Throughout the course of the 59th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW59), Eldis Interactions were compiling a live blog examining the topic of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). This commentary brings together tweets, pictures and reflections on many of the talks and side-events by participants, spanning the entire event.
Included in the reporting are many links to press releases and speeches from a wide variety of stakeholders, centred around the theme of SGBV. Specific side-events and talks covered include: the World Health Organisation and Global Women’s Institute side event entitled ‘How should violence against women be prevented and responded to?’; A speech by the Association of Women in Development (AWID) Executive Director Lydia Alpizar in which she celebrates woman human rights defenders; a Planet 50-50 event where SGBV was addressed by speakers including head of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka; and some of the statements released in reaction to CSW59 proceedings as they emerged.
The reporting closes with a summary of the main issues and points raised concerning SGBV at CSW59:
- SGBV continues to be a global issue, largely due to the gender inequality, patriarchy and power imbalances that continue to exist
- SGBV comes in many forms and in many contexts, including intimate partner violence, street harassment, practices such as female genital mutilation, and online violence
- There needs to be an intersectional approach to addressing SGBV and its overlapping vulnerabilities for disabled women, trans women, gay women, older women, young women and girls, indigenous women, women with low incomes, and women from minority groups
- SGBV links with many other forms of gender inequality
- There is a growing movement to engage men and boys directly in addressing SGBV and other forms of gender inequality
- Many feminists feel that more needs to be done to stop SGBV, including: maintaining public services and funding to tackle the issue and support survivors; addressing the issue head on in policy and conventions; working to shift social norms; recognising the gender aspect of this violence in every way; and (re)politicising the issue and its relation to areas like economic empowerment and health