received from the submitting
non-governmental organization(s).

GE.13-13869
A/HRC/23/NGO/64

Elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against

women and girls
Liberal International (LI) welcomes the statement of the UN Special Rapporteur on
Violence against women, its causes and consequences, Ms. Rashida Manjoo, to the 57th
Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women in which she rightfully
acknowledged that impunity for the killings of women has become a global concern. LI
fully supports her conclusions that the responsibility to protect women and girls from
violence and discrimination lies primarily with the state. LI also firmly aligns with the
Special Rapporteurs final remarks that while it is important to apply due diligence in the
protection and prevention measures to eliminate such violence it is equally imperative to go
beyond the mere enactment of formal legal provisions.
Liberal International also welcomes the UN Secretary-Generals UNiTE campaign
initiative on ending violence against women and girls. Womens rights are top priority of
LIs human rights work and we have long advocated for the advancement of the role of
women in all aspects of societal life.

Stressing that:
it is a disgrace and a human injustice to see that in all corners of the world, violence
against women and girls in all of its facets, is still a very prevalent problem. Whether
it is the result of war or it is in the form of domestic abuse, violence against women
should be treated as a universal phenomenon as it does not have geographical or
cultural boundaries
violence against women and girls cannot be justified as an issue of religious or
ethnical affiliation as it constitutes a breach of basic human rights
harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation cannot be considered
as part of a religion, but as an act of violence as they cause short and long term harm
on women and girls physical, psychological, sexual, and reproductive health.
Possible physical complications include severe bleeding, problems urinating, cysts,
infections (including HIV), infertility, and complications in childbirth
approximately 100 to 140 million girls and women in the world have experienced
female genital mutilation/cutting, with more than 3 million girls in Africa annually
at risk of the practice
violence against women such as rape, forced labor and prostitution is often used as a
weapon in wars
worldwide, up to 50 percent of sexual assaults are committed against girls under 16
the first sexual experience of some 30 percent of women was forced
women and girls are 80 percent of the estimated 800,000 people trafficked across
national borders annually, with the majority (79 percent) trafficked for sexual
exploitation.
over 60 million girls worldwide are child brides, married before the age of 18,
primarily in South Asia (31.3 million) and sub-Saharan Africa (14.1 million) with
violence and abuse characterizing married life for many of these girls.
any law which criminalizes contraception is clearly discriminatory as it takes away
the basic right of every woman to decide what to do with her own body. Most
importantly any such law puts the lives of many women in danger as contraception

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is often necessary in order to prevent irreversible diseases as a result of sexual

violence.
ensuring equal access to education for all girls and women is a fundamental step
towards the elimination of gender discrimination and violence.
governments in regions of crisis must live up to their obligations by not only taking
measures to protect women and girls from violence but also by subsequently
prosecuting all those who do violate such measures.

Recognizing that:
women should be major stakeholders in conflict management and resolution in order
to prevent gender specific violence as the mere presence of women in negotiations
can change the focus and outcome of the decisions being made. Women can ensure
that proper psychological and medical care is given to female victims of conflict
violence and they can also provide the much needed comfort and support that such
victims are often lacking.
women have to be empowered by giving them the right tools as by empowering one
woman we are empowering her entire family, community and even country.
women and men are not valued as equal in many parts of the world which robs
women from the possibility to live the life they want, to realize their dreams, and
take their future into their own hands.
women have to be provided with a safe and nurturing environment where they are
cherished, respected and loved so that they are no longer victims but rather active
agents of change.
improving maternal health and reducing maternal mortality remains as a major
challenge in many countries throughout the world due to a lack of sufficient
preventive prenatal care, obstetrical care and family planning
often the role of the family can be a fundamental and influential foundation in its
function as inciter of violence such as female genital mutilation, honor battering and
even honor killing.
many countries around the world still lack laws against domestic violence with some
603 million women living in countries where domestic violence remains legal.

Liberal International recalls:

its resolution to the 59th Congress in Abidjan, Cote dIvoire on eliminating female
genital mutilation where LI called for the continued ratification and implementation,
through comprehensive legislation, of all international instruments that prohibit all
forms of female gender mutilation and for the effective sanctioning against the
perpetrators and propagators of this practice
its resolution to the 59th Congress in Abidjan, Cote dIvoire on improving maternal
health which LI called on all governments to provide the necessary funding for
reproductive and maternal health programs worldwide and to improve the access to
voluntary family planning and to emergency obstetric care when complications
arise, including interventions to reduce maternal death from unsafe abortions
its resolution to the 56th Congress in Cairo, Egypt titled Womens Rights are
Human Rights where LI called on the international community to act when
women's rights, including those related to sexual and reproductive health, are
violated, and to respect and protect women's rights in their political work

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Liberal International calls on the international community:

to take responsibility for ensuring that womens rights are enshrined in every UN
member states national legislation and all forms of violence against women and
girls are criminalized
to organize special educational campaigns aimed at the elimination of social and
cultural bias associated with violence against women and girls.
to ratify the UN Convention Against the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
Against Women
to exclude the Islamic Republic of Iran as a member of the UN Commission on the
Status of Women in light of the countrys discriminatory laws against women

Liberal International calls on all Arab countries which are developing their
democratic institutions after the Arab Spring:
to enshrine in both their constitutions and in every-day societal life the rights of
women so that they can enjoy full freedom in expressing their personal opinions,
beliefs, and convictions without fear of prosecution or stigmatization
to ensure that women play an important role in the process of constructing new
democracies, including by allowing for their full participation in political life, as the
best way of eliminating sex-based discriminatory laws and promoting and advancing
womens rights