Mary Robinson delivers assessment of Irish initiative to tackle gender based violence.
Rape and sexual violence puts women at increased risk of contracting HIV/AIDS, according to an international expert on gender violence who addressed an event to mark International Women’s Day in Dublin, today (8.03.07).
Professor Charlotte Watts, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said that violence against women was a global health crisis of epidemic proportions and a significant cause of HIV/AIDS. She was addressing an event organised by the Joint Consortium on Gender Based Violence, which explored the link between violence against women and HIV/AIDS. The event was chaired by broadcaster Claire Byrne, and also addressed by Minister Minister of State for Development Cooperation and Human Rights, Conor Lenihan.
The Joint Consortium was officially launched in 2005, with the objective of making Ireland a global leader in tackling gender violence. It comprises 13* human rights, humanitarian and development agencies, as well as Irish Aid and the Defence Forces. Former President, Mary Robinson, acts as a special advisor to its work.
According to Professor Watts, “Ireland’s initiative to become a global leader in tackling violence against women is vital, as the prevalence of HIV/AIDS continues to rise most rapidly among females.
“Multi-country research conducted by the World Health Organisation shows how violence increases the vulnerability of women and girls to HIV-infection, by making it difficult or impossible for them to abstain from sex, get their partners to be faithful or to use a condom. The research showed that in South Africa women with violent partners were 50% more likely to be HIV infected”.
“Violence is also a consequence of the HIV epidemic. For many women, disclosure of their status puts them at risk of further violence and rejection. Children who are orphaned because of HIV/AIDS can also become vulnerable to economic and sexual abuse.
“While global donor attention on HIV/AIDS has increased, much of the programmes and resources now in place will be undermined because violence against women persists without significant interventions.
“It is vital that Ireland continues to roll-out its initiative to become a global leader in tackling gender violence. Taking on this issue takes courage and leadership from the highest level,” she said.
Of the 1/2 million reported rapes in the Rwandan genocide, 68% of the survivors now live with HIV/AIDS. It is likely that a similar scenario will result from Liberia and Darfur, where rape has been used as a weapon of war against women.
In his address to the Women’s Day event, the Minister of State for Development Cooperation and Human Rights, Conor Lenihan, said that he was pleased with the priority that Irish development and humanitarian NGOs were now giving to tackling gender violence.
“Larger agencies have committed staff and financial resources, while smaller agencies have made significant contributions to research and the formulation of strategies to prevent and respond to this human rights abuse. The current Lenten campaign by Trocaire is an example of the priority which is now being given to gender inequality, which is a root cause of violence against women.
“At Irish Aid we have recognised gender based violence as a critical element of our development and humanitarian work. This has been underlined by the commitment in the White Paper on Irish Aid which prioritises attention and resources to prevent this human rights abuse at an international level,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the Joint Consortium on Gender Base Violence, Sean Love, Director of Amnesty International, said that while violence against women was most prolific in conflict zones, it was important to recognise that violations occurred every day in Ireland.
“As part of the work of the Joint Consortium on Gender Based Violence, we hope to work with domestic organisations to develop best practice in tackling the global problem of violence against women.
“We hope to learn from the expertise of domestic organisations in delivering services and support to women who have experienced violence. Their expertise will be important to us as we roll-out ‘best-practice’ programmes in Ethiopia and Sudan,” he added.
The Joint Consortium on Gender Based Violence includes: Action Aid Ireland, Amnesty International, Childfund Ireland, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, Department of Defence, Dtalk, GOAL, Irish Aid (Department of Foreign Affairs), Irish Red Cross, Oxfam Ireland, Self Help Development International and Trócaire.
Contact:
Catherine Heaney, DHR Communications @ 01-488 5808 or 087-2309835
Vivienne Gleeson, DHR Communications @ 086-3475511
Biog Note on Professor Watts: Charlotte Watts is the Sigrid Rausing Chair in Gender Violence and Health, and head of the multi-disciplinary Centre on Gender Violence and Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She has been conducting research on violence against women for the past ten years and on HIV for the past fifteen years. She is a core research team member for the WHO ten country study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence, and senior researcher on the IMAGE study: a community randomised trial in South Africa that showed a significant reduction in past year experiences of partner violence. Her research interests include the international public health burden of violence against women; the linkages between violence against women and HIV/AIDS; trafficking and health; and the development and evaluation of interventions to address violence. She has extensive fieldwork experience in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, and teaches Ph.D. and M.Sc students.
