Executive Director of UN Women Sima Bahous highlighted the plight of women human rights defenders who risk their lives for their communities and the planet.
In her speech at Security Council, Ms. Bahous said the UN human rights office, OHCHR, recently reported that out of the nearly 350 individual cases of intimidation or reprisals for cooperation with the UN in the past year, 60 per cent concerned women.
Bahous also noted that the UN Women surveys have revealed that nearly a third of women civil society representatives who have briefed the Security Council have also faced reprisals.
In this regard, the UN official called for measures such as providing material and political support to women rights defenders and their organizations, as well as updating legislation for asylum, temporary relocation or temporary protected status for gender-based persecutions.
“And lest any think that marginalizing women keeps them safe, let us be clear: it achieves the opposite. Denying women space, access, or funding because of safety concerns emboldens perpetrators and, in their eyes, validates their tactics,” said Bahous.
Also, she upheld the value of women’s participation as critical to inclusive and sustainable peace, and balked at the low rate of representation in peace processes, national parliaments, and other contexts, such as COVID-19 task forces.
“We know very well what to do,” said Ms. Bahous. “Quotas and temporary special measures remain our best tool to set right these damaging imbalances and promote equality in decision-making.”
It's worth mentioning that Women Ambassadors in the UN Security Council met to discuss how to strengthen women’s resilience and leadership as a pathway to peace in regions plagued by armed groups.
The debate was held under the Council’s continued focus on women, peace and security, in line with a landmark resolution adopted 22 years ago, and centred around the latest UN report.
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