Aid workers, development agency staff and peacekeeping forces taking part in humanitarian programmes will be encouraged to learn more about gender based violence before they travel abroad.
Speaking at an event to mark International Women’s Day at Filmbase, Temple Bar, the Minister of State for Development Cooperation and Human Rights, Conor Lenihan, said that his Department was developing and funding resources to facilitate agencies in educating their staff about one of the most widespread human rights abuses in the world.
“Today, I am pleased to present a CD-rom which documents the scale of violence against women. It examines rape as a weapon of war, sex trafficking and intimate-partner violence. I now hope that when development agencies and Government Departments send personnel on missions abroad, they access this film. By becoming aware of gender-based violence, they will be in a better position to respond to it.”
Today’s event was organised by a consortium* of 11 human rights, humanitarian and development organisations who have been working with two Government Departments to help make Ireland a global leader in tackling gender based violence. The Departments involved are Irish Aid at the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Defence Forces.
“This initiative is unique in global terms. We are starting out by placing the fight against abuse of women and children as a primary focus in all of our policies and programmes. Over the coming months, we will develop ‘best-practice’ on tackling and responding to gender based violence. We also intend to become international advocates on this issue, with a view to mobilising global institutions and other Governments,” said Minister Lenihan.
The consortium was officially launched in November and has enlisted former President, Mary Robinson, as its advisor. In eight months time, members of the consortium will report back on their efforts and achievements in getting gender based violence onto the global agenda.
Also speaking at today’s launch was Dr Yakin Erturk, UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women. Dr Ertruk will deliver training and advice to members of the consortium at seminars and meetings that have been organised this week.
According to Dr Erturk, “there has been a huge reluctance by the international community to engage on the issue of gender based violence, despite the fact that it is probably the most widespread human rights abuse.
“This Irish initiative to take leadership on this abuse is crucial. I am very heartened by the determination of all the groups involved to really make progress. Ireland is a respected player in the area of human rights. I know that it will be listened to when it starts demanding global action to end this gross violation of human rights.”
A photo exhibition documenting cases of violence against women was officially launched during today’s event. ‘Broken Bodies – Broken Dreams’ will run in Filmbase, Temple Bar until 20th March.
Over twenty photographs and accompanying testimonies tell stories of gender based violence from around the world: discrimination at birth, domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, servitude and abusive cultural practices.
The exhibition was produced by the Integrated Regional Information Network which is part of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Extracts from the exhibition can be viewed on:
http://www.irinnews.org/broken-bodies.
Entry to the exhibition is free of charge.
The consortium involved in today’s launch includes: Action Aid Ireland, Amnesty International, ChildFund Ireland, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, Defence Forces, Dtalk, Glencree Centre, Goal, Irish Aid (Department of Foreign Affairs), Oxfam Ireland, Self Help Development International and Trocaire. For further information about this consortium, see www.gbv.ie.
