WILPF Update from the Human Rights Council

The latest communique from WIFPF on the proceedings of the 21st  Session of the UN Human Rights Council can be found here WILPF Update from the Human Rights Council.

It includes a  statement by Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.

He laid out five challenges that warrant our attention, one of which was the continuation of the fight for women’s rights. He stated, “Unleashing the power of women will usher in a new era of respect for human rights”.

It also includes a statement from WILPF which followed as follows the  Special Rapporteur’s report on the subject of children in armed conflict.

WILPF STATEMENT

We were concerned that the link between small arms/light weapons proliferation and illicit trade was not made with children and armed conflict. 

 In our statement, we called on all states to acknowledge the impact of explosive weapons on children, monitor and report on where explosive weapons cause a pattern of killing and maiming of children, and end the use of explosive weapons with wide effects in populated areas. 

This week, WILPF cosponsored a side-event for the Human Rights Council on violence against women in India. At this event, four Indian women got the chance to tell their powerful stories to an international audience, hoping to make a difference in their societies.

 While coming together to tell their stories is a great and empowering experience for them on its own, actually changing the circumstances in which their horrific stories took place will need more.

 These women travelled from their villages in Manipur, one of the most isolated, remote regions in India, where martial law has ruled for the last fifty years and the voices of the local population are swept under the rug. After an almost 24-hour flight and a life long journey, they came to the United Nations Human Rights Council session in Geneva, where all States are supposed to be held accountable for their human rights violations.

 As they were telling their horrific stories of being raped and beaten by soldiers and police however, they seemed most upset by the devastation of their (family’s) honor.

 While this is understandable from their perspective, this sentiment seems to echo exactly the values of a militarized, patriarchal society, where women are made to feel ashamed for something they have absolutely no control over.

 Until these core issues like militarization, patriarchal hegemonies, and so-called traditional values are dealt with, the stories coming from the Manipur region will likely remain the same. It is for these stories, and the stories of all women across the world, that WILPF always has, is, and will continue to focus on these issues in Geneva, New York, and across the world.