Immigration in UK
STRANIERIINITALIA.IT| Let's unite to fight violence against women |
|
|
|
Carfagna: “Violence against women is violence against the whole world”
11th September 2009: All Governments and the civil society must form an alliance to bring to an end all forms of violence against women, Italy’s Minister for Equal Opportunity Maria Rosa Carfagna has said. In a speech to officially close the International Conference on Violence against Women held in Rome, Italy on 9th and 10th September, Ms. Carfagna appealed to all to condemn abuses and violence against women and children.  “Violence against women and girls is an unacceptable form of violation and denial of human rights. For this reason, we wish to reiterate our absolute condemnation of such violence, in all its forms and manifestations. Any act of violence against women and girls – irrespective of where or by whom it is committed – is a crime. It prevents the victims from exercising their fundamental rights and freedoms and from engaging in self-determination free from undue influence or threats,” the minister said. Ms. Carfagna termed women’s empowerment “an essential instrument for development, a means of promoting democracy, and an antidote to extremism and social instability.” While acknowledging the importance of legal protection against all forms of abuse, Ms. Carfagna called for a radical change in social norms. She said the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and initiatives to disseminate and instil the concept of human rights at the community level should be supported and encouraged. “This is the most effective means of promoting a grass-roots culture of respect and inclusiveness and a rejection of violent behaviour and practices against women, regardless of cultural, religious or traditional beliefs.” The minister called for a democratic system based on the equality of all individuals and an independent judiciary, saying that such a system is effective in combating all forms of violence. “To set our sisters free from fear is equivalent to making an immense contribution to the society itself. If a woman is free, can love and marry a person of her choice, can study, work, if she can choose when and if to become a mother, if she can show herself freely, dress the way she wants, talk in a loud voice, smile with a person of her choice in the society, or at workplace without fearing patriarchal violence, or violence from the regime, the whole society will flourish,” Ms. Carfagna said. At least 140 million women throughout the world are victims of physical, psychological and sexual abuse, victims of trafficking and selective abortion and of various forms of harassment or molestation. Millions of women are “beaten, terrorised, sold, raped and humiliated”. Violence and “horrors” that for the most part occur in the family: 50,000 women are killed each year by close family members. “The law plays a vital role that, while repressive, is also educational, in protecting women against all forms of abuse, maltreatment and retaliatory conduct and ensuring that they are able to exercise their rights in full. We must do more, and better, to ensure that we do not dilute – through our actions or inaction – the commitments undertaken at the international level. The time has come for each government to include the promotion and protection of women and girls’ rights, from a mainstreaming perspective, in its political and legislative agenda and give priority to education to promote human rights and gender equality, especially among the younger generations,” Ms. Carfagna said. Addressing the same Conference, President of the Republic of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano said homophobia, xenophobia and violence against women result “from ignorance, the loss of ideals and moral values, and from an often unconscious alienation from the principles on which our Constitution has based our national democratic co-existence.” President Napolitano said it should be the responsibility of all to combat all forms of discrimination and violence, not just against women, who are subjected to “sexual violence in its most brutal form, assault and rape, domestic violence and violence of various types at workplace,” but also against individuals and homosexuals. To combat violence, it is vitally important to “educate our societies in the values of non-discrimination and equal rights for all citizens without distinction of gender,” President Napolitano said. The Conference was hosted by Italian G8 Presidency at the Foreign Ministry in Rome. Some of the issues discussed include rape, domestic violence, Female Genital Mutilation, and girls’ right to education.
By Stephen Ogongo
|