Governments accused of ‘perpetrating violence against women’

Governments accused of ‘perpetrating violence against women’

ActionAid report says officials are ignoring laws to end violence against women, curbing funding of women’s groups, and failing to defend activists



The report says efforts by local civil society groups to push for change are being thwarted by threats and intimidation. Photograph: Nana Kofi Acquah/ActionAid

Governments are failing to meet their international obligations to protect women from violence by starving women’s groups of funding and closing the space in which they can operate, according to a report by ActionAid. Laws and national action plans introduced to end violence against women and girls are routinely ignored, while efforts by local civil society groups to push for change are being thwarted by threats and intimidation, the NGO said on Tuesday.

A survey of 47 women’s rights activists from more than 20 countries, conducted by ActionAid and Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition, found that more than 60% of women said they felt less safe in their work than they did two years ago. Of this group, 19% said they felt significantly less safe. Activists working on abortion, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights reported feeling particularly under threat.

Armed militias, governments, the police and religious groups were identified as the main instigators of threatening behaviour, which includes verbal abuse, sexual remarks, sexual harassment and assault.

ActionAid said rather than protecting women’s rights, and meeting the UN resolution adopted in 2013 to protect activists, “many governments are directly perpetrating violence against women, while failing to address cultures of impunity. And rather than supporting women in their struggle, many states are closing down the civil society space which all civil society, including women’s organisations, need in order to be effective.”

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http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/jun/23/governments-accused-perpetrating-violence-against-women-actionaid-report-activists