Ireland’s leading development, humanitarian and human rights organisations – in conjunction with the Government – have pledged to become a significant international force in responding to violence against women and children.
Unveiling a study into gender based violence, today (18.11.05), nine NGOs and Development Cooperation Ireland (DCI) undertook to implement a range of measures that will help prevent and respond to violence against women and children in conflict and post-conflict situations.
The measures will be implemented over a 12-month period, and former Irish President, Mary Robinson, will play a leadership role in overseeing the initiative.
Ms Robinson officiated at today’s launch with the Minister of State for Development Cooperation and Human Rights, Conor Lenihan, TD.
The organisations involved in this initiative came together in 2004 following reports of very high levels of rape in the conflict in Darfur, Sudan. After their initial discussions, the organisations agreed that the task of responding to gender based violence needed to be tackled at a global level.
The study unveiled by the organisations – ‘Gender Based Violence: a failure to protect, a challenge to action’ – examines why gender based violence secures little public or political attention, particularly in development programmes. It also sets out how Irish NGOs and the Government can establish best practice and become global leaders in responding to this issue.
The study points out that gender based violence is systematically used as a weapon of war and is on the increase, particularly in Africa. Sexual exploitation is also widespread in humanitarian crisis, where sex is often traded for food rations, safe passage and for access to basic goods.
It also identifies the connection between rape and high rates of HIV/AIDS: the results of a survey carried out by the Rwandan Association for Genocide Widows indicated that 67% of women who survived rape had HIV.
According to Mary Robinson, “the prevalence of gender based violence is a serious barrier to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, in particular in terms of women and girls participation and capacity to benefit from development programmes.
“I congratulate this initiative’s commitment to place work on gender based violence at the centre of development and human rights. I strongly encourage all of the agencies involved to take this issue forward within their own organisations and their spheres of influence to promote zero tolerance of violence against women and children.”
According to the Minister of State for Development Cooperation and Human Rights, Conor Lenihan, TD, “at an official level, Ireland must be a loud voice within the international political system on this issue. In the field, we must coordinate in designing programmes that both aim to reduce the incidence of gender based violence and respond to the needs of communities where widespread abuses have taken place.
“Development Cooperation Ireland will play a key role in ensuring that exchequer spending on development, humanitarian and human rights projects provide for initiatives on gender based violence.”
The other organisations involved in the initiative are Amnesty International, ChildFund of Ireland, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, Dtalk, Goal, Oxfam Ireland, Self Help Development International and Trócaire.
“Speaking on behalf of the groups, Sean Love, Director of Amnesty, said, “Under this initiative we will jointly ensure that addressing gender based violence becomes an automatic and key element in Ireland’s development policy and programmes – in conflict and post-conflict situations. This will involve collaborating with each other and with locally based organisations – particularly women’s groups – to ensure that we are responding to the appalling levels of violence against women and children.”
“There is an absolute will and determination from all players in this initiative to produce tangible results. It is our intention that, within 12 months, we will have developed a framework of best-practice that can be used as a model for other NGOs, governments, and intergovernmental bodies such as the UN and EU at a global level,” he added.
