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VALLETTA, 25 November 2024 - Marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the start of the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, OSCE Chair-in-Office, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta Ian Borg called on participating States to increase efforts and resources to combat all forms of violence experienced by women and girls, including online violence.

While significant strides have been made towards gender equality, gender-based violence continues to affect millions of women and girls. This is particularly true for online violence which has been on the increase with the growth of the internet and social media. Reports on the prevalence of violence against women note that the forms and frequency of violence directed at women and girls online continue to increase.

“Online violence against women and girls is a violation of their fundamental rights,” Chair-in-Office Borg said. “Although often invisible, it leaves a very real and negative impact on women and girls, causing psychological harm, threatening safety, silences them and deepens the digital gender gap.”

He highlighted that ending violence against women and girls remains a top priority for the OSCE. He praised the work the Organization is doing through its Secretariat, field operations and institutions, to combat all forms of violence against women and girls.

“The OSCE is playing a leading role in helping to combat all forms of violence against women and better support survivors. I am grateful to all our dedicated staff for their strong stance against any form of violence against women and girls,” Chair-in-Office Borg said.

The OSCE Secretariat works to combat all forms of violence against women, including online violence.  These efforts include advancing data collection, and increasing capacity-building and raising awareness to help governments and civil society effectively respond to these challenges.

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) also remains at the forefront of efforts to address online violence against women. Its work underscores the broader threat posed by such violence to our democracies, as it discourages women from running for political office and endangers the safety of women human rights defenders. Addressing online violence has also become an integral part of its election observation activities.

Chair-in-Office Borg called for strengthened cooperation between governments, civil society, and the private sector to ensure digital spaces are safe, inclusive, and empowering for women and girls everywhere.

“We must do more. This is our shared responsibility. The time to act is now - to guarantee women and girls their fundamental right to safety,” Chair-in-Office Borg said.

The OSCE’s commitment to combatting violence against women and girls is deeply rooted in the 2004 OSCE Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality, as well as key Ministerial Council Decisions (MC.DEC 15/5, 7/14 and 4/18) aimed at eliminating all forms of violence against women. MC Dec 4/18 specifically mentions violence committed through digital technologies, noting its silencing of women’s and girls’ voices in the public sphere. It calls for taking action to address violence, abuse, threats, and harassment, including through digital technologies. The OSCE also pledged to take concrete actions to protect women from online violence at the 2021 Paris Generation Equality Forum on Gender-Based Violence, Economic Justice and Rights and Technology and Innovation.

Die Bergbahnen Hohsaas in der Gemeinde Saas-Grund VS haben finanzielle Probleme. Die Bevölkerung stimmte trotzdem klar gegen den Einstieg von Investor Christian Mars. Er ist im Wallis kein Unbekannter.

L’Union européenne (UE) devrait rester unie et parler d’une seule voix, car les États-Unis comprennent le langage du pouvoir, a déclaré Roberta Metsola, présidente du Parlement européen, dans une interview accordée au portail grec ToVima.

Die bekannte Stimmtrainerin Tara Simon ist von Melanie Oeschs Jodelkünsten begeistert. Auf Tiktok reagiert sie auf ein Video der Schweizerin.

Im Kanton Bern sollen Wildtiere künftig weniger stark durch Freizeit-, Sport- und Tourismusaktivitäten gestört werden. In den Wildschutzgebieten treten am 1. Dezember neue Regeln in Kraft, wie die Umweltdirektion am Montag mitteilte.

Le consulat général d’Algérie à Paris vient de publier un nouveau communiqué dans lequel il énumère huit services consulaires accessibles uniquement sur rendez-vous en ligne […]

L’article Consulats d’Algérie en France : les rendez-vous désormais obligatoires pour ces 8 services est apparu en premier sur .

Des affrontements ont opposé dimanche 24 novembre le Hezbollah et Israël dans le sud du Liban, au moment où l’armée israélienne mène une série de frappes sur la banlieue sud de Beyrouth, fief du mouvement libanais, qui a tiré environ 250 projectiles en direction du territoire israélien.

Le tribunal tape sur les doigts de l’Office fédéral de la communication, qui a notamment escamoté un plan social.

Nationaliste et pro-Russe, le candidat indépendant Călin Georgescu domine le premier tour de la présidentielle avec près de 23 % des voix. Derrière ce quasi-inconnu du grand public, le Premier ministre social-démocrate Marcel Ciolacu et la libérale Elena Lasconi sont dans un mouchoir de poche pour la 2ème place.

- Le fil de l'Info / Politique, Courrier des Balkans, Roumanie vote, Extrême-droite Balkans, Roumanie, Une - Diaporama

Ivory Coast record the lowest total in men's T20I history as they are bowled out for seven runs against Nigeria.

Ivory Coast record the lowest total in men's T20I history as they are bowled out for seven runs against Nigeria.

Amber Morley, a City Councillor in Toronto, Canada, talking to Randa El Ozeir on violence against women. Credit: IPS

By Randa El Ozeir
TORONTO, Nov 25 2024 (IPS)

Despite the 1,583 legislative measures in 193 countries around the world, violence against women has not been eradicated or even abated.

Every year on November 25, the world observes the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women designated by the UN General Assembly (UNGA). This year’s theme is UNiTE Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women & Girls! #No Excuse (Nov 25-Dec 10)—an initiative of 16 days of activism concluding on the day that commemorates International Human Rights Day.

According to the UN Women data, “an estimated 736 million women—almost one in three—have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their life.”

IPS met with Amber Morley, a City Councillor in Toronto, where gender-based violence and intimate-partner violence were declared epidemics last year. Morley finds that such topics are no longer taboo to be swept under the rug or to be kept in the closet.

“Whether it is through willful ignorance or shame and stigma, we haven’t historically been holding real space to have real conversations about the impact of these harmful behaviors. Now, we find ourselves in a moment where we are having the conversation and finally holding space to listen to survivors and victims and to create more supportive structures in our society that allow people to work through those intergenerational traumas and challenges.”

A Universal Burden

It is a widespread plight that does not discriminate across cultures, ethnic backgrounds, languages, or geography. Chances are you might have come across a victim in your family, among your relatives, friends, co-workers, or strangers. Two-thirds (65%) of people in Canada know a woman who has experienced physical, sexual, or emotional abuse.

It is a convoluted, deep-rooted issue that is present not only in the Global South but in the developed world too.

“Unfortunately, I was someone who has been exposed to intimate partner violence in my own family. I know that is true for both of my parents who had these experiences as young people,” says Morley. “That leaves a mark and really gives us things to consider and contemplate as we grow in our own journey, our own adulthood and relationships.”

In previous times, this matter was barely discussed openly, particularly among victims. Things have changed. “We have a chance, at least, to start to address the behavior and try to hopefully raise awareness amongst the wider society,” Morley says. “When you see people being held accountable, it gives confidence to victims to heal and overcome as opposed to perpetuate these cycles.”

The Role of Police and a Clear Shifting

First responders, including police, play an instrumental role in addressing gender-based violence and domestic abuse through special training to support survivors of this type of violence. As a community leader and the mayor’s designate on the Toronto Police Services Board, Morley understands this fact all very well.

“We have a number of different divisions, departments, and agencies that work in support of our mandate and our goals. Toronto police are really good partners with the City of Toronto when it comes to our safety principles. They have victim services, and they track the numbers of reports coming in through mapping and intentional analysis.”

Morley also recognizes that despite the staggering announced rates of intimate partner violence, a lot goes unreported. As much as she appreciates the Canadian constitution, the democratic principles, rights, and freedoms, she views these systems as fragile, requiring “good leadership, accountability, and diverse perspectives to continue to evolve in a good way and be reflective and responsive of the real needs that people are having.”

“We have seen recently in Canadian media that abusers, serial abusers in some cases, are finally having their day in court many years later. Victims are finally able to come forward. And there is an environment of support and believing them. We are shifting into a better space within our institutions and our agencies and holding people accountable. Moving away from this ‘boys will be boys’ idea that I think has been really harmful over the years.”

Awareness and Schooling

Knowing and doing are two separate things. Nevertheless, spreading cognizance in individuals at a young age could act like a buffer against aggression and violence when mental health is not factored in.

Morley believes in “educating our young boys and girls about what it is to be able to regulate your emotions and regulate ourselves as people when we are triggered or upset. At least in my experience, seeing what it looks like when folks don’t have the tools to regulate themselves or work through challenging situations, that is when violence escalates. How can we better focus on educating children to be empowered, to treat themselves kindly, and hopefully, to treat others that way? I think it really does come down to these foundational things.”

Economy Losses Too

Myriad impacts have been exhaustively studied and researched about violence against women, including the economic detrimental damages.

Morley mentions that Canadian employers, for example, lose USD 77.9 million annually due to the direct and indirect impacts of domestic violence. Among the solutions, she proposes the first step to be having more protective milieus in place for victims of domestic violence and removing some of the embarrassment to disclosure and reporting. “That is where we all should be really focusing our attention and bringing in the employers and folks to be part of that conversation to determine how we can all contribute to a more safe and supportive environment for individuals who are being victimized.”

Choice of words could move the needle in a desired direction, influencing the problem and reframing the solution’s angles. Morley invites us to rethink data as community wellness indexes rather than crime indicators.

“Community wellness is not just the absence of crime, locking up the bad guys, but it is creating healthy environments for people to thrive and grow and to be well. We all have a role to play in that. For example, in our community, we have Women’s Habitat, which is an organization serving folks impacted by intimate partner violence. They are part of the network of individuals who are connecting across different organizations and in support with the city to help us stand up a better way forward.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Am Mittwoch (27. November) soll das Europaparlament in Straßburg voraussichtlich Ursula von der Leyens neue Kommission bestätigen, doch der Weg dorthin war und wird alles andere als reibungslos.

Mfor.hu: Leheletnyit erősödött hétfő (11. 25.) reggelre a forint árfolyama a főbb devizákkal szemben a péntek estihez képest a nemzetközi devizakereskedelemben. Az eurót hétfő reggel hét órakor 411,42 forinton jegyezték a péntek esti 411,81 forint után. A dollár jegyzése 392,68 forintra csökkent 395,84 forintról, a svájci franké pedig 440,73 forintra 442,54-ról. (mti)

A new report, Femicides in 2023: Global Estimates of Intimate Partner/Family Member Femicide, 60 per cent of women homicides were committed by an intimate partner or other family member. Credit: Mika Baumeister/Unsplash

By Naureen Hossain
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 25 2024 (IPS)

Every 10 minutes, one woman or girl is killed at the hands of their partner or other family member. This is only scratching the surface on how femicide, one of the most extreme forms of violence against women, persists at high levels around the world.

UN-Women and the UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released a joint report, Femicides in 2023: Global Estimates of Intimate Partner/Family Member Femicides, on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

The joint report breaks down statistical findings on the global rate of femicide—intentional killing of women—in 2023. The report focuses on femicide perpetrated by intimate partners or family members.

“The new femicide report highlights the urgent need for strong criminal justice systems that hold perpetrators accountable while ensuring adequate support for survivors, including access to safe and transparent reporting mechanisms,” said Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC.

Globally, 85,000 women and girls were murdered in 2023. 60 percent of these homicides, or 51,000, were committed by an intimate partner or other family member. The report contrasts this with the fact that nearly 12 percent of male homicide victims in 2023 were killed by an intimate partner or family member, or 1 in 10 victims. This highlights a clear gendered disparity within homicide cases, wherein the domestic sphere is more dangerous for women and girls than for men and boys.

In the last year, Africa recorded the highest rates of intimate partner and family-related (IP/FR) femicide, followed by the Americas and then by Oceania.  In Europe and the Americas, most female victims killed in the domestic sphere—64 percent and 58 percent, respectively—were killed at the hands of intimate partners. By contrast, in Asia, Africa, and Oceania, most female victims were killed by family members compared to intimate partners, by 59 percent and 41 percent, respectively. The report also points out that while Africa hosts the highest rates of IP/FR femicide, regional rates of femicide should be subject to uncertainty due to the limitations in data availability.

This limitation in data availability is also apparent in the report’s breakdown of time trends in IP/FR femicide, explored within the context of Europe and the Americas. The IP/FR rate of femicide in 2023 was roughly the same as it was in 2010. Yet in that same period, there was a gradual decrease in the femicide rate. This suggests that changes can be slow to infiltrate into common practice, and that the risk factors and causes for this form of violence are rooted in practices and norms that will not change quickly.

“Violence against women and girls is not inevitable—it is preventable. We need robust legislation, improved data collection, greater government accountability, a zero-tolerance culture, and increased funding for women’s rights organizations and institutional bodies,” said UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous.

Through their annual report, the 16 Days of Activism and UNiTE campaigns, UN-Women and UNODC are calling for an end to impunity by holding the perpetrators of violence accountable and to invest in preventative measures that protect the rights of survivors and provide them with essential services. Preventative measures can include strengthening legislation and criminal justice responses to domestic violence, with the report noting specific measures like protection orders and removing firearms from a perpetrator’s possession.

Information-sharing and collaboration across multiple entities relevant in a domestic violence investigation, such as social services, healthcare facilities, and the police, can also factor into identifying the risk of further harm or femicide. In 2021, Colombia introduced an integrated protocol where women affected by gender-based violence could complete an evaluation to determine the level of risk of lethal harm, following which they would work with relevant authorities to develop a safety plan with urgent actions to take to mitigate the risk of femicide. Between 2021 and 2022, through this tool, it was found that 35 to 40 percent of women experiencing intimate-partner violence were at an extreme risk of falling victim to femicide.

When focusing on the prevalence of IP/FR femicide, particularly where partners are the perpetrators, what is clear is that it is the culmination of ongoing domestic violence. In France, 37 percent of women that were killed by their intimate partners had also previously reported physical, psychological, and sexual abuse at the hands of their partner. The violence may end there, but in some cases it continues, with either the perpetrator taking his own life shortly after or directing violence towards any children they share.

What is also clear is that data collection efforts must be supported through initiatives led by specialized government agencies or by national statistics offices. The limitations in data availability on family-related femicide need to be addressed, especially in Africa and Asia that report higher rates of femicide perpetrated by family members.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Just beyond the horizon is the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action in 2025. This presents an opportunity that stakeholders must take to strengthen women’s rights and gender equality.

“As we approach the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 2025, it is time for world leaders to UNiTE and act with urgency, recommit, and channel the resources needed to end this crisis once and for all,” said Bahous.

Public campaigns like UNiTE and advocacy efforts through civil society and non-governmental organizations have been key in raising awareness of the prevalence of gender-based violence and in drawing condemnation for the behaviors that perpetuate it.

Yet what is also clear is that even with these efforts and the measures taken by governments and other stakeholders to protect survivors of violence, femicide persists at alarmingly high levels on a global scale. This speaks of extreme forms of gender-based violence that are entrenched in societal and cultural norms and regressive gender stereotypes. It speaks to a global culture where half of the world’s population is taught to never feel completely safe, not even within their own home.
IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Nach Abschluss der 29. Weltklimakonferenz in Aserbaidschan begrüßte die EU die Einigung auf eine Verdreifachung der globalen Klimafinanzierung bis 2035 auf 300 Milliarden US-Dollar. Gleichzeitig kritisierte sie jedoch das Scheitern konkreter Klimaschutzmaßnahmen.

A Sudanese child residing in a displacement camp in Tawila, located in the northern region of Darfur. Credit: UNICEF/Mohammed Jamal

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 25 2024 (IPS)

As living conditions in Sudan deteriorate as a result of the Sudanese Civil War, levels of famine and violations of international humanitarian law continue to accelerate among the roughly 11.5 million displaced persons. Conflict between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have severely hampered aid efforts, leaving millions of civilians to deal with widespread disease and an overall lack of essential resources.

New data from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) shows that South Sudan has been hit the hardest by famine, with roughly 57 percent of the population projected to be acutely food insecure through the 2025 lean season. Children will be disproportionately affected, with many facing the highest levels of hunger and malnutrition on the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) scale.

Since the wake of the civil war, nearly 30,000 Sudanese refugees have fled to Tuti Island, a small island in Sudan that borders the Nile. In April 2023, the RSF had besieged the island, transforming it into an “open-air prison” that teems with disease and insecurity. As of October of this year, most of the refugees residing on Tuti have returned to the mainland. The latest study from the IPC shows that nearly 85 percent of returnees will be faced with catastrophic hunger as of early next year.

UNICEF’s representative’s South Sudan Hamida Lasseko reports that due to malnutrition and compromised water sanitation systems in Sudan, waterborne diseases have begun to spread among displaced populations. Hunger has decimated the immune systems of displaced populations, leaving them highly vulnerable to malaria, dengue fever, and cholera.

A study conducted by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports more than 28,000 cases of cholera and 836 deaths from July 2024 to October 2024. Dengue fever has surged in the Kassala and Khartoum regions, with 4,544 cases and 12 deaths as of October 28. It is noted that cases likely exceed what is reported.

“We are racing against time. With heavy rains and flooding, diseases can spread more rapidly and severely worsen the outlook for the children in the affected states and beyond,” says Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Sudan.

Civilians continue to get caught in the crossfires of this war, leading to an increasing number of civilian casualties. Due to the scale of fighting in the state capital, Khartoum, it is difficult for experts to determine the exact number of lives lost from war-related causes.

The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine’s Sudan Research Group estimates that although the majority of deaths observed in Sudan are from disease and malnutrition, there are an estimated 26,000 people who have succumbed to injuries as a “direct result of violence” in the Khartoum state.

In Darfur, a region located in Sudan’s west, there are predicted to be many more casualties, along with reports of ethnic cleansing and violations of international humanitarian law. According to a press release from Amnesty International, French military technology is being used by the two warring parties, which is in clear violation of the UN arms embargo.

“Our research shows that weaponry designed and manufactured in France is in active use on the battlefield in Sudan. The Galix System is being deployed by the RSF in this conflict, and any use in Darfur would be a clear breach of the UN arms embargo. All countries must immediately cease direct and indirect supplies of all arms and ammunition to the warring parties in Sudan,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary-General, Amnesty International.

Due to extensive conflict between the warring parties, healthcare systems have been severely damaged, leading to a lack of critical assistance for millions of people that are grappling with disease and/or those who face war-related injuries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), roughly 70 to 80 percent of Sudan’s medical facilities are non or partly functional. This is primarily due to a lack of funding and warring parties looting the facilities, leaving medical equipment damaged.

“It’s extremely dire. Sudanese colleagues are facing shortages of essential medicines. There was a point not too long ago when 85 of our staff there were sick, many with severe malaria, and we didn’t even have treatment for them. They’re often sheltering in camps while trying to continue to work, and then they get sick and we can’t look after them,” said Avril Benoît, Executive Director of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières in the United States.

Benoît adds that relief responses from the international community have been largely inadequate in mitigating the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. This is primarily due to a lack of funding. As of October, the United Nations’ 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Sudan has reached only 57 percent funding out of the required 2.7 billion dollars. This greatly impacts aid efforts and leaves humanitarian organizations unable to scale up responses.

On November 13, Sudanese authorities allowed for humanitarian aid trucks to access the Adre crossing for another 3 months. Humanitarian organizations predict that the Adre crossing will be an indispensable route for aid deliveries as it allows for highly vulnerable populations in Darfur to be reached through Chad.

Clementine Nkweta-Salami, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan has said that the humanitarians in Sudan welcome this decision, for the Adre crossing is a “critical lifeline” for the vulnerable people across the country but especially in Darfur. “Keeping the Adre border open means humanitarians can continue to deliver emergency food and nutrition supplies, medicine, shelter, and other life-saving assistance to hundreds of thousands of hungry, malnourished mothers and children, people suffering from diseases, and others that desperately need these supplies.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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