Fight against Female Genital Mutilation wins UN backing

Fight against Female Genital Mutilation wins UN backing

The adoption today of a resolution against female genital mutilation (FGM) in the UN General Assembly’s human rights committee is a major boost to civil society organizations fighting for an end to the abusive practice, Amnesty International said.

This is the first time the Assembly’s Third Committee, which addresses social, humanitarian and human rights issues, has adopted a resolution on FGM – the cutting of a girl’s genitalia clitoris often without anaesthetic in conditions that risk potentially fatal infection.

“FGM is an indictment of us all – that a girl or young woman can be held down and mutilated is a violation of her human rights and – shockingly – an estimated three million girls are at risk each year,” said José Luis Díaz, Amnesty International’s UN representative in New York.

“Vitally, this UN resolution places FGM in a human rights framework and calls for a holistic approach, stressing as it does the importance of empowerment of women, promotion and protection of sexual and reproductive health and breaking the cycle of discrimination and violence.”

FGM is commonplace in 28 countries in Africa as well as in Yemen, Iraq, Malaysia, Indonesia and in certain ethnic groups in South America.

However it is an issue of worldwide concern. Women and girls in diaspora communities can be at risk of being subjected to FGM.

Amnesty International sees the UN resolution as a reminder to governments that they need to develop national action plans, beyond laws, and ensure that they are well-resourced and monitored, in order to raise awareness.

The resolution makes clear too that this is something that must involve all those affected – including men and boys – if we are to finally end this practice.

“It is important to highlight that FGM is a gender-based and child-specific persecution and the UNHCR – the UN refugee agency - has established that a girl or woman seeking asylum because she has been compelled to undergo, or is likely to be subjected to FGM, can qualify for refugee status,” said Díaz. Protection of refugee women at risk of having undergone FGM must be integrated into the overall strategy for protection.

The resolution makes concrete recommendations for prevention of FGM, for protecting girls at risk, ending impunity and provision of support services to those suffering from the lifelong consequences. Amnesty International urges governments to implement these recommendations urgently.

The resolution on FGM adopted by the Assembly’s Third Committee is expected to be endorsed by the General Assembly Plenary in December. Although not legally binding, UN General Assembly resolutions carry considerable moral and political weight.

Notes for Editors:

AI calls for the protection of women’s rights and in particular the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women across the world.

The END FGM European Campaign has developed a strategy providing recommendations to the European Union on concrete steps to end FGM. Read the strategy here:

http://www.endfgm.eu/content/assets/END_FGM_Final_Strategy.pdf

For more information follow this link here www.endfgm.eu

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

PRESS RELEASE

26 November 2012

We express our disappointment in the decision of the ASEAN leaders

STATEMENT ON THE ADOPTION OF THE ASEAN HUMAN RIGHTS DECLARATION

21 November 2012

ASEAN Heads of State and Government

c/o ASEAN Secretariat

International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW Asia Pacific)[1] wishes to express its disappointment in the decision of the ASEAN leaders to proceed with the adoption of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration on 18 November 2012 despite the numerous calls to postpone the adoption by civil society groups and other stakeholders.

The current version of the Declaration falls short of its vision and mission as the overarching instrument to “establish a framework for human rights cooperation in the region and contribute to the ASEAN community building process”, due to its restrictive content and the process by which it was created.

• Procedurally,

o the expediency in adoption, lack of transparency, and meaningful civil society participation has substantively limited the vision and scope of the Declaration as an overarching standard setting instrument for all stakeholders in the region.

• Substantively,

o the overall approach adopted by the Declaration, provides ASEAN member states an expedient to continue the denial and violations of rights under the protective shroud of culture and traditions of the region which are patriarchal and anachronistic standards that will continue to negatively impact women’s human rights in ASEAN. This is clearly embodied in the numerous articles of the general principles which places limitations rather than to promote and protect the full recognition and enjoyment of human rights by all in ASEAN;

o the Declaration, despite affirming its commitment to uphold international human rights principles and standards has allowed for limitations such as “balancing rights” with regional and national contexts and laws. This in the current political context of ASEAN, as well as the weak institutional climate for promotion and protection of human rights nationally, allows the member states to interpret the provisions in ways which may undermine their international commitments;

o continuing to limit the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms to meet the principle of “just requirements”, including on the basis of “public morality”[2], further demonstrates the lack of true commitment by the ASEAN member states to the duty to respect, protect and fulfil the human rights of the peoples of ASEAN. The Declaration fails to provide the measures and mechanisms to ensure appropriate checks and balances to interpret “just requirements” at the national level. Further, historically the notion of public morality has been used to deny and violate women’s human rights to sexual autonomy and bodily integrity.

As an organisation committed to the realisation of human rights of women, we are extremely concerned by the absence of these key elements, as well as inclusion of provisions which negate the full recognition of human rights, both in the process of drafting and adopting the Declaration itself and in the substance of its content.

In line with the mission to promote and protect human rights, democracy, fundamental freedom, rule of law and good governance, we urge the “People-oriented” ASEAN to ensure progressive interpretation and implementation of the Declaration in accordance to the spirit and commitments of internationally agreed principles and standard on human rights. The women of ASEAN demand the recognition and enjoyment of allhuman rights and fundamental freedoms unfettered and unrestricted by unnecessary justifications premised on traditional, patriarchal and anachronistic standards and interpretations which are embodied in the adopted Declaration.

It should be noted that all Member States of ASEAN are parties to the Convention on All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), as well as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and is thereby obligated to ensure the recognition and promotion of women’s and children’s human rights and continue to uphold the principles of universality, non-discrimination and substantive equality of all peoples of ASEAN.

We, as a women’s human rights group, together with other stakeholders, will continue to monitor and demand for the full accountability of the ASEAN member states in fulfilling its obligations to the peoples of ASEAN without in any way undermining its obligations under international human rights laws. We want the guarantee of a regional Declaration which will withstand national, regional and international scrutiny in upholding universal principles of human rights.

Yours sincerely,

Audrey Lee

Officer in Charge

International Women's Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific
10-2, Jalan Bangsar Utama 9
59000 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: (603) 2282 2255
Fax: (603) 2283 2552
Email: iwraw-ap@iwraw-ap.org / iwraw_ap@yahoo.com / iwrawap1993@gmail.com

Website: http://www.iwraw-ap.org

---

[1] IWRAW Asia Pacific is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic Social Council of the United Nations and has national partners in all 11 Southeast Asia countries. It facilitates and monitors the Implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), an international treaty ratified by all member states of ASEAN. In collaboration with APWLD, it initiated the formation of the Southeast Asia Women’s Caucus on ASEAN, with a membership of over 50 women’s groups in the region.

[2] The statement of the Southeast Asia Women’s Caucus on ASEAN on the issue of public morality is fully supported by IWRAW Asia Pacific.

Please take action to Nasrin Sotoudeh, and distribute this appeal widely to your networks

What a relief ...
Nasrin after 49 days broke her hungerstrike ..
let's hope she'll recover soonest and regain her strength; she'll need it

Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been on a hunger strike since the morning of 17 October. She was transferred to solitary confinement in Section 209 of Tehran’s Evin Prison, which is under the control of the Ministry of Intelligence, on 4 November 2012. However, since yesterday her whereabouts are unknown. Amnesty International is seriously concerned about her safety.

On 15 November, Reza Khandan, Nasrin Sotoudeh’s husband, reported that when he tried to visit her he was told by the authorities that she was not in Section 209. That is while the Evin Prison authorities had previously informed him that she had been transferred from the general ward to Section 209. According to Nasrin Sotoudeh’s husband, the authorities at both the general ward and Section 209 of Evin Prison deny that she is being detained there.

On 12 November Nasrin Sotoudeh was allowed to have a face-to-fase visitation with her children. The meeting which lasted only a few minutes was in the presence of the prison guards. Reza Khandan was not allowed to meet her.

Nasrin Sotoudeh, who is serving a six-year prison sentence in Tehran’s Evin Prison, started a hunger strike on the morning of 17 October 2012 in protest at the authorities’ denial of her repeated requests to have face-to-face visitations with her 13-year-old daughter and five-year-old son. Nasrin Sotoudeh’s health, which has already weakened as a result of her previous hunger strikes, has deteriorated further. She was transferred to Evin Prison’s clinic on 22 October.

Nasrin Sotoudeh has told her family that she will continue her hunger strike until the authorities’ pressure on her family is lifted, in particular the travel ban imposed on her 13-year-old daughter. In July 2012, Reza Khandan and their daughter received an order informing them that they were banned from travelling; this appears to have resulted from a case that had been opened against them. Reza Khandan has been subjected to harassment, including an overnight detention in Evin Prison in January 2011 for his advocacy on his wife’s behalf.


RECOMMENDED ACTION:

-Call on Iranian authorities to immediately disclose the whereabouts of Nasrin Sotoudeh and ensure that she is granted immediate and regular access to a doctor, her family and her lawyer, including regular visits by her children, allowing them physical contact with her;
-Call for the immediate and unconditional release of Nasrin Sotoudeh, imprisoned solely for her peaceful exercise of her rights to freedom of expression and association, including her work as a lawyer;
-Remind them that the harassment and arrest of family members of prisoners, solely in order to stop their public campaigning, amounts to reprisals that violate Iran’s obligations as a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to uphold freedom of expression.

APPEALS TO:
1. Please send an SMS text message to the Tehran Prison Authority’s SMS service, on +98 3000 5061

2. Please send an SMS text message to the Head of Investigation and Complaint Response Administration (R’ais-e Edareh Bazresi va Pasokhgouy’ie be Shekayat) service, on +98 093 7289 2013; you may need to ‘drop’ the zero following the country code of +98

3. Please send an email to the Head of Investigation and Complaint Response Administration at bazresi.kol@gmail.com

4. Please send emails to:

Leader of the IslamicRepublic
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
Email: info_leader@leader.ir
Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani
Email: info@dadiran.ir (Subject line: FAO Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani) or info_leader@leader.ir
Salutation: Your Excellency

Secretary General, High Council for Human Rights
Mohammad Javad Larijani
High Council for Human Rights
Email: info@humanrights-iran.ir
(subject line: FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani)
Salutation: Your Excellency


5. Please tweet appeals to @ALarijani, Ardeshir Larijani, Head of Iran’s parliament; and the President of Iran, on @Iran_President and @President_Iran, and the Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei on @khamenei_ir

6. Fax to the General Prosecutor’s office: fax: +98 213391 9920

Please also send appeals to the diplomatic representatives accredited to your country.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY

Feminist Anti-austerity Protest!

To:

Citizens

National Parliaments

Governments of EU countries

European Parliament

European Commission

United Nations Women’s Agency for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment

In these dark times of imposed austerity, we denounce the neo-liberal "answers" that worsen women's labor and social vulnerability. With these measures, for many people, particularly for women, there will be a rise in unemployment and its duration, job insecurity, wage inequality between men and women, the gender differentiation in terms of reforms and pensions . Given this, the scale and impact of poverty will be even more overwhelming.

We protest against cuts in public investment, for example the budget cuts in

education, in sexual and reproductive health services, the dismantling of equipment and care services for children and elderly people , the commodification of access to housing. We do not underestimate the effects these measures have and will have on women's lives.

We here by state that austerity measures, in particular those that jeopardize the economic empowerment of women and autonomy increase their vulnerability to gender violence.

We protest against the worsening of inequality and the attack on labor rights, as well as the rights gained with the experience of motherhood and fatherhood.

We denounce that problems that are specific to women’s situation at work, family or social level may be considered secondary or even completely deleted in times of crisis.

We call your attention to a worsening of inequality in time use of men and women in the family, emphasizing the cultural attachment of women to the sphere of

reproduction and the detachment of men from care and responsibility in material and emotional issues, in the tasks concerning house, children, the elderly and the family

We denounce the neo-conservative thought of austerity, seeking to impose values based on the "return of women to their home", and welfare policies of the family and of assistance that promote the submission of individual rights to a single

family model.

We protest against the binary discourse on women: on one hand women as the decisive agents in household saving, on the other hand the exclusion of women from public critical discussion about the crisis, particularly in terms of the media, and the search for alternative forms of facing it.

We call attention to a neglected dimension of the effects of the crisis on

subjectivities, generating feelings of insecurity, fear for the future, depression, isolation and breaking of social links.

We alert people to the atmosphere of fear, insecurity and despair that prevails and does not give any contribution to end this crisis.

We warn to the myths and hegemonic, complacent and self-defeating narratives that address the financial markets as "neutral" and "innocent" instances and tend to legitimate the current austerity policies which are based on a competition,

maximization and centralization of profit ideology, rejecting any social

responsibilities.

We protest against the dominant conceptualizations about economy and labor that exclude women from the sphere of productive work, which is not put into practice in the “traditional” spaces of work, such as factories, offices, etc..

We denounce the double, sometimes triple discrimination of which transgender women are victims, as well as migrant women, lesbians, women with disabilities and women whom basic citizenship rights are still denied and who are directly

affected by these recessive policies.

We protest against the lack of control of millions of people over their own

subsistence.

WE DEFEND

The constitution of citizens to audit public debt and austerity plans, and theseinclude an analysis of its impact on women's lives.

Alternative policies to imposed austerity - social justice policies, policies to

stimulate employment, non-discriminatory policies, emancipation, that ensure

social and labor rights and new ways to economic and social development.

Development, both at political and public level, of a culture to dignify work with rights in all spheres of life.

Inclusion of the gender equality dimension in all policies.  

Support to the development of economic alternatives that put the sustainable

development of human life, environment and collective wellbeing in the center of the economic and territorial organization.

WE COMMIT TO

Provide visibility and contribute to women's participation in social protest

movements against a dehumanizing and inhumane policy.

Contribute to the creation of mechanisms of representation of movement of

citizens, namely women, to critical, moral and democratic scrutiny of political and financial choices that are putting our lives at risk.

Subscribe critical perspectives that are contrary to the dominant narratives,

establishing a close relationship between the functioning of markets and

democracy.

Acting on social networks, feminist or others, in the process of dissemination,information and cooperation about the problems of women as well as women's struggles.

 

Reinforcement of feminism as an active process in the critical and strategic field

for change, in connection with other social movements.

La triste réalité des femmes excisées

27 Janvier 2012

L'excision féminine, souvent appelée mutilation génitale féminine (MGF), concerne environ 92 millions de filles de plus de 10 ans en Afrique. En Ouganda, la pratique a été officiellement interdite par le gouvernement en 2009, mais elle est encore pratiquée dans les zones rurales par les tribus comme celle des Sabiny dans l'est du pays.

Libido réduite
Amina Ibrahim, une femme de 73 ans, est conseillère pour la ville de Kapchorwa dans la région de Sebei, au pied du Mont Elgon, dans l'est de l'Ouganda.
Pendant 30 ans, Amina a excisé des jeunes filles, un rite traditionnel qui consiste à couper le clitoris d'une fille vers ses 15 ans, l'initiant ainsi à l'âge adulte.
Elle gagnait environ 10 dollars par excision : "Ce rite sur les filles faisait partie d'une obligation culturelle, mais c'était également une source de revenus pour moi. J'opérais environ 50 filles par jour et j'avais de quoi vivre".
Depuis des générations, les hommes de la tribu des Sabiny ont encouragé la pratique de l'excision, affirmant qu'une femme mariée qui est excisée a un libido réduite et serait donc moins poussée à s'engager dans une relation avec un autre homme lorsque le mari est absent pendant une longue période.
Il était normal pour un homme Sabiny d'éviter une femme non excisée et les anciens n'acceptaient pas une fille non excisée dans leur case.

Complications
Mais pour Judith Yapmangusho, une femme de 52 ans et mère de six enfants, les conséquences de son excision ont été dramatiques. Après des complications génitales, elle est devenue handicapée et se déplace dans un fauteuil roulant.
"Je suis handicapée et incapable de faire quelque travail manuel que ce soit pour soutenir ma famille qui tente de survivre de l'agriculture de subsistance dans cette région montagneuse", dit Judith.
L'expérience de cette femme est un des nombreux récits de femmes qui souffrent dans le silence des conséquences de mutilations génitales féminines (MGF).
Sarah Kamuron, étudiante dans une école secondaire est pleine d'éloges concernant l'interdiction de mutilations génitales : "Les parents qui ont des croyances traditionnelles ont forcé leurs filles à se faire exciser, ce qui est une violation totale des droits des filles, donc cette loi contre les MGF arrive a point nommé", explique Kamuron.

Pour Beatrice Chelangat, directrice du programme de santé reproductive "Reproductive Educative and Community Health Programme" (REACH), le niveau élevé d'analphabétisme dans les communautés est un des facteurs majeurs contribuant à la propagation des pratiques comme la MGF : "Nous avons commencé un programme de sensibilisation dans les écoles et les communautés en zones rurales.
Et grâce à l'ambassade néerlandaise, nous allons ouvrir une station de radio "Frequency Modulation" dans le district de Bukwo pour parler de cette loi et des questions liées aux MGF".
Selon l'Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS), les MGF sont reconnues comme une violation des droits des filles et des femmes.
L'opération peut causer des saignements, des problèmes de vessie et plus tard, des complications lors de l'accouchement. Mais il expose également les filles au virus du sida et dans le pire des cas peut causer un handicap ou même la mort.

http://fr.allafrica.com/stories/printable/201201271290.html

La triste réalité des femmes excisées

Libyan Women’s Platform for Peace Releases Alternative Electoral Law Draft

20 January 2012

The Libyan Women’s Platform for Peace, a movement of Libyan leaders
working with women and youth from around the country and diaspora, has
released a draft electoral law (click here for Arabic version)
that seeks to address some of the limitations of the draft election law
released in January by the National Transitional Council.

The draft law was drafted by a group of elite Libyan legal experts
including Dr. Kuni Abouda, Salah El-Merghani, Hadi Buhamra, and Ali Dou.

“We call on all Libyans, men and women, young and old, to join
protests on Sunday, 22 January In Tripoli and Benghazi to demand the NTC
not adopt the restrictive electoral law at this time which is crucial
to determining the fate of the new Libya” said Zahra’ Langhi of the
Libyan Women’s Platform for Peace.  “

The electoral law is significant because it will govern the process
for selection of members of the Public National Conference (PNC) in June
2012. The PNC, in turn, will be tasked with drawing up a new
constitution within 60 days. This constitution will then be put to a
national referendum and, if passed, parliamentary elections for a
permanent government will take place six months afterwards.

The LWPP’s analysis of the law concentrates on four main issues that
could have a negative impact on the rights of women and youth in the
country. This is because the proposed electoral law, as currently
written, lacks adequate provisions for women’s political participation,
unnecessarily excludes individuals from public life, risks incentivizing
political party formation along tribal lines, and contains inadequate
mechanisms to fight corruption in the electoral process.

Women’s Representation: The LWPP’s draft law
proposes a “zipper list system” whereby women and men alternate
one-by-one on party lists to ensure that female candidates are not
placed lower on lists, and thus shut out of power.

Tribal Affiliation: The LWPP’s draft electoral law
contains a provision indented to prevent the creation of political
parties based on tribal lines by prohibiting party lists from containing
relatives up to the degree of fourth cousin. This will ensure that
political parties working on Libya’s new constitution evolve largely
outside the influence of tribal politics and patriarchal structures.

Social Inclusion: The LWPP is also concerned by the
prohibition on holders of dual nationality from serving in the PNC – a
move which, ironically, would cast aside several currently serving NTC
members and many who had a major role in the February 17 Revolution. The
LWPP’s draft law reverses this provision, and we are gratified by
recent press reports indicating that dual nationality holders may now
participate in electoral politics

Electoral Integrity: The LWPP draft electoral law
prohibits campaigning in mosques, schools, universities, on the basis of
tribal and religious affiliation, and also forbids weapons to be
carried near polling locations. Further, it stipulates that voter fraud
or tampering with the results of elections will render the elections
null and void, triggering a redo of voting. Finally, unlike the current
draft, the LWPP draft includes a strong role for Libyan civil society
and International Organizations such as the UN to monitor and report on
elections.

To reject the NTC-proposed electoral law, the LWPP and its
partners are organizing a march the morning of Sunday January 22 in
Tripoli and Benghazi.

Contact: For more information contact Zahra’ Langhi at zahralanghi@lwpp.org or visit the Libyan Women’s Platform for Peace on the web or on Facebook.

http://www.el-karama.org/content/libyan-women%E2%80%99s-platform-peace-releases-alternative-electoral-law-draft

Fighting Rape as a Tool of War

Sisters Week 2012: Fighting Rape as a Tool of War

“It has probably become more dangerous to be a woman than a soldier in armed conflict.”

During the civil war in Libya in 2011, troops loyal to Dictator Mommar Ghaddaffi raped thousands of innocent women from teenagers to mothers. MWB is proud to be one of the few American Muslim agencies that stepped up to help these survivors, providing them counseling and financial assistance. But our student base has asked us to step up and do more. “Sisters Week” was designed to bring a voice to the victims of a crime that is often ignored in our community.

“Sisters Week” is an annual campaign being launched on campuses throughout the world this spring to focus on issues that affect, empower, and educate women. This year’s campaign we will be focusing on rape as a tool of war. But we need your support.  Anyone with a big heart and an outpouring of compassion can take part in this initiative. You don’t have to be a female to participate; everyone’s help is needed in raising awareness about this horrible crime.

This year, Sister’s Week will run from March 23rd -March 30th, 2012 at campuses across the United States and Australia. The purpose of this project is to simultaneously raise awareness and raise funds for suffering women across the globe.  Join us in this noble effort! Level of participation may vary according to the preferences of each chapter or individual. You can do something as small as setting up an information booth, hosting a bake sale, showing a documentary–or as big as putting on a banquet. MWB’s student staff will work with each person and chapter to design and coordinate events and provide campaign information (such as brochures). The intent is that all of our small acts of kindness will ripple into a major wave of benefit for our sisters insha’Allah. This is an issue we cannot afford to ignore. Renew your intentions, and get on board with Muslims Without Borders.

 

http://mwbrelief.org/?p=1356