In the framework of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, that begins today on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and ends on Human Rights Day, Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) calls on all its members to repeal all discriminatory laws that sanction the permissibility of human rights abuses against girls and women, enact legislation that protects their rights and promotes their participation in all public spheres, and redouble efforts, in collaboration with civil society, religious and traditional leaders and all key stakeholders, to eradicate this scourge that affects 1 in every 3 women worldwide in their lifetime.
PGA also urges all governments, in accordance with their national Constitutions and international human rights obligations, to foster an environment of equality, where both men and women, boys and girls, have equal access to opportunities and the possibility to reach their full potentials.
We join Fatou Bensouda, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, in strongly demanding an end to impunity for crimes against women and girls -- such as rape, sexual slavery, and forced marriage -- and the full and immediate investigation of gender-based crimes and the prosecution of perpetrators.
As an international network of Parliamentarians, PGA recommits to ensuring that the voices and testimonies of girls and women are included in all our actions, strategies and activities and that our campaigns always incorporate a gender perspective. Our Global Parliamentary Campaigns on the Effectiveness and Universality of the International Criminal Court, Ending Child, Early and Forced Marriage and Against Discrimination based on Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity, are testament to this commitment.
PGA joins all its partners around the world in remembrance of the many brilliant lives we have lost and the many more we are responsible for saving.
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Mónica Adame
Senior Program Officer, Gender, Equality and Population Program
E: monica.adame@pgaction.org
T: 1+646-762-7295
