Commission on Status of Women

Topic: A

Elimination of Violence Against Women in Developing Nations

CSW Topic A

Afghanistan

Violence against women is the concern of everyone at a global level. When suffering abuse in any manifestation, the potential of a woman in the economic, political, and social arena is severely stunted, as out of fear, they are often forced into suppressing their thoughts, beliefs, and aspirations. Creating a secure environment for women- free of intimidation, violence, and fear, as outlined in the National Action Plan for Women in Afghanistan (NAPWA)- Afghanistan realizes, is the first and most vital step towards actualizing Afghan women’s recent constitutional right to equality and achieving a total reconstruction of the status of women in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan recognizes the issue of gendered violence’s prominence within the country. 87.2 % of Afghan women are reported to have experienced at least some form of violence, consisting of child marriage, forced marriage or prostitution, and sexual, physical, or psychological abuse. Within the past decade, Afghanistan has seen a significantly progressive shift in its protection of women from violence. The Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) law came into fruition from Afghanistan’s signing on CEDAW. However the progress has come to a slow as in 2013, violence against women rates increased and legislations that would make marital rape legal and testifying against family members in court illegal, sabotaging most opportunities Afghan women have to escape their abusers, were nearly passed by President Karzai, rendering his loosely enforced EVAW more of a token effort.

The effort towards enfranchisement of Afghanistan’s women is a non-negotiable issue. Afghanistan recognizes that in order to create a secure environment for its women, passing and consistently enforcing legislations that incriminate forced and child marriages, marital rape, domestic violence, and the eventual abolishment of laws that are contrived specifically to devastate a woman’s autonomy, such as Adultery being a crime punishable by death, as well as electing vastly more significant staffs of women into government positions to uphold and pass the legislations, is key. Suppression of fundamentalist organizations, and protection from female public figures and women’s group from them as well, are a crucial facet to creating security. Going into his presidency, newly elected Ghani stressed his desire to expand Afghan women’s rights and appoint women specifically into the Supreme court, and if President Ghani implements these plans, NAPWA efforts will be greatly expedited. In recent years “it has become Afghanistan’s goal to eliminate discrimination against women, develop their human capital, and promote their leadership in order to guarantee their full and equal participation in all aspects of life.” (NAPWA)

CSW Topic A

References

1.) AFP. "UN: Afghan Women's Rights in Balance as 2014 Pull-out Looms."Dawn.Com. Dawn, 29 July 2013. Web. 02 Oct. 2014. <http://www.dawn.com/news/1032747/un-afghan-womens-rights-in-balance-as-2014-pull-out-looms>.

2.) Amnesty International, Afghanistan: Seven-point human rights agenda for President Ghani, 28 September 2014, ASA 11/010/2014, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/542ba86d4.html [accessed 2 October 2014]

3.) Domínguez, Gabriel. "UN: Violence against Women in Afghanistan 'pandemic'" Www.dw.de. DW, 22 Oct. 2013. Web. 2 Oct. 2014. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dw.de%2Fun-violence-against-women-in-afghanistan-pandemic%2Fa-17171157>.

4.) Hendra, John. "In Afghanistan It Is Critical to Sustain and Deepen Women's Rights, Says UN Women Official." HeadQuarters. UN Women, 28 Oct. 2013. Web. 02 Oct. 2014. <http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2013/10/john-hendra-visits-afghanistan>.

5.) Ministry of Women's Affairs. "National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan." - Ministry of Women's Affairs. Ministry of Women's Affairs: Afghanistan, 2008. Web. 02 Oct. 2014. <http://mowa.gov.af/en/page/6686>.

6.) Naderi, Manizha. "A Law That Would Permit Afghan Men to Hurt and Rape Female Relatives." TheGuardian. Com. The Guardian, 6 Feb. 2014. Web. 2 Oct. 2014. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fcommentisfree%2F2014%2Ffeb%2F06%2Flaw-afghan-men-hurt-rape-female-relatives-karzai>.

7.) Straziuso,Jason. "New Afghan Leader Promises Equal Rights for Women." ABC News. ABC News Network, 22 Sept. 2014. Web. 02 Oct. 2014. <http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/afghan-leader-woman-supreme-court-25667909>.

8.) UN Commission on the Status of Women, The situation of women and girls in Afghanistan, 30 December 2005, E/CN.6/2006/5, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/46c5b3080.html [accessed 2 October 2014]

9.) UN Women. "On International Women's Day UN Calls for Full and Speedy Implementation of the Law on Elimination of Violence against Women in Afghanistan." HeadQuarters. UN Women, 8 Mar. 2012. Web. 02 Oct. 2014. <http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2012/3/on-international-women-s-day-un-calls-for-full-and-speedy-implementation-of-the-law-on-elimination-o>.

10.)UN Women. "UN Women Launches Multi-Province Project on Ending Violence against Women in Afghanistan." HeadQuarters. UN Women, 20 Oct. 2011. Web. 02 Oct. 2014. <http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2011/10/un-women-launches-multi-province-project-on-ending-violence-against-women-in-afghanistan

CSW Topic A

Chad

Violence against women is a form of subjugation, and is merely enforced by ignorance, bred by fear of change, and maintained by an addiction to a position of power. This violence needs to be stopped. If we, as an international community, seek to continue advancement of our world, there needs to be equal rights between men and women, not only legally established but enforced as well. In the Republic of Chad, although women may legally have equal rights, it is far from the actual case. Although laws dictate that they are legal equals to men, they are often victims of violent crimes whose attackers are never brought to justice. These crimes range from genital mutilation, rape, beatings, brutal murders, and many more horrible acts. Women are treated less than human, and more like property- like slaves. They are bought and sold. Many women never gain a formal education- they are sold off to be married before they finish school. In Chad it is a widespread issue, and women have no protection- they cannot turn to their government, they only have each other. As a UN member, when we fail to be able to help our own people, we request international assistance from the UN to assist those in need.

Only over the past few decades Chad has been a republic, and even within those years it has still been in turmoil. In 1996, six years after the dictatorship in Chad was overthrown, a new constitution was put in place by a referendum. In 1998, a rebellion in northern Chad broke out, which was followed in succession by more internal conflict. Rebel groups based in their neighboring country, Sudan, also repeatedly attacked them despite peace agreements in 2006 and 2007. Since the last attack, the country has experienced some peace, with the exception of a coup that was stopped in 2013. In January 2014, Chad was given a seat on the UN Security Council. Also, since 1963, Chad has been a member of the AU (African Union), and only recently become a more prominent member. Chad has had a history of conflict and unrest, and only now seems to be arriving at a more stable status, still a developing nation.

The key first step in eliminating violence against women is to have Chad ratify the Maputo Protocol. Chad has signed the Maputo Protocol, but has not yet ratified it. The Maputo Protocol is a comprehensive protocol that was presented to the AU that gives women equal social, political, education, and economic rights, leaves their reproductive health in their control, and seeks to end female genital mutilation. The majority of the AU has ratified the Protocol, yet Chad still holds out. Ratifying it would be another act of good will showing support for equality, and making sure that women are treated fairly. The main issue in Chad is that when women are assaulted, raped, or denied their rights, the local government either doesn’t take action or takes minimal action. The Protocol will help establish consequences for the officials, and severe consequences for the offenders. Until leadership stands against the offenses, they will continue as accepted practices.

CSW Topic A

Works Cited

ACHPR. ACHPR, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2014. <http://www.achpr.org/instruments/women-

protocol/>.

African Union. African Union, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2014. <http://www.au.int/en/about/nutshell>.

Central Intelligence Agency. United States of America, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.

<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cd.html>.

"Chad." Global Issues in Context. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.

<http://find.galegroup.com/gic/infomark.do?

docType=GREF&prodId=GIC&type=retrieve&version=1.0&idigest=f6ce18985c4f6077

4dd4af30baaf53fd&userGroupName=radn33676&docId=CP3208530032&contentSet=G

REF&source=gale>.

"Chad." Make Every Women Count. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.

<http://www.makeeverywomancount.org/index.php?

option=com_fjrelated&view=fjrelated&id=101&Itemid=100>.

CSW Topic A

Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a good place to be a woman. We ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of

Discrimination against Women, the international women’s bill of rights, in 1986, and its Optional

Protocol in 2001, all allowing equal opportunities for women and ensuring o violence is brought upon

them. Costa Rica has the proper principal to promoting gender equality and advancement

of women everywhere, especially in Developing Nations. This includes the effort on

eliminating violence against women in Developing Nations.

Costa Rica is extremely excited to work with other countries to work on solutions

to make better conditions and safety for women in developing nations. We call for the

creation and enforcement on national laws to bring awareness and punish acts of gender violence

against women. Most of the violence that takes place against women is because people are

uneducated. In developing nations, people do not learn about human rights and how we are all equal

either because there is no school or they can’t afford education. It is important that we start the

education process early in the person’s life so they do not become corrupt. These education programs

should instill morally correct values that will give young men the intellect to surpass their aggressive

ways and treat each human being with respect.

In Costa Rica, women hold important national political office and are international representatives of Costa Rica. Women are Costa Rican lawmakers, sit in national cabinet positions, and are leaders of top educational institutions. As you can see above, we have already made equal opportunities for women and respect them greatly. We ensure that if you work with Costa Rica the safety of women will be number one priority.

CSW Topic A

Djibouti

In Djibouti, 21- year old nurse, Siti Robitu is involved in a passionate argument with her parents. At the center of the argument is Siti’s innocuous, 4 year old daughter. Siti’s parents are urging her to have her daughter circumcised, and Siti is strongly opposed to this, as a nurse, understanding the gravity of the physical and psychological implications of the procedure. This scenario is commonplace throughout Djibouti. As in a majority of the world, the subjugation of women is ubiquitous issue in Djibouti. This oppression manifest itself in a myriad of ways, primarily via violence. In Djibouti, women are faced unegalitarian policy that leaves them with lack of mobility and legal standing in cases of marital rape, domestic abuse and violence. Although, Djibouti has made remarkable strides towards and has committed itself to addressing violence against women, vocalized by president Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, who stated that the country was “firmly resolved to...eradicate” violence against women, by passing legislation that makes rape, particularly marital rape, punishable by law, primarily Articles 324 and 325 of the Djibouti Penal Code, the issue of female circumcision is still a significant obstacle, as elucidated by Margo Waterval, a member of the Human Rights Committee, “There are a lot of improvements going on in Djibouti...but there still are still some concerns.. think of female circumcision”. Female circumcision or Female Genital Mutilation(FGM), is an archaic practice, that is prevalent in rural, non-urbanized areas in which traditions are held in high regard. FGM is the method by which young girls, typically between the ages of seven and ten, have their clitorises and other vaginal organs removed in order to, theoretically, suppress their sexual desires and enable them to maintain their purity and resist the urge to be promiscuous. Unfortunately, circumcisions are typically badly carried out and lead to incontinence, infertility, profuse bleeding and psychological trauma for those who undergo the procedure, as evidenced by Djibouti’s abnormally high maternal death rate. Despite the obvious health concerns, approximately 98% of Djibouti’s female population has undergone FGM. Upon the urging of some of the population and world organizations such as the United Nations, Djibouti has sought to eradicate female circumcision. They have partnered with other countries such as Sierra Leone, another country in which the practice is popular, to create widespread outreach programs to educate people about the risks and health concerns to discourage people from partaking, but these endeavors have seen limited success.

Furthermore, in the future Djibouti hopes to continue to employ these outreach programs. We hope to improve upon these efforts but amending the budget and allocating more money to this effort. Djibouti strives to build more health care and educational facilities in rural areas, to promote these outreach programs. The Djibouti government also hopes to form stronger bonds with non-government organizations that seek to abolish the traditional practice, as they have experience more success in their outreach programs. In order to accomplish these goals, Djibouti looks to the UN and partner countries for fiscal and social guidance, to implement these measures.

Bibliography:

CSW Topic A

http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/2013/10/un-committee-urges-djibouti-to-curb-violence-against-women/

http://www.refworld.org/docid/4dd21e532.html

http://www.wluml.org/node/2353

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/jul/22/fgm-female-genital-mutilation-somalia-guinea-djibouti-egypt-sierra-leone

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3598278/#!po=5.55556

http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/faculty/rwinslow/africa/djibouti.html

CSW Topic A

Namibia

According to the United Nations, violence is defined as “any act of gender-based

violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to

women, including threats of such acts: coercion, or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether

occurring in public or in private life.” In Namibia, violence against women is a very prevalent

issue. Our country has made many attempts to control this problem but it just won’t seem to

subside.

Namibia faces numerous challenges in eliminating female violence.  This is due to the

fact that Namibia is a country with a very high rate of violent crimes committed against women.

Studies show that in 1999, more than ⅕ of violent crimes were related to domestic violence. Of

86% of those cases, the victims were females. While we have been campaigning and protesting

in opposition to this problem, violence against women just won’t seem to subside. As previously

mentioned, our country has made many attempts to stop violence against women. Several

programs have enforced to help expel this matter of contention such as LAC and NAMEC. The

Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) held a Men Against Violence Against Women consultation to

raise awareness. They developed public events at bars, churches, etc. and visited schools all

around the country. As for the NAMEC, not only are they against violence, but they try to

change it. They have worked with several women groups including Women's Action for

Development ,Sister Magazine, Women Solidarity, and the Multi-Media Campaign Against

Violence Against Women and Children.  During his new years speech in 2010, president

Hifikepunye Pohamba made the following statement: "As Namibians, we must stand together

and declare with one voice that these crimes and crimes of any other kind have no place in our

CSW Topic A

society. I urge the law enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned in pursuing the culprits

who attack helpless women, children and elderly,"

(http://www.peacewomen.org/news_article.php?id=2747&type=news).

As a way to resolve this issue, we raise awareness and come together as a country with

our organizations. Hopefully, more and more citizens will join us help end violence against

women once and for all.

http://www.peacewomen.org/news_article.php?id=2747&type=news

http://www.lac.org.na/projects/grap/Pdf/artdevjour.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Mevava/Violence_Against_Women_in_Namibia

CSW Topic A

Netherlands

“Violence against women poisons, and can ultimately disrupt an entire society.” –Jet Bussemaker, Minister of Education, Culture and Science of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Violence against women is a universal issue. Whether in a fully developed nation or a completely underdeveloped nation, violence against women is present. Currently in the Netherlands, violence against women is a major issue and is the most common type of violence in the Netherlands. Over 84% of women in the Netherlands have reported sexual harassment, and 40% of Dutch women have reported domestic violence. The Netherlands is working tirelessly to provide a solution in its kingdom, and hopes that no other country has to deal with the terror of violence against women that the Dutch people have to endure. In the Netherlands, many actions have been taken to prevent violence against women. These actions include, but are not limited to: the addition of support and advice centers to console victims of domestic abuse, a greater involvement of the authorities and police when it comes to violence against women, the creation of women’s shelters for women to escape from danger, offender treatment programs, which help the violators, national support, consisting of awareness through ad campaigns, law, and legislation, and an increase in restraining orders.

The Netherland acknowledges that the ways that they chose to combat violence against women may not be as effective in developing nations. The Netherland has created The Funding Leadership and Opportunities for Women (FLOW) through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to assist women in developing countries in many ways, but its main priority is ending violence against women. The Netherlands has also adopted a statement, along with six other nations, to further explore ways to end violence against women in the World Health Organization.

The Netherlands feels that there are many ways to end violence against women in developing countries. They are as follows: shelters and centers for women who have experienced violence, a greater involvement of government on the matter, help for the offenders, and law and legislation. These are all short-term goals. The Netherlands’ long-term goal is for women and men to have equality in developing nations. The only way for violence to truly stop is if men and women are equals, so that women are not inferior and are abused because of that fact. Gaining equality for women in these developing nations will be a struggle. Many of these nations have national religions, cultures, and customs that view women as inferior. The only way to end this is by changing a country’s culture. In the United States declined in domestic partner violence between 1993 and 2010 by 66%. How? By changing the culture. So, the culture of these countries must be slightly tweaked to allow the equality of women to prevent violence.

CSW Topic A

Turkey

Violence against women has been a growing concern around the world, especially in developing countries. Amnesty International, a human rights group, has reported that, “Up to a half of all women in Turkey have been victims of violence.” ("Turkey Fails to Protect Women."). Turkey, which is a developing nation, is vehemently against violence towards women and has created many laws to try to solve this problem. However, these laws have not been as effective as the country had hoped.

Women all over the world, especially in developing countries, are often considered lesser to their male counterparts. They often face violence not only at home, but also in public. This continuous violence not only affects the social image of a woman but will also cause the current development of equality amongst the sexes along with the goals of peace among the human race in other countries to become gridlocked. According to Bianet, an independent Turkish Press, there are an estimated 167 cases of rape or attempted rape of women or girls in 2013. Another 853 women have been killed in Turkey since the start of the decade (Seibert, Thomas). Many amendments have been made to try to dissipate the violence in all environments in an effort to protect young women and girls. Many other amendments have also been passed in Turkey to raise women's’ statuses to that of a man. Shelters to help women and many women’s rights groups have also been created as a haven to those who are struggling with abuse.       

Turkey realizes that failure to enforce the laws that were created to protect women will allow the violence to continue and possibly escalate. Turkey also recognizes that without proper encouragement women will not stand up for their rights. Nor will they learn more about laws that are there to protect them. Turkey will work on creating self-defense and empowering programs for women that can be taught in school, during work, or even through the uses of social media. This way, if a woman was placed in a violent situation, she may have the skills necessary to protect herself or other women. These programs will not substitute the police force or laws however. The country also plans to raise awareness between each gender, and influence the male population to cease the violent acts upon their equal counterparts through the same environments as the self-defense programs. These programs will also encourage women to stand against the abuse. Turkey plans to build more shelters so women can easily find refuge if they, and even their children, require a safe place to stay. Turkey will also increase the awareness of abuse amongst women to the police force, and will have these trained law enforcement officers take these cases seriously and protect the women from future harm from her abuser. They will be expected to hold strong to the law and protect all Turkish citizens, whether one is male or female.  By enforcing these changes, Turkey hopes to reduce the overall violence towards women and, in the near future, get rid of it once and for all.

Bibliography:

"Middle East: Turkey." Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2014.Sahin, Fatma. "Check Against Delivery." General Discussion of the 57th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (2013): n. pag. UN Women. CSW. Web. 5 Oct. 2014.

CSW Topic A

Seibert, Thomas. "Laws Fail to Stop Violence Against Women in Turkey." Al-monitor. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2014. "Turkey Fails to Protect Women." BBC News. BBC, 06 Feb. 2004. Web. 04 Oct. 2014.Ukraine

Across the world, violence is widespread and shows itself in many different ways. Violence against women, in particular, has occurred for thousands of years, coupled with the systematic oppression of the female gender, and although the brutality inflicted upon women has lessened somewhat, it is far from eradicated, and remains an issue that must always be in the forefront of our minds. In Ukraine, this prevalent and pressing issue plagues the nation as civil unrest and armed conflict increases throughout the region. As ethnic tension escalated in March after Crimea broke away from Ukraine, the military conflict and fighting has affected hundreds of citizens, many of them women. The UN Refugee Agency estimates as of August that the majority of internally displaced persons in Ukraine are women and children. Furthermore, although Ukraine’s constitution prohibits gender discrimination, and two gender equality laws were passed in 2006 and 2012, violence (in all forms) continues to remain an issue that goes unaddressed and underrepresented in public conversation. Unfortunately, however, violence against women makes up 90% of all reported cases of violence in Ukraine, and though several more laws have been passed to lessen these statistics, there are flaws in them, and the problem persists.

In 2001, the Ukrainian Parliament adopted its first law addressing domestic violence, leading to the Cabinet of Ministers to issue a decree to law enforcement officials providing proper protocol on the matter, and prompting the Ministries of Internal Affairs, and Family, Game, and Sport, to issue a joint order to ease regulations and present guidelines in order for all departments of government in Ukraine to work efficiently and effectively together to eradicate the dilemma of domestic violence, particularly against women. Several other laws and amendments were made in years following to help raise public awareness of the issue, and to create stricter protocols for the nation to adhere to. Despite these enactments and statutes, Ukraine’s oversight on portions of these laws harmed abused women further, for in the nation, domestic violence is not seen in court under criminal law, but instead under bodily injuries. The steady and positive progress against violence against women continues, however, as in 2011, Ukraine became the seventeenth nation on the Council of Europe to sign the Istanbul Convention, a convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. In 2013, Ukraine’s Parliament attempted to enact a bill to modify their national legislative framework to align with the requirements of the Istanbul Convention. Instead, a new Code of Criminal Procedure was passed, further endangering victims of violence by preventing the accused from being kept from their place of residence for more than three hours.

In the Ukraine, domestic violence is a national issue, with one in six women reporting experiencing it during their life, and eight percent in the last year. Due to insufficient government funding, there are few women’s shelters, but in recent years, law enforcement has been stepping up as a response to a growing intolerance for domestic and gender-based violence. In 2001, the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act was passed. This law defined domestic violence as physical, sexual, psychological, or economic, and outlined how to prevent and get help for domestic violence, as well as increasing

CSW Topic A

education campaigns. In 2009, a law was passed allowing police to jail those who had been accused of domestic violence. Overall, Ukraine has realized what is needed to institute change and how to change their actions regarding gender-based violence. The Ukraine hopes to initiate similar declarations on a global scale with the help of the U.N. Education is the best way to prevent future violence against women, but attitudes are developed early on. Thus, we should implement education programs in primary and secondary schools in developing countries to teach young children what to do prevent violence, and to respond to gender-based violence. In addition to this, we should aim to create safe spaces for women who have been abused and need help. Overall, this is an important issue and should be addressed immediately and with great care.

Works Cited

"Ukraine." Social Institutions & Gender Index. n.d. Web. October 6, 2014 <http://genderindex.org/country/ukraine>

L. Kuchma, “Law on Prevention of Domestic Violence (2001)” n.p. 2014. Web. October 6, 2014 <http://www.legislationline.org/documents/id/5052>

V. Bondarovska, “Combating Violence Against Women in Ukraine” n.p. April 2013. Web. October 7, 2014 <http://www.unwla.org/PDF/2013/Combating%20Violance%20Against%20Women%20in%20Ukrain.pdf>

“Violence Against Women in Ukraine” The Advocates for Human Rights. N.d. Web. October 7, 2014 <http://www.stopvaw.org/ukraine>

“Domestic Violence in Ukraine” Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights. December 2000. Web. October 7, 2014 <http://www.theadvocatesforhumanrights.org/uploads/ukrainereport.pdf>

“Ukraine - Domestic Violence - Blaming the victim” Amnesty International. N.d. Web. October 7., 2014 <http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/EUR50/005/2006/en/692d5294-d3d7-11dd-8743-d305bea2b2c7/eur500052006en.pdf>

J. Gary, N.S. Rubin, PhD “When will violence against women and girls stop in developing countries? The struggle continues” American Psychological Association. June 2013. Web. October 7, 2014. <http://www.apa.org/international/pi/2013/06/un-matters.aspx>

CSW Topic A

United Kindgdom

According to a 2013 global review, 35% of women worldwide have experienced either

physical and/or partner violence or non-partner violence during their lifetime. In the United

Kingdom alone 7.3% of women, about 1.2 million, experienced domestic violence and over

330,000 women were sexually assaulted in the year of 2013. Less than half of all incidents of

violence are reported to the police in the UK.  Women in urban areas are twice as likely as men

to experience violence, particularly in developing countries. In general, women are more likely

than men to be the victim of abuse, of different types of domestic abuse, and in sexual violence.

England currently allocates nearly £40 million of funding for  local support groups and

national helplines. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary has reviewed and improved the

domestic violence police response after finding systemic failures in the protocol. The National

Group on Sexual Violence against Children and Vulnerable People has been set up in the United

Kingdom. This offers protection to anyone anywhere, while working to prevent sexual abuse

from happening in the first place. Finally, the UK government has set up Women's Aid, a

national charity working to end domestic violence against women and children.

Enforcing educational programs and activities in older students at schools has been effective in

preventing future violent acts towards women. Also, young adults involved in any abusive

relationship were more likely to report the violence after participating in certain programs and

campaigns. Educating communities about violence and women’s rights can help end violence

against women. Just by bringing greater attention to violence against women can help end the

worldwide epidemic.

CSW Topic A

Denmark

Cruelty and violence towards women is a problem that the United Nations works to resolve.

Throughout the past few centuries, the occurrence of sexual and nonsexual violence towards women

has made a steady decline. However, in developing countries, this is not the case. In our society,

violence against women is looked down upon and is generally thought of as unacceptable, but in

developing countries it is not. Sometimes it is even encouraged! Denmark believes that while gender

equality and nonviolence is extremely important, it is not the biggest problem the U.N has when dealing

with developing nations. Denmark shows that it has gender equality through the importance of women

in Denmark’s society. Denmark just does not think that it is a big enough issue to be too radical, or go to

war.

The U.N gives much attention to the issue of violence against women. In 1993, it was declared a

responsibility for all countries in the U.N to respect this issue and support women. The overall issue of

women’s rights has been discussed since the U.N’s founding. Article 1 of the founding charter of the U.N

states that, “To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic,

social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights

and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.” This

stresses that the U.N believes in the idea that “everyone is created equal.”

Denmark is committed to the prevention of war over this issue, but hopes there can be a

resolution that has the ability to solve this problem in the future. The goal of Denmark is to ultimately

promote the idea that women are equal. Ultimately, Denmark recommends a peaceful means of trying

to end violence against women. Denmark promises that it will forever promote peace and equality

throughout the world.

CSW Topic A

France

Developing nations fall victim to the disastrous effects of violence against women.

Women in such countries suffer from domestic abuse, rape, and female circumcision. In some

countries women are born into these circumstances because of tradition. A recent study indicates

that domestic abuse is increasing with each succeeding year, thus it is the United Nations duty to

find a solution to this problem. This misconduct of human beings will ultimately result in a

corrupt, inhumane world. Already we have witnessed the mutation of genitalia, mass rapings,

and several hundred cases of domestic abuse around the world. As ambassadors of France, we

believe that the elimination of violence against women is a priority.

Human beings should not be persecuted for their gender, they should not be mishandled

because of their biological make up. Over the years, France has been building up a society that

can deal with the corruption that goes on around the world. We have had policemen go through

specific training to aid a women that were physically and mentally mistreated. We created

campaigns such as SÈcretariat aux droits des femmes that advocate for the elimination of

violence. We give women the voice that they need to help individuals globally. It is our duty as a

developed country to fully aid those women who are going through such horrible conditions. We

can do this by educating the public. When the public is aware of the corruption going on in their

own country, they are more prone to condone these horrible men who abuse women. Second, we

can petition for laws to be made. By establishing legally over an issue, women will be able to

walk freely, knowing that they are protected under the government.

CSW Topic A

Slovak Republic

In the ever modernizing world that exists today, it would be nice to think that violence

against women is no longer a pressing issue; however, in some underdeveloped or developing

countries violence against women is still rampant. Therefore, the prevention of heinous violent

acts against women must be addressed with haste. As a young country ourself, The Republic of

Slovakia has been very sensitive to the issue of violence targeting women. In 2004 Slovakia

passed the National Strategy for Prevention and Elimination of Violence against Women and in

Families, an act that focuses on domestic violence. Slovakia then focused in on issues for

women in 2005 with the adoption of the National Action Plan for Prevention and Elimination of

Violence against Women for years 2005-2008. This plan laid out steps to curb violence against

women in EU countries. The Republic of Slovakia has also taken steps in its own legislation to

increase penalties for violence against women including domestic abuse and cases of rape.

These pieces of legislation help to give tools to the victims of such attacks so that they can regain

power and help reduce motivations for those perpetrating these acts.

Unfortunately though, many developing countries do not have the infrastructure to

enforce laws such as those passed in Slovakia. This makes it difficult hold perpetrators

responsible for their actions and doesn’t address the root problem. For cases such as those

mentioned before, The Republic of Slovakia believes that education is the best way stop violence

against women. In many parts of the world, uneducated populations preserve the false ideals that

women are inferior to men. This lapse in education gives men false justification to act against

women, and simply continues the atrocities that take place. Slovakia requires school attendance

for ten years and this has led to a generally well educated population. Slovakia believes that

CSW Topic A

education will be invaluable to the populations of developing countries in the stop of violence

and should be encouraged whenever possible. History has shown that violence against women

and other groups of people decreases as a country becomes more developed, so another method

of decreasing violence is encouraging development of these countries.

CSW Topic A

Somalia

According to a 2013 WHO global study, 35 percent of women in the world have experienced either physical or sexual violence. According to other national studies, 70 percent of women is suffering due to the lack of awareness about the importance of the basic rights of women. Somalia, as a developing nation, has issues concerning women. One of these problems, shared by the society of developing nations, is the lack of acknowledgement of women’s power; specifically, that women was in a lower position than men throughout history. The spread of this awareness is critical to growth in women’s rights. However, this problem is not remained unsettled.

Somalia has found the major cause of violence against women. Since long time ago, women have always been the weak compared to men. Due to their physical strength, women showed less efficiency in working which caused the men to do all the tasks and works. This eventually led to the androcentric society and women’s status decreased. Well, as time passed, the society started to focus on the technological aspect more than physical aspect and women were able to take parts in the society more. However, this also depends on the development of the society. In advanced countries, women had taken a lot of advantages and gained more rights than before. On the contrary, in developing countries, women aren’t still properly treated. Somalia emphasizes the importance of imprinting women’s rights and proper respect towards women. It is hard for people to know the importance just by informing them. Therefore, CSW sought an effective way.

Every November 25th

, CSW gathers delegations from all UN Member States around the theme “elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls”. Through its development cooperation Denmark is supporting a range of activities aimed at preventing violence and supporting

women exposed to violence. In the 57th session of the CSW, the Minister for Development Cooperation approved an allocation of 15 million DKK for programs in Sudan and Somalia as well as global activities. The grant will be channeled through UNFPA, which has extensive experience with fighting gender-based violence and promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights. Our fight for women right is considered seriously throughout the world. It is Somalia’s hope that through such support, women in developing nations will get back their basic rights and live properly.

CSW Topic A

CSW Topic A