From:TheBahamasWeekly.com
OAS on the Occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
By OAS
Nov 25, 2014 - 2:05:31 PM
Secretary
General Insulza Calls on the Region to Redouble Efforts for Gender
Equality on the Occasion of International Day for the Elimination of
Violence against Women
The
Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José
Miguel Insulza, called on the countries in the region to redouble their
efforts to end gender-based violence and exploitation, on the occasion
of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women."Despite
significant progress, much remains to be done. The life, security and
integrity of the majority of women and girls in the Americas are
consistently threatened and at risk from violence, exploitation and
trafficking," said Secretary General Insulza.
The OAS leader recalled that in recent decades there have been
several important steps in the right direction in the region. "Eight
countries now have comprehensive laws protecting the right of women to
live free from violence; twelve countries have data records in the
dimensions of violence in health, education and employment; and thirteen
States are preparing their budgets with specific items aimed at ending
violence against girls and women," he highlighted.
On the occasion of this year's commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the entry into force of the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women, known as the Convention of Belém do Pará, Secretary General Insulza recalled that the OAS Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM)
assessed the progress and challenges on the issue in a dozen regional
and national fora, in order to strengthen the Monitoring Mechanism (MESECVI) for analyzing the compliance with the obligations assumed by States upon ratification of the Convention of Belém do Pará.
In the area of justice, he said, "there has been progress in the
implementation of special procedures, training of judicial officers and
adoption of mechanisms for the protection of female victims of violence,
including addressing the legal status of indigenous women, female
Afro-descendants, imprisoned women, and women of different sexual
orientation, gender identity and expression."
However, the OAS Secretary General said that the region still
faces many challenges to ending violence against women. "We need
security policies that include a gender perspective and take into
account the violence that women and girls suffer inside and outside
their homes. We must ensure access to expeditious, timely and effective
legal remedies for women in cases of violence," he said.
"Moving forward on access to justice for female victims of
violence and systems of reparation is another major challenge," said
Secretary General Insulza, who noted that in the process of setting
priorities for the post-2015 development agenda it is important to
"recognize that the elimination of violence against women is essential
for their individual and social development and their full and equal
participation in all spheres of life, and thus for the development of
their countries."
The head of the multilateral institution said: "Today is an
opportunity to renew the commitment to prevent, punish and eradicate all
forms of violence against women and girls, as was established twenty
years ago in the Convention of Belém do Pará. On behalf of the OAS, we
are calling on the countries of the region to redouble their efforts to
fight this scourge and provide a more effective response to the violence
suffered by thousands of women and girls in our Hemisphere.”
For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.
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