Launch of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence Campaign

Ms. Hilolbi Qurbonzoda Jumakhon, Chair of Committee on Women and Family Affairs under the Government of the RT

Ms. Gulbahor Ashurzoda, Member of Assembly of Representatives (Majlisi Namoyandagon, the lower chamber of the Parliament).

HE Ms. Marilyn Josefson, Ambassador of the EU

Ladies and Gentlemen

Assalamin Aleykum

Welcome to the launch of our campaign to promote 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV for short). This campaign starts on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day.

There is a special reason why these two important days were connected. Violence against women is the most prevalent human rights abuse globally. Globally, one in every three women is subjected to sexual, physical, or psychological violence during her life. For 16 days ever year, we aim to raise awareness everywhere and with everyone, to the plight of those women whose human rights and human dignity have been violently abused.

Unfortunately, no country is immune to this social disease. Violence against women and girls happens in every country in the world. Here in Tajikistan, the Government’s Demographic Health Survey data of 2017 shows that 31% of ever-married women have experienced some form of gender-based violence. That is a very large number of women. That is why we very much welcome this partnership with the Government and the Assembly of Representatives today to launch this campaign to eliminate violence against women - from Tajikistan and from the world.

Ladies and gentlemen:

Later our colleagues will be telling you more about what the 16 Days of Activism campaign entails. What I would like to talk about now is what needs to be done to change the situation and make life safer and more secure for women.

1. First and foremost, we need data. In Tajikistan, there is no credible data since 2017. How can you monitor and correct a major problem unless you know the scope and extent of that problem? How can you deal with it unless you know how and where it happens? That’s why, we strongly encourage the Govt to conduct research and monitoring of the situation.   
   
    
2. Response to gender-based violence requires a whole of Govt approach. We are very happy that there is a specific Committee that is devoted to gender issues but GBV cuts across sectors and government agencies. Educators, police, judges, financial planners, health professionals – all of these need to be involved in the response. No single sector, no single agency can solve the problem alone.
   
    
3. Similarly, GBV is not a problem that any Govt can solve alone. Violence against women is a social problem and social problems require working hand in hand with the citizens. This is best achieved by working with the civil society, with local communities and, most importantly, with the survivors. It is the survivors themselves who will have the most knowledge of what can help them the most.
   
    
4. The Govt has just approved its 2021 budget. We are very pleased to see that there is an increase to the allocations for the social sectors. This increase is a much-needed response to the Covid-19 pandemic which has caused so much socio-economic hardship for everyone. But, let’s not forget that GBV is a silent pandemic that has been going on for many years and affecting many more women than Covid-19 ever has. Let’s make sure that a part of that recently approved social budget goes to preventing GBV and providing much needed services to its victims.
   
    
5. Let me also highlight that Covid has been a double disaster for victims of domestic violence. UN Women carried out a Rapid Gender Assessment in May 2020, amid the pandemic. This Assessment demonstrated to us that women and girls who sought sanctuary in their homes against the virus are facing escalating domestic violence. Service providers in Sugd and Khatlon provinces reported a higher number of domestic violence cases during the pandemic compared to the same period in 2019. Also, previously unknown in Tajikistan, cyber-violence and cyber-harassment of women have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. These can all reverse the many difficult gains that had been achieved over the years and need urgent action to be prevented.

Ladies and Gentlemen

6. Preventing GBV is not rocket science. It does not require complicated or even very expensive responses. There are many proven and successful approaches to deal with it. I’ve already listed a few of what is needed. But what is most needed is the political will that focuses on this issue with the urgency and priority that it needs.

And one of the most important areas that needs to be addressed is the legal framework around GBV. In country after country it has been proven that the most important deterrent of violence against women is its criminalization. It is not enough to color a few buildings in orange every year, it is not enough to do a few trainings to government officials, it is not enough to build a shelter for a few desperate women escaping violence, what is most important is to hold the perpetrators to account. Until and unless there is strong legislation that says “NO” with a clear criminal accountability framework, it will be very difficult to end the violence.

Ladies and Gentlemen

Globally the UN and the European Union have joined forces to End Violence Against Women. With very generous funding from the European Union, together they launched a special programme called the Spotlight Initiative that not only sheds light to the problem but aims to reverse the trend with serious investments in solutions.   

Based on its excellent collaboration with the EU and the UN, Tajikistan was identified as one of the two countries in the whole Europe and Central Asia region for funding and expert support in this very competitive programme. The money is ready. The EU and the UN are ready. We truly hope that the Govt will also very soon be ready to sign and launch this most important and beneficial programme for Tajikistan. The women, girls and children who are victims of violence cannot wait.

I would like to end with a personal reflection.

While preparing for this event, I did a bit of research and learned that the 16 Days Campaign started in 1991 and has been held globally every year since. That means, for 29 long years we have been coming together for 16 days to remind, advocate and take action against violence against women.  

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I have a daughter who is 27 years old. How many more years will I have to continue to tell her that the world is not a safe place for women? And how many more years do I need to caution her that she like any other woman can one day become a statistic?

Let’s please stop gender-based violence here and now! Let’s mark next year’s 16 days as a celebration of how much we have achieved, rather than a commemoration of how much we still have to do.

Tesekkur!