Side Event at CSW 62 on fighting violence against women in politics

Collective work to eliminate VAWP must become a global matter of priority. Building on their ongoing collaboration on the subject and on their expressed commitment to address the issue, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Croatia to the United Nations in New York, and UN Women, in collaboration with regional mechanisms’ on women’s rights, are convening a side event on ending VAWP, with a view to raising awareness and discussing current challenges and priority actions to be taken to end this pandemic. The side event will bring together experts, Member States and other relevant stakeholders.

This side-event will contribute to analyzing issues that are critical for ending VAWP and ensuring that women fully realize their civil and political rights. In particular, the side event is aimed at:

Sharing information on the current manifestations of VAWP, highlighting its causes and consequences;

Identifying shortcomings and good practices in legal and policy framework designed to end VAWP at the national, regional and international levels;

Elaborating recommendations for mitigating and responding to VAWP, also in view of the upcoming General Assembly report of the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women.

Moderator

Ms Dubravka Šimonović, UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences 

Opening remarks

• His Excellency Ambassador Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve, Permanent Representative of Belgium to the United Nations in New York
• His Excellency Ambassador Vladimir Drobnjak, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Croatia to the United Nations in New York

Panellists

• Ms. Purna Sen, Director Policy Division, UN-Women
• Ms Dalia Leinairte, Chair, Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
• Ms Feride Acar, President, Council of Europe Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence of the Council of Europe (GREVIO)
• Ms Sylvia Mesa Peluffo, President, Committee of Experts of the Follow-up Mechanism to the Belém do Pará Convention (MESECVI)
• Ms Soyata Maiga, Chairperson, African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR)
• Ms Margarette May Macaulay, Rapporteur on the Rights of Women of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (OAS - IACHR)
• Ms Melissa Upreti, Member of the UN Working Group on Discrimination against Women in Law and Practice (WGDAW)

Closing remarks

• Ms Sylvie Durrer, Director, Swiss Federal Office for Gender Equality
• Ms Dubravka Šimonović, UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences

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