Partner News

Increasing women’s participation in politics and economy and ending violence against women to be a key focus of the visit.

Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women Michelle Bachelet will travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 26 to 29 January to participate, as part of the delegation of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in the 20th African Union Summit. The theme of the Summit is “Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance.”

Ms. Bachelet will call on African leaders to fully include women in the African Renaissance framework, and will commend the election of the first woman Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. The AU Commission seeks to achieve 50-50 parity in its employment structures, ensure that women attain decision-making positions, and advocate for women’s development across the continent on the platform of the African Women’s Decade.

UN Women’s Executive Director will reiterate the urgent need to end violence against women and girls, to advance women’s political participation and leadership, expand women’s economic empowerment, to increase women’s participation and decision-making in peacemaking and peacebuilding, and support national plans and budgets to advance gender equality.

In the run up to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) that will focus this year on the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls, Ms. Bachelet will strongly urge African leaders to ensure robust policies to end violence against women, which affects up to seven in ten women in many countries worldwide. She will ask them to COMMIT—through a newly-launched UN Women initiative, to new, concrete steps in their nations to end violence against women and girls.

During her three-day visit, Ms. Bachelet will meet with Heads of State and Government, as part of the UN Secretary-General’s delegation. She will also meet with the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, Carlos Lopes, and women leaders including Ministers, Ambassadors and representatives of civil society.

Ms. Bachelet will address several high-level events including a dinner with senior women Ambassadors to the AU, and the High-level Africa Inter-Generational Dialogue on the African Renaissance and the Post 2015 Agenda: Young Women and the Future we Want.

(Source: UN Women)

Increasing women’s participation in politics and economy and ending violence against women to be a key focus of the visit.

Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women Michelle Bachelet will travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 26 to 29 January to participate, as part of the delegation of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in the 20th African Union Summit. The theme of the Summit is “Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance.”

Ms. Bachelet will call on African leaders to fully include women in the African Renaissance framework, and will commend the election of the first woman Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. The AU Commission seeks to achieve 50-50 parity in its employment structures, ensure that women attain decision-making positions, and advocate for women’s development across the continent on the platform of the African Women’s Decade.

UN Women’s Executive Director will reiterate the urgent need to end violence against women and girls, to advance women’s political participation and leadership, expand women’s economic empowerment, to increase women’s participation and decision-making in peacemaking and peacebuilding, and support national plans and budgets to advance gender equality.

In the run up to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) that will focus this year on the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls, Ms. Bachelet will strongly urge African leaders to ensure robust policies to end violence against women, which affects up to seven in ten women in many countries worldwide. She will ask them to COMMIT—through a newly-launched UN Women initiative, to new, concrete steps in their nations to end violence against women and girls.

During her three-day visit, Ms. Bachelet will meet with Heads of State and Government, as part of the UN Secretary-General’s delegation. She will also meet with the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, Carlos Lopes, and women leaders including Ministers, Ambassadors and representatives of civil society.

Ms. Bachelet will address several high-level events including a dinner with senior women Ambassadors to the AU, and the High-level Africa Inter-Generational Dialogue on the African Renaissance and the Post 2015 Agenda: Young Women and the Future we Want.

(Source: UN Women)

Increasing women’s participation in politics and economy and ending violence against women to be a key focus of the visit.

Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women Michelle Bachelet will travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 26 to 29 January to participate, as part of the delegation of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in the 20th African Union Summit. The theme of the Summit is “Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance.”

Ms. Bachelet will call on African leaders to fully include women in the African Renaissance framework, and will commend the election of the first woman Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. The AU Commission seeks to achieve 50-50 parity in its employment structures, ensure that women attain decision-making positions, and advocate for women’s development across the continent on the platform of the African Women’s Decade.

UN Women’s Executive Director will reiterate the urgent need to end violence against women and girls, to advance women’s political participation and leadership, expand women’s economic empowerment, to increase women’s participation and decision-making in peacemaking and peacebuilding, and support national plans and budgets to advance gender equality.

In the run up to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) that will focus this year on the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls, Ms. Bachelet will strongly urge African leaders to ensure robust policies to end violence against women, which affects up to seven in ten women in many countries worldwide. She will ask them to COMMIT—through a newly-launched UN Women initiative, to new, concrete steps in their nations to end violence against women and girls.

During her three-day visit, Ms. Bachelet will meet with Heads of State and Government, as part of the UN Secretary-General’s delegation. She will also meet with the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, Carlos Lopes, and women leaders including Ministers, Ambassadors and representatives of civil society.

Ms. Bachelet will address several high-level events including a dinner with senior women Ambassadors to the AU, and the High-level Africa Inter-Generational Dialogue on the African Renaissance and the Post 2015 Agenda: Young Women and the Future we Want.

(Source: UN Women)

Increasing women’s participation in politics and economy and ending violence against women to be a key focus of the visit.

Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women Michelle Bachelet will travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 26 to 29 January to participate, as part of the delegation of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in the 20th African Union Summit. The theme of the Summit is “Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance.”

Ms. Bachelet will call on African leaders to fully include women in the African Renaissance framework, and will commend the election of the first woman Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. The AU Commission seeks to achieve 50-50 parity in its employment structures, ensure that women attain decision-making positions, and advocate for women’s development across the continent on the platform of the African Women’s Decade.

UN Women’s Executive Director will reiterate the urgent need to end violence against women and girls, to advance women’s political participation and leadership, expand women’s economic empowerment, to increase women’s participation and decision-making in peacemaking and peacebuilding, and support national plans and budgets to advance gender equality.

In the run up to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) that will focus this year on the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls, Ms. Bachelet will strongly urge African leaders to ensure robust policies to end violence against women, which affects up to seven in ten women in many countries worldwide. She will ask them to COMMIT—through a newly-launched UN Women initiative, to new, concrete steps in their nations to end violence against women and girls.

During her three-day visit, Ms. Bachelet will meet with Heads of State and Government, as part of the UN Secretary-General’s delegation. She will also meet with the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, Carlos Lopes, and women leaders including Ministers, Ambassadors and representatives of civil society.

Ms. Bachelet will address several high-level events including a dinner with senior women Ambassadors to the AU, and the High-level Africa Inter-Generational Dialogue on the African Renaissance and the Post 2015 Agenda: Young Women and the Future we Want.

(Source: UN Women)

Increasing women’s participation in politics and economy and ending violence against women to be a key focus of the visit.

Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women Michelle Bachelet will travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 26 to 29 January to participate, as part of the delegation of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in the 20th African Union Summit. The theme of the Summit is “Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance.”

Ms. Bachelet will call on African leaders to fully include women in the African Renaissance framework, and will commend the election of the first woman Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. The AU Commission seeks to achieve 50-50 parity in its employment structures, ensure that women attain decision-making positions, and advocate for women’s development across the continent on the platform of the African Women’s Decade.

UN Women’s Executive Director will reiterate the urgent need to end violence against women and girls, to advance women’s political participation and leadership, expand women’s economic empowerment, to increase women’s participation and decision-making in peacemaking and peacebuilding, and support national plans and budgets to advance gender equality.

In the run up to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) that will focus this year on the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls, Ms. Bachelet will strongly urge African leaders to ensure robust policies to end violence against women, which affects up to seven in ten women in many countries worldwide. She will ask them to COMMIT—through a newly-launched UN Women initiative, to new, concrete steps in their nations to end violence against women and girls.

During her three-day visit, Ms. Bachelet will meet with Heads of State and Government, as part of the UN Secretary-General’s delegation. She will also meet with the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, Carlos Lopes, and women leaders including Ministers, Ambassadors and representatives of civil society.

Ms. Bachelet will address several high-level events including a dinner with senior women Ambassadors to the AU, and the High-level Africa Inter-Generational Dialogue on the African Renaissance and the Post 2015 Agenda: Young Women and the Future we Want.

(Source: UN Women)

Increasing women’s participation in politics and economy and ending violence against women to be a key focus of the visit.

Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women Michelle Bachelet will travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 26 to 29 January to participate, as part of the delegation of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in the 20th African Union Summit. The theme of the Summit is “Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance.”

Ms. Bachelet will call on African leaders to fully include women in the African Renaissance framework, and will commend the election of the first woman Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. The AU Commission seeks to achieve 50-50 parity in its employment structures, ensure that women attain decision-making positions, and advocate for women’s development across the continent on the platform of the African Women’s Decade.

UN Women’s Executive Director will reiterate the urgent need to end violence against women and girls, to advance women’s political participation and leadership, expand women’s economic empowerment, to increase women’s participation and decision-making in peacemaking and peacebuilding, and support national plans and budgets to advance gender equality.

In the run up to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) that will focus this year on the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls, Ms. Bachelet will strongly urge African leaders to ensure robust policies to end violence against women, which affects up to seven in ten women in many countries worldwide. She will ask them to COMMIT—through a newly-launched UN Women initiative, to new, concrete steps in their nations to end violence against women and girls.

During her three-day visit, Ms. Bachelet will meet with Heads of State and Government, as part of the UN Secretary-General’s delegation. She will also meet with the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, Carlos Lopes, and women leaders including Ministers, Ambassadors and representatives of civil society.

Ms. Bachelet will address several high-level events including a dinner with senior women Ambassadors to the AU, and the High-level Africa Inter-Generational Dialogue on the African Renaissance and the Post 2015 Agenda: Young Women and the Future we Want.

(Source: UN Women)

Increasing women’s participation in politics and economy and ending violence against women to be a key focus of the visit.

Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women Michelle Bachelet will travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 26 to 29 January to participate, as part of the delegation of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in the 20th African Union Summit. The theme of the Summit is “Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance.”

Ms. Bachelet will call on African leaders to fully include women in the African Renaissance framework, and will commend the election of the first woman Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. The AU Commission seeks to achieve 50-50 parity in its employment structures, ensure that women attain decision-making positions, and advocate for women’s development across the continent on the platform of the African Women’s Decade.

UN Women’s Executive Director will reiterate the urgent need to end violence against women and girls, to advance women’s political participation and leadership, expand women’s economic empowerment, to increase women’s participation and decision-making in peacemaking and peacebuilding, and support national plans and budgets to advance gender equality.

In the run up to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) that will focus this year on the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls, Ms. Bachelet will strongly urge African leaders to ensure robust policies to end violence against women, which affects up to seven in ten women in many countries worldwide. She will ask them to COMMIT—through a newly-launched UN Women initiative, to new, concrete steps in their nations to end violence against women and girls.

During her three-day visit, Ms. Bachelet will meet with Heads of State and Government, as part of the UN Secretary-General’s delegation. She will also meet with the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, Carlos Lopes, and women leaders including Ministers, Ambassadors and representatives of civil society.

Ms. Bachelet will address several high-level events including a dinner with senior women Ambassadors to the AU, and the High-level Africa Inter-Generational Dialogue on the African Renaissance and the Post 2015 Agenda: Young Women and the Future we Want.

(Source: UN Women)

Increasing women’s participation in politics and economy and ending violence against women to be a key focus of the visit.

Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women Michelle Bachelet will travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 26 to 29 January to participate, as part of the delegation of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in the 20th African Union Summit. The theme of the Summit is “Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance.”

Ms. Bachelet will call on African leaders to fully include women in the African Renaissance framework, and will commend the election of the first woman Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. The AU Commission seeks to achieve 50-50 parity in its employment structures, ensure that women attain decision-making positions, and advocate for women’s development across the continent on the platform of the African Women’s Decade.

UN Women’s Executive Director will reiterate the urgent need to end violence against women and girls, to advance women’s political participation and leadership, expand women’s economic empowerment, to increase women’s participation and decision-making in peacemaking and peacebuilding, and support national plans and budgets to advance gender equality.

In the run up to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) that will focus this year on the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls, Ms. Bachelet will strongly urge African leaders to ensure robust policies to end violence against women, which affects up to seven in ten women in many countries worldwide. She will ask them to COMMIT—through a newly-launched UN Women initiative, to new, concrete steps in their nations to end violence against women and girls.

During her three-day visit, Ms. Bachelet will meet with Heads of State and Government, as part of the UN Secretary-General’s delegation. She will also meet with the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, Carlos Lopes, and women leaders including Ministers, Ambassadors and representatives of civil society.

Ms. Bachelet will address several high-level events including a dinner with senior women Ambassadors to the AU, and the High-level Africa Inter-Generational Dialogue on the African Renaissance and the Post 2015 Agenda: Young Women and the Future we Want.

(Source: UN Women)

Increasing women’s participation in politics and economy and ending violence against women to be a key focus of the visit.

Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women Michelle Bachelet will travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 26 to 29 January to participate, as part of the delegation of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in the 20th African Union Summit. The theme of the Summit is “Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance.”

Ms. Bachelet will call on African leaders to fully include women in the African Renaissance framework, and will commend the election of the first woman Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. The AU Commission seeks to achieve 50-50 parity in its employment structures, ensure that women attain decision-making positions, and advocate for women’s development across the continent on the platform of the African Women’s Decade.

UN Women’s Executive Director will reiterate the urgent need to end violence against women and girls, to advance women’s political participation and leadership, expand women’s economic empowerment, to increase women’s participation and decision-making in peacemaking and peacebuilding, and support national plans and budgets to advance gender equality.

In the run up to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) that will focus this year on the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls, Ms. Bachelet will strongly urge African leaders to ensure robust policies to end violence against women, which affects up to seven in ten women in many countries worldwide. She will ask them to COMMIT—through a newly-launched UN Women initiative, to new, concrete steps in their nations to end violence against women and girls.

During her three-day visit, Ms. Bachelet will meet with Heads of State and Government, as part of the UN Secretary-General’s delegation. She will also meet with the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, Carlos Lopes, and women leaders including Ministers, Ambassadors and representatives of civil society.

Ms. Bachelet will address several high-level events including a dinner with senior women Ambassadors to the AU, and the High-level Africa Inter-Generational Dialogue on the African Renaissance and the Post 2015 Agenda: Young Women and the Future we Want.

(Source: UN Women)

Increasing women’s participation in politics and economy and ending violence against women to be a key focus of the visit.

Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women Michelle Bachelet will travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 26 to 29 January to participate, as part of the delegation of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in the 20th African Union Summit. The theme of the Summit is “Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance.”

Ms. Bachelet will call on African leaders to fully include women in the African Renaissance framework, and will commend the election of the first woman Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. The AU Commission seeks to achieve 50-50 parity in its employment structures, ensure that women attain decision-making positions, and advocate for women’s development across the continent on the platform of the African Women’s Decade.

UN Women’s Executive Director will reiterate the urgent need to end violence against women and girls, to advance women’s political participation and leadership, expand women’s economic empowerment, to increase women’s participation and decision-making in peacemaking and peacebuilding, and support national plans and budgets to advance gender equality.

In the run up to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) that will focus this year on the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls, Ms. Bachelet will strongly urge African leaders to ensure robust policies to end violence against women, which affects up to seven in ten women in many countries worldwide. She will ask them to COMMIT—through a newly-launched UN Women initiative, to new, concrete steps in their nations to end violence against women and girls.

During her three-day visit, Ms. Bachelet will meet with Heads of State and Government, as part of the UN Secretary-General’s delegation. She will also meet with the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, Carlos Lopes, and women leaders including Ministers, Ambassadors and representatives of civil society.

Ms. Bachelet will address several high-level events including a dinner with senior women Ambassadors to the AU, and the High-level Africa Inter-Generational Dialogue on the African Renaissance and the Post 2015 Agenda: Young Women and the Future we Want.

(Source: UN Women)

Increasing women’s participation in politics and economy and ending violence against women to be a key focus of the visit.

Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women Michelle Bachelet will travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 26 to 29 January to participate, as part of the delegation of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in the 20th African Union Summit. The theme of the Summit is “Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance.”

Ms. Bachelet will call on African leaders to fully include women in the African Renaissance framework, and will commend the election of the first woman Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. The AU Commission seeks to achieve 50-50 parity in its employment structures, ensure that women attain decision-making positions, and advocate for women’s development across the continent on the platform of the African Women’s Decade.

UN Women’s Executive Director will reiterate the urgent need to end violence against women and girls, to advance women’s political participation and leadership, expand women’s economic empowerment, to increase women’s participation and decision-making in peacemaking and peacebuilding, and support national plans and budgets to advance gender equality.

In the run up to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) that will focus this year on the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls, Ms. Bachelet will strongly urge African leaders to ensure robust policies to end violence against women, which affects up to seven in ten women in many countries worldwide. She will ask them to COMMIT—through a newly-launched UN Women initiative, to new, concrete steps in their nations to end violence against women and girls.

During her three-day visit, Ms. Bachelet will meet with Heads of State and Government, as part of the UN Secretary-General’s delegation. She will also meet with the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, Carlos Lopes, and women leaders including Ministers, Ambassadors and representatives of civil society.

Ms. Bachelet will address several high-level events including a dinner with senior women Ambassadors to the AU, and the High-level Africa Inter-Generational Dialogue on the African Renaissance and the Post 2015 Agenda: Young Women and the Future we Want.

(Source: UN Women)

“Our women have been beaten, raped, whipped, forced into polygamous marriages, and who knows what else. They have lost their dignity, but what is man’s dignity without that of women?” These are the words of Sophie*, a displaced woman living in Bamako, the country’s capital, but originally from Timbuktu in the north of Mali.

Like hundreds of thousands of other people, Sophie fled the violence carried out by radical armed groups such as Ansar Dine, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA), and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which have taken control of the northern part of the country, and apply an extreme interpretation of sharia law, with women as their targets. “We are the first victims of such crises; women and our children,” lamented Sophie.

The women assembled within the ECOWAS Women’s Peace and Security Network (REPSFECO/Mali), supported by UN Women, speak out at every chance they get, and as they meet leaders. Their message is clear. They ask for guarantees that women will be systematically represented in the various negotiation committees, for the assurance that there will be no amnesty for those who have committed rape and other forms of violence, for the economic re-establishment of displaced and refugee women, and for the opening of a humanitarian corridor to facilitate the provision of aid to those in occupied areas.

Seated in their traditional tents set up on the grounds of the Maison de la Femme et de l’Enfant in Bamako, the displaced women reiterated these fundamental demands during the visit of UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet to Mali earlier this month.

They spoke emotionally about the situation of extreme violence that reigns in the north of the country. Rapes and forced marriages take place in towns under the control of these armed groups and women are forced to cover their faces, they explained. They also highlighted the economic costs of the crisis.

“It is women who generate revenue to cover most of the family’s expenses and today these women do not have the right to trade or go to the market for something that will keep the family going,” complained Dominique, from Gao.

Some women spoke about their journeys southwards risking their life and that of their children. The hardships continue, as they now live in precarious conditions in the capital, with very little to provide for their needs.

“Women are suffering on a daily basis as they are subjected to gender-based violence and abuses in all the occupied regions. Lasting peace that extends beyond the simple act of signing a peace agreement is unsustainable if it is not rooted in justice. When violations of human rights are not investigated, when victims’ calls for justice are not heard, the risks for renewed violence remain high,” said Ms. Bachelet during her discussion with the women.

Ms. Bachelet took the message of the Malian women to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Headquarters in Abuja, the next day. The ECOWAS Member States are in the process of building an International Support Mission to Mali. Ms. Bachelet emphasised to ECOWAS the need for justice and an end to sexual violence, as well as the importance of the full participation of women in mediation and transition to ensure durable peace in Mali.

* For security reasons, the names of persons mentioned in this article have been changed in order to protect their identity.

(Source: UNWomen)

“Our women have been beaten, raped, whipped, forced into polygamous marriages, and who knows what else. They have lost their dignity, but what is man’s dignity without that of women?” These are the words of Sophie*, a displaced woman living in Bamako, the country’s capital, but originally from Timbuktu in the north of Mali.

Like hundreds of thousands of other people, Sophie fled the violence carried out by radical armed groups such as Ansar Dine, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA), and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which have taken control of the northern part of the country, and apply an extreme interpretation of sharia law, with women as their targets. “We are the first victims of such crises; women and our children,” lamented Sophie.

The women assembled within the ECOWAS Women’s Peace and Security Network (REPSFECO/Mali), supported by UN Women, speak out at every chance they get, and as they meet leaders. Their message is clear. They ask for guarantees that women will be systematically represented in the various negotiation committees, for the assurance that there will be no amnesty for those who have committed rape and other forms of violence, for the economic re-establishment of displaced and refugee women, and for the opening of a humanitarian corridor to facilitate the provision of aid to those in occupied areas.

Seated in their traditional tents set up on the grounds of the Maison de la Femme et de l’Enfant in Bamako, the displaced women reiterated these fundamental demands during the visit of UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet to Mali earlier this month.

They spoke emotionally about the situation of extreme violence that reigns in the north of the country. Rapes and forced marriages take place in towns under the control of these armed groups and women are forced to cover their faces, they explained. They also highlighted the economic costs of the crisis.

“It is women who generate revenue to cover most of the family’s expenses and today these women do not have the right to trade or go to the market for something that will keep the family going,” complained Dominique, from Gao.

Some women spoke about their journeys southwards risking their life and that of their children. The hardships continue, as they now live in precarious conditions in the capital, with very little to provide for their needs.

“Women are suffering on a daily basis as they are subjected to gender-based violence and abuses in all the occupied regions. Lasting peace that extends beyond the simple act of signing a peace agreement is unsustainable if it is not rooted in justice. When violations of human rights are not investigated, when victims’ calls for justice are not heard, the risks for renewed violence remain high,” said Ms. Bachelet during her discussion with the women.

Ms. Bachelet took the message of the Malian women to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Headquarters in Abuja, the next day. The ECOWAS Member States are in the process of building an International Support Mission to Mali. Ms. Bachelet emphasised to ECOWAS the need for justice and an end to sexual violence, as well as the importance of the full participation of women in mediation and transition to ensure durable peace in Mali.

* For security reasons, the names of persons mentioned in this article have been changed in order to protect their identity.

(Source: UNWomen)

“Our women have been beaten, raped, whipped, forced into polygamous marriages, and who knows what else. They have lost their dignity, but what is man’s dignity without that of women?” These are the words of Sophie*, a displaced woman living in Bamako, the country’s capital, but originally from Timbuktu in the north of Mali.

Like hundreds of thousands of other people, Sophie fled the violence carried out by radical armed groups such as Ansar Dine, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA), and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which have taken control of the northern part of the country, and apply an extreme interpretation of sharia law, with women as their targets. “We are the first victims of such crises; women and our children,” lamented Sophie.

The women assembled within the ECOWAS Women’s Peace and Security Network (REPSFECO/Mali), supported by UN Women, speak out at every chance they get, and as they meet leaders. Their message is clear. They ask for guarantees that women will be systematically represented in the various negotiation committees, for the assurance that there will be no amnesty for those who have committed rape and other forms of violence, for the economic re-establishment of displaced and refugee women, and for the opening of a humanitarian corridor to facilitate the provision of aid to those in occupied areas.

Seated in their traditional tents set up on the grounds of the Maison de la Femme et de l’Enfant in Bamako, the displaced women reiterated these fundamental demands during the visit of UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet to Mali earlier this month.

They spoke emotionally about the situation of extreme violence that reigns in the north of the country. Rapes and forced marriages take place in towns under the control of these armed groups and women are forced to cover their faces, they explained. They also highlighted the economic costs of the crisis.

“It is women who generate revenue to cover most of the family’s expenses and today these women do not have the right to trade or go to the market for something that will keep the family going,” complained Dominique, from Gao.

Some women spoke about their journeys southwards risking their life and that of their children. The hardships continue, as they now live in precarious conditions in the capital, with very little to provide for their needs.

“Women are suffering on a daily basis as they are subjected to gender-based violence and abuses in all the occupied regions. Lasting peace that extends beyond the simple act of signing a peace agreement is unsustainable if it is not rooted in justice. When violations of human rights are not investigated, when victims’ calls for justice are not heard, the risks for renewed violence remain high,” said Ms. Bachelet during her discussion with the women.

Ms. Bachelet took the message of the Malian women to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Headquarters in Abuja, the next day. The ECOWAS Member States are in the process of building an International Support Mission to Mali. Ms. Bachelet emphasised to ECOWAS the need for justice and an end to sexual violence, as well as the importance of the full participation of women in mediation and transition to ensure durable peace in Mali.

* For security reasons, the names of persons mentioned in this article have been changed in order to protect their identity.

(Source: UNWomen)

“Our women have been beaten, raped, whipped, forced into polygamous marriages, and who knows what else. They have lost their dignity, but what is man’s dignity without that of women?” These are the words of Sophie*, a displaced woman living in Bamako, the country’s capital, but originally from Timbuktu in the north of Mali.

Like hundreds of thousands of other people, Sophie fled the violence carried out by radical armed groups such as Ansar Dine, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA), and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which have taken control of the northern part of the country, and apply an extreme interpretation of sharia law, with women as their targets. “We are the first victims of such crises; women and our children,” lamented Sophie.

The women assembled within the ECOWAS Women’s Peace and Security Network (REPSFECO/Mali), supported by UN Women, speak out at every chance they get, and as they meet leaders. Their message is clear. They ask for guarantees that women will be systematically represented in the various negotiation committees, for the assurance that there will be no amnesty for those who have committed rape and other forms of violence, for the economic re-establishment of displaced and refugee women, and for the opening of a humanitarian corridor to facilitate the provision of aid to those in occupied areas.

Seated in their traditional tents set up on the grounds of the Maison de la Femme et de l’Enfant in Bamako, the displaced women reiterated these fundamental demands during the visit of UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet to Mali earlier this month.

They spoke emotionally about the situation of extreme violence that reigns in the north of the country. Rapes and forced marriages take place in towns under the control of these armed groups and women are forced to cover their faces, they explained. They also highlighted the economic costs of the crisis.

“It is women who generate revenue to cover most of the family’s expenses and today these women do not have the right to trade or go to the market for something that will keep the family going,” complained Dominique, from Gao.

Some women spoke about their journeys southwards risking their life and that of their children. The hardships continue, as they now live in precarious conditions in the capital, with very little to provide for their needs.

“Women are suffering on a daily basis as they are subjected to gender-based violence and abuses in all the occupied regions. Lasting peace that extends beyond the simple act of signing a peace agreement is unsustainable if it is not rooted in justice. When violations of human rights are not investigated, when victims’ calls for justice are not heard, the risks for renewed violence remain high,” said Ms. Bachelet during her discussion with the women.

Ms. Bachelet took the message of the Malian women to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Headquarters in Abuja, the next day. The ECOWAS Member States are in the process of building an International Support Mission to Mali. Ms. Bachelet emphasised to ECOWAS the need for justice and an end to sexual violence, as well as the importance of the full participation of women in mediation and transition to ensure durable peace in Mali.

* For security reasons, the names of persons mentioned in this article have been changed in order to protect their identity.

(Source: UNWomen)

“Our women have been beaten, raped, whipped, forced into polygamous marriages, and who knows what else. They have lost their dignity, but what is man’s dignity without that of women?” These are the words of Sophie*, a displaced woman living in Bamako, the country’s capital, but originally from Timbuktu in the north of Mali.

Like hundreds of thousands of other people, Sophie fled the violence carried out by radical armed groups such as Ansar Dine, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA), and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which have taken control of the northern part of the country, and apply an extreme interpretation of sharia law, with women as their targets. “We are the first victims of such crises; women and our children,” lamented Sophie.

The women assembled within the ECOWAS Women’s Peace and Security Network (REPSFECO/Mali), supported by UN Women, speak out at every chance they get, and as they meet leaders. Their message is clear. They ask for guarantees that women will be systematically represented in the various negotiation committees, for the assurance that there will be no amnesty for those who have committed rape and other forms of violence, for the economic re-establishment of displaced and refugee women, and for the opening of a humanitarian corridor to facilitate the provision of aid to those in occupied areas.

Seated in their traditional tents set up on the grounds of the Maison de la Femme et de l’Enfant in Bamako, the displaced women reiterated these fundamental demands during the visit of UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet to Mali earlier this month.

They spoke emotionally about the situation of extreme violence that reigns in the north of the country. Rapes and forced marriages take place in towns under the control of these armed groups and women are forced to cover their faces, they explained. They also highlighted the economic costs of the crisis.

“It is women who generate revenue to cover most of the family’s expenses and today these women do not have the right to trade or go to the market for something that will keep the family going,” complained Dominique, from Gao.

Some women spoke about their journeys southwards risking their life and that of their children. The hardships continue, as they now live in precarious conditions in the capital, with very little to provide for their needs.

“Women are suffering on a daily basis as they are subjected to gender-based violence and abuses in all the occupied regions. Lasting peace that extends beyond the simple act of signing a peace agreement is unsustainable if it is not rooted in justice. When violations of human rights are not investigated, when victims’ calls for justice are not heard, the risks for renewed violence remain high,” said Ms. Bachelet during her discussion with the women.

Ms. Bachelet took the message of the Malian women to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Headquarters in Abuja, the next day. The ECOWAS Member States are in the process of building an International Support Mission to Mali. Ms. Bachelet emphasised to ECOWAS the need for justice and an end to sexual violence, as well as the importance of the full participation of women in mediation and transition to ensure durable peace in Mali.

* For security reasons, the names of persons mentioned in this article have been changed in order to protect their identity.

(Source: UNWomen)

“Our women have been beaten, raped, whipped, forced into polygamous marriages, and who knows what else. They have lost their dignity, but what is man’s dignity without that of women?” These are the words of Sophie*, a displaced woman living in Bamako, the country’s capital, but originally from Timbuktu in the north of Mali.

Like hundreds of thousands of other people, Sophie fled the violence carried out by radical armed groups such as Ansar Dine, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA), and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which have taken control of the northern part of the country, and apply an extreme interpretation of sharia law, with women as their targets. “We are the first victims of such crises; women and our children,” lamented Sophie.

The women assembled within the ECOWAS Women’s Peace and Security Network (REPSFECO/Mali), supported by UN Women, speak out at every chance they get, and as they meet leaders. Their message is clear. They ask for guarantees that women will be systematically represented in the various negotiation committees, for the assurance that there will be no amnesty for those who have committed rape and other forms of violence, for the economic re-establishment of displaced and refugee women, and for the opening of a humanitarian corridor to facilitate the provision of aid to those in occupied areas.

Seated in their traditional tents set up on the grounds of the Maison de la Femme et de l’Enfant in Bamako, the displaced women reiterated these fundamental demands during the visit of UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet to Mali earlier this month.

They spoke emotionally about the situation of extreme violence that reigns in the north of the country. Rapes and forced marriages take place in towns under the control of these armed groups and women are forced to cover their faces, they explained. They also highlighted the economic costs of the crisis.

“It is women who generate revenue to cover most of the family’s expenses and today these women do not have the right to trade or go to the market for something that will keep the family going,” complained Dominique, from Gao.

Some women spoke about their journeys southwards risking their life and that of their children. The hardships continue, as they now live in precarious conditions in the capital, with very little to provide for their needs.

“Women are suffering on a daily basis as they are subjected to gender-based violence and abuses in all the occupied regions. Lasting peace that extends beyond the simple act of signing a peace agreement is unsustainable if it is not rooted in justice. When violations of human rights are not investigated, when victims’ calls for justice are not heard, the risks for renewed violence remain high,” said Ms. Bachelet during her discussion with the women.

Ms. Bachelet took the message of the Malian women to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Headquarters in Abuja, the next day. The ECOWAS Member States are in the process of building an International Support Mission to Mali. Ms. Bachelet emphasised to ECOWAS the need for justice and an end to sexual violence, as well as the importance of the full participation of women in mediation and transition to ensure durable peace in Mali.

* For security reasons, the names of persons mentioned in this article have been changed in order to protect their identity.

(Source: UNWomen)

“Our women have been beaten, raped, whipped, forced into polygamous marriages, and who knows what else. They have lost their dignity, but what is man’s dignity without that of women?” These are the words of Sophie*, a displaced woman living in Bamako, the country’s capital, but originally from Timbuktu in the north of Mali.

Like hundreds of thousands of other people, Sophie fled the violence carried out by radical armed groups such as Ansar Dine, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA), and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which have taken control of the northern part of the country, and apply an extreme interpretation of sharia law, with women as their targets. “We are the first victims of such crises; women and our children,” lamented Sophie.

The women assembled within the ECOWAS Women’s Peace and Security Network (REPSFECO/Mali), supported by UN Women, speak out at every chance they get, and as they meet leaders. Their message is clear. They ask for guarantees that women will be systematically represented in the various negotiation committees, for the assurance that there will be no amnesty for those who have committed rape and other forms of violence, for the economic re-establishment of displaced and refugee women, and for the opening of a humanitarian corridor to facilitate the provision of aid to those in occupied areas.

Seated in their traditional tents set up on the grounds of the Maison de la Femme et de l’Enfant in Bamako, the displaced women reiterated these fundamental demands during the visit of UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet to Mali earlier this month.

They spoke emotionally about the situation of extreme violence that reigns in the north of the country. Rapes and forced marriages take place in towns under the control of these armed groups and women are forced to cover their faces, they explained. They also highlighted the economic costs of the crisis.

“It is women who generate revenue to cover most of the family’s expenses and today these women do not have the right to trade or go to the market for something that will keep the family going,” complained Dominique, from Gao.

Some women spoke about their journeys southwards risking their life and that of their children. The hardships continue, as they now live in precarious conditions in the capital, with very little to provide for their needs.

“Women are suffering on a daily basis as they are subjected to gender-based violence and abuses in all the occupied regions. Lasting peace that extends beyond the simple act of signing a peace agreement is unsustainable if it is not rooted in justice. When violations of human rights are not investigated, when victims’ calls for justice are not heard, the risks for renewed violence remain high,” said Ms. Bachelet during her discussion with the women.

Ms. Bachelet took the message of the Malian women to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Headquarters in Abuja, the next day. The ECOWAS Member States are in the process of building an International Support Mission to Mali. Ms. Bachelet emphasised to ECOWAS the need for justice and an end to sexual violence, as well as the importance of the full participation of women in mediation and transition to ensure durable peace in Mali.

* For security reasons, the names of persons mentioned in this article have been changed in order to protect their identity.

(Source: UNWomen)

“Our women have been beaten, raped, whipped, forced into polygamous marriages, and who knows what else. They have lost their dignity, but what is man’s dignity without that of women?” These are the words of Sophie*, a displaced woman living in Bamako, the country’s capital, but originally from Timbuktu in the north of Mali.

Like hundreds of thousands of other people, Sophie fled the violence carried out by radical armed groups such as Ansar Dine, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA), and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which have taken control of the northern part of the country, and apply an extreme interpretation of sharia law, with women as their targets. “We are the first victims of such crises; women and our children,” lamented Sophie.

The women assembled within the ECOWAS Women’s Peace and Security Network (REPSFECO/Mali), supported by UN Women, speak out at every chance they get, and as they meet leaders. Their message is clear. They ask for guarantees that women will be systematically represented in the various negotiation committees, for the assurance that there will be no amnesty for those who have committed rape and other forms of violence, for the economic re-establishment of displaced and refugee women, and for the opening of a humanitarian corridor to facilitate the provision of aid to those in occupied areas.

Seated in their traditional tents set up on the grounds of the Maison de la Femme et de l’Enfant in Bamako, the displaced women reiterated these fundamental demands during the visit of UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet to Mali earlier this month.

They spoke emotionally about the situation of extreme violence that reigns in the north of the country. Rapes and forced marriages take place in towns under the control of these armed groups and women are forced to cover their faces, they explained. They also highlighted the economic costs of the crisis.

“It is women who generate revenue to cover most of the family’s expenses and today these women do not have the right to trade or go to the market for something that will keep the family going,” complained Dominique, from Gao.

Some women spoke about their journeys southwards risking their life and that of their children. The hardships continue, as they now live in precarious conditions in the capital, with very little to provide for their needs.

“Women are suffering on a daily basis as they are subjected to gender-based violence and abuses in all the occupied regions. Lasting peace that extends beyond the simple act of signing a peace agreement is unsustainable if it is not rooted in justice. When violations of human rights are not investigated, when victims’ calls for justice are not heard, the risks for renewed violence remain high,” said Ms. Bachelet during her discussion with the women.

Ms. Bachelet took the message of the Malian women to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Headquarters in Abuja, the next day. The ECOWAS Member States are in the process of building an International Support Mission to Mali. Ms. Bachelet emphasised to ECOWAS the need for justice and an end to sexual violence, as well as the importance of the full participation of women in mediation and transition to ensure durable peace in Mali.

* For security reasons, the names of persons mentioned in this article have been changed in order to protect their identity.

(Source: UNWomen)

“Our women have been beaten, raped, whipped, forced into polygamous marriages, and who knows what else. They have lost their dignity, but what is man’s dignity without that of women?” These are the words of Sophie*, a displaced woman living in Bamako, the country’s capital, but originally from Timbuktu in the north of Mali.

Like hundreds of thousands of other people, Sophie fled the violence carried out by radical armed groups such as Ansar Dine, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA), and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which have taken control of the northern part of the country, and apply an extreme interpretation of sharia law, with women as their targets. “We are the first victims of such crises; women and our children,” lamented Sophie.

The women assembled within the ECOWAS Women’s Peace and Security Network (REPSFECO/Mali), supported by UN Women, speak out at every chance they get, and as they meet leaders. Their message is clear. They ask for guarantees that women will be systematically represented in the various negotiation committees, for the assurance that there will be no amnesty for those who have committed rape and other forms of violence, for the economic re-establishment of displaced and refugee women, and for the opening of a humanitarian corridor to facilitate the provision of aid to those in occupied areas.

Seated in their traditional tents set up on the grounds of the Maison de la Femme et de l’Enfant in Bamako, the displaced women reiterated these fundamental demands during the visit of UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet to Mali earlier this month.

They spoke emotionally about the situation of extreme violence that reigns in the north of the country. Rapes and forced marriages take place in towns under the control of these armed groups and women are forced to cover their faces, they explained. They also highlighted the economic costs of the crisis.

“It is women who generate revenue to cover most of the family’s expenses and today these women do not have the right to trade or go to the market for something that will keep the family going,” complained Dominique, from Gao.

Some women spoke about their journeys southwards risking their life and that of their children. The hardships continue, as they now live in precarious conditions in the capital, with very little to provide for their needs.

“Women are suffering on a daily basis as they are subjected to gender-based violence and abuses in all the occupied regions. Lasting peace that extends beyond the simple act of signing a peace agreement is unsustainable if it is not rooted in justice. When violations of human rights are not investigated, when victims’ calls for justice are not heard, the risks for renewed violence remain high,” said Ms. Bachelet during her discussion with the women.

Ms. Bachelet took the message of the Malian women to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Headquarters in Abuja, the next day. The ECOWAS Member States are in the process of building an International Support Mission to Mali. Ms. Bachelet emphasised to ECOWAS the need for justice and an end to sexual violence, as well as the importance of the full participation of women in mediation and transition to ensure durable peace in Mali.

* For security reasons, the names of persons mentioned in this article have been changed in order to protect their identity.

(Source: UNWomen)

“Our women have been beaten, raped, whipped, forced into polygamous marriages, and who knows what else. They have lost their dignity, but what is man’s dignity without that of women?” These are the words of Sophie*, a displaced woman living in Bamako, the country’s capital, but originally from Timbuktu in the north of Mali.

Like hundreds of thousands of other people, Sophie fled the violence carried out by radical armed groups such as Ansar Dine, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA), and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which have taken control of the northern part of the country, and apply an extreme interpretation of sharia law, with women as their targets. “We are the first victims of such crises; women and our children,” lamented Sophie.

The women assembled within the ECOWAS Women’s Peace and Security Network (REPSFECO/Mali), supported by UN Women, speak out at every chance they get, and as they meet leaders. Their message is clear. They ask for guarantees that women will be systematically represented in the various negotiation committees, for the assurance that there will be no amnesty for those who have committed rape and other forms of violence, for the economic re-establishment of displaced and refugee women, and for the opening of a humanitarian corridor to facilitate the provision of aid to those in occupied areas.

Seated in their traditional tents set up on the grounds of the Maison de la Femme et de l’Enfant in Bamako, the displaced women reiterated these fundamental demands during the visit of UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet to Mali earlier this month.

They spoke emotionally about the situation of extreme violence that reigns in the north of the country. Rapes and forced marriages take place in towns under the control of these armed groups and women are forced to cover their faces, they explained. They also highlighted the economic costs of the crisis.

“It is women who generate revenue to cover most of the family’s expenses and today these women do not have the right to trade or go to the market for something that will keep the family going,” complained Dominique, from Gao.

Some women spoke about their journeys southwards risking their life and that of their children. The hardships continue, as they now live in precarious conditions in the capital, with very little to provide for their needs.

“Women are suffering on a daily basis as they are subjected to gender-based violence and abuses in all the occupied regions. Lasting peace that extends beyond the simple act of signing a peace agreement is unsustainable if it is not rooted in justice. When violations of human rights are not investigated, when victims’ calls for justice are not heard, the risks for renewed violence remain high,” said Ms. Bachelet during her discussion with the women.

Ms. Bachelet took the message of the Malian women to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Headquarters in Abuja, the next day. The ECOWAS Member States are in the process of building an International Support Mission to Mali. Ms. Bachelet emphasised to ECOWAS the need for justice and an end to sexual violence, as well as the importance of the full participation of women in mediation and transition to ensure durable peace in Mali.

* For security reasons, the names of persons mentioned in this article have been changed in order to protect their identity.

(Source: UNWomen)

“Our women have been beaten, raped, whipped, forced into polygamous marriages, and who knows what else. They have lost their dignity, but what is man’s dignity without that of women?” These are the words of Sophie*, a displaced woman living in Bamako, the country’s capital, but originally from Timbuktu in the north of Mali.

Like hundreds of thousands of other people, Sophie fled the violence carried out by radical armed groups such as Ansar Dine, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA), and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which have taken control of the northern part of the country, and apply an extreme interpretation of sharia law, with women as their targets. “We are the first victims of such crises; women and our children,” lamented Sophie.

The women assembled within the ECOWAS Women’s Peace and Security Network (REPSFECO/Mali), supported by UN Women, speak out at every chance they get, and as they meet leaders. Their message is clear. They ask for guarantees that women will be systematically represented in the various negotiation committees, for the assurance that there will be no amnesty for those who have committed rape and other forms of violence, for the economic re-establishment of displaced and refugee women, and for the opening of a humanitarian corridor to facilitate the provision of aid to those in occupied areas.

Seated in their traditional tents set up on the grounds of the Maison de la Femme et de l’Enfant in Bamako, the displaced women reiterated these fundamental demands during the visit of UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet to Mali earlier this month.

They spoke emotionally about the situation of extreme violence that reigns in the north of the country. Rapes and forced marriages take place in towns under the control of these armed groups and women are forced to cover their faces, they explained. They also highlighted the economic costs of the crisis.

“It is women who generate revenue to cover most of the family’s expenses and today these women do not have the right to trade or go to the market for something that will keep the family going,” complained Dominique, from Gao.

Some women spoke about their journeys southwards risking their life and that of their children. The hardships continue, as they now live in precarious conditions in the capital, with very little to provide for their needs.

“Women are suffering on a daily basis as they are subjected to gender-based violence and abuses in all the occupied regions. Lasting peace that extends beyond the simple act of signing a peace agreement is unsustainable if it is not rooted in justice. When violations of human rights are not investigated, when victims’ calls for justice are not heard, the risks for renewed violence remain high,” said Ms. Bachelet during her discussion with the women.

Ms. Bachelet took the message of the Malian women to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Headquarters in Abuja, the next day. The ECOWAS Member States are in the process of building an International Support Mission to Mali. Ms. Bachelet emphasised to ECOWAS the need for justice and an end to sexual violence, as well as the importance of the full participation of women in mediation and transition to ensure durable peace in Mali.

* For security reasons, the names of persons mentioned in this article have been changed in order to protect their identity.

(Source: UNWomen)

“Our women have been beaten, raped, whipped, forced into polygamous marriages, and who knows what else. They have lost their dignity, but what is man’s dignity without that of women?” These are the words of Sophie*, a displaced woman living in Bamako, the country’s capital, but originally from Timbuktu in the north of Mali.

Like hundreds of thousands of other people, Sophie fled the violence carried out by radical armed groups such as Ansar Dine, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA), and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which have taken control of the northern part of the country, and apply an extreme interpretation of sharia law, with women as their targets. “We are the first victims of such crises; women and our children,” lamented Sophie.

The women assembled within the ECOWAS Women’s Peace and Security Network (REPSFECO/Mali), supported by UN Women, speak out at every chance they get, and as they meet leaders. Their message is clear. They ask for guarantees that women will be systematically represented in the various negotiation committees, for the assurance that there will be no amnesty for those who have committed rape and other forms of violence, for the economic re-establishment of displaced and refugee women, and for the opening of a humanitarian corridor to facilitate the provision of aid to those in occupied areas.

Seated in their traditional tents set up on the grounds of the Maison de la Femme et de l’Enfant in Bamako, the displaced women reiterated these fundamental demands during the visit of UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet to Mali earlier this month.

They spoke emotionally about the situation of extreme violence that reigns in the north of the country. Rapes and forced marriages take place in towns under the control of these armed groups and women are forced to cover their faces, they explained. They also highlighted the economic costs of the crisis.

“It is women who generate revenue to cover most of the family’s expenses and today these women do not have the right to trade or go to the market for something that will keep the family going,” complained Dominique, from Gao.

Some women spoke about their journeys southwards risking their life and that of their children. The hardships continue, as they now live in precarious conditions in the capital, with very little to provide for their needs.

“Women are suffering on a daily basis as they are subjected to gender-based violence and abuses in all the occupied regions. Lasting peace that extends beyond the simple act of signing a peace agreement is unsustainable if it is not rooted in justice. When violations of human rights are not investigated, when victims’ calls for justice are not heard, the risks for renewed violence remain high,” said Ms. Bachelet during her discussion with the women.

Ms. Bachelet took the message of the Malian women to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Headquarters in Abuja, the next day. The ECOWAS Member States are in the process of building an International Support Mission to Mali. Ms. Bachelet emphasised to ECOWAS the need for justice and an end to sexual violence, as well as the importance of the full participation of women in mediation and transition to ensure durable peace in Mali.

* For security reasons, the names of persons mentioned in this article have been changed in order to protect their identity.

(Source: UNWomen)

In Burkina Faso, where women have traditionally been left out of politics, NDI and other organizations have helped give women a stronger voice by educating them about the political process. NDI’s programs focus on increasing the number of women who run for office, and helping them learn how to govern once they are elected.

Aminata Kassé, NDI resident director for Burkina Faso, said that “'the newly elected women have been better at integrating women’s needs in politics, as well as access to micro-credit, access to clean water and at creating markets to sell locally grown vegetables.’” 

“Events in recent years have led to a general change of attitude towards female politicians in Burkina Faso. People in the rural areas have seen positive results under female leadership and a greater number of women are climbing the political hierarchy. The NDI’s work has only just begun.”

Speech by Michelle Bachelet during a meeting with the private sector at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, Nigeria. 10 January 2013. [Check against delivery] I am so pleased to be here in Abuja and to be joined by the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zainab Maina; Ms. Evelyn Oputu, Managing Director of [...]