South Africa (Commonwealth Union)_ The Commonwealth Secretary-General has stated that she is more motivated than ever to create positive changes in the world and to stop violence against women and girls throughout the Commonwealth. While delivering her speech at the second Presidential Summit on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide held in South Africa, Secretary-General Patricia Scotland delivered an emotional message of support to survivors.
“We have had to face the truth of gender-based violence and the scar that it places on our world. The President was right when he called it a second pandemic. I have always referred to it as the silent pandemic, which existed here long before COVID. I really wish, with all my heart that this issue no longer existed because we are 28 years since the Declaration of the Elimination of Violence Against Women. 28 years of committing ourselves to change. But I want to say to you that change will come,” the Secretary-General stated. “I am absolutely determined that we will end violence against women and girls. I want to tell you, do not give up. Do not be silent. Keep on fighting. And I promise you I, as your Secretary-General, will fight with you.”
One in three women across the world are victims of domestic or sexual abuse. The numbers are astronomical. The Secretary-General referred to it as a silent pandemic and provided the most recent statistics. Recent data also reveals that more than two hundred million women and girls have been subjected to female genital mutilation, and at least two billion women have endured sexual harassment. Moreover, during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, there was an alarming increase in domestic and sexual abuse, as well as harmful practices like as female genital mutilation.
The Secretary-General stated that it became worse in several nations and increased by more than 500%. She also emphasized the importance to work together through a whole system, multi-sectoral approach involving all members of society, including governments, local governments, businesses, NGOs, and individuals and urged leaders to implement the required changes to stop the long-standing trouble, which is not only affecting the survivors and their families, but also imposes enormous social and economic costs and exacerbates inequality.
Eradicating violence against women and girls is one of the four Commonwealth goals for gender equality and a high priority for the Commonwealth and its member states. In her address, the Secretary-General shed light on the ‘Commonwealth Says NO MORE’ programme, which is the first-ever pan-Commonwealth platform to deal with domestic and sexual violence. The initiative joins the Commonwealth Secretariat and the NO MORE Foundation, and provides a toolkit to enable countries to conduct economic costing of violence against women and girls.
