……CEDAW: 75% of Indigenous Women & Girls, Still Suffer Violence Globally – AFRIHEALTH
……..Ending Violence Against Women and Girls: Adirieje urges the United Nations On Importance of a an Optional Protocol to CEDAW.
…….AHOA CEO, Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje Makes Case For An Optional Protocol To Strengthen CEDAW and Eliminate Gender Based Violence globally
….Global CSOs Network Leader, Names Advantages of Optional Protocol To CEDAW Towards Ending the Menace of Violence Against Women and Girls
By Victor Bieni, Abuja
Afrihealth Optonet Association (AHOA)’s CEO and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje, has called on the United Nations to fast track an Optional Protocol to the CEDAW. He said that not less than 75% of Indigenous Women & Girls, still suffer violence globally, which is astronomically high, urging the United Nations Leadership on need to develop an optional protocol to United Nations Convention On The Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), while he stated the gap the new treaty would fill towards ending menace globally.
The media learnt this from this globally acclaimed Civic Space leader today being Sunday, November 5, 2023 in AFRIHEALTH’s media interview ragged: “Ending Violence Against Indigenous Women & Girls” which was made available to some group of Journalists in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as leadership writes United Nations backed claims with data analysis of human rights infringement on violence against Indigenous Women & Girls.
Afrihealth Optonet Association (AHOA) – CSOs global Network Movement and Think-tank for Health and Development is a global and community-focused CSOs global Network and Think-tank of over 2,200 organizations in 101 (One Hundred and One) countries, for the promotion of Development Work, the SDGs, and Health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being; using partnership/collaboration, advocacy, communication, research/evidence-generation, capacity development, outreaches, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) as strategies; to benefit rural and poor urban dwellers, marginalized, vulnerable and disadvantaged populations of women, girls, children, youth, adolescents, people with disability, orphans and elderly.
According to Dr Adirieje, Afrihealth is exploring the nexus between Health – PHC, HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria, NCDs, Vaccines and COVID-19; Energy and Environment – biodiversity, environment, ecosystems, renewable energy, energy efficiency, conservation and climate change; Nutrition/micronutrients and Food Security; Gender, Democracy, Good Governance and Human Rights; with Consultative Status at United Nations ECOSOC; and an Accredited Observer status at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)/United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA).
You could recall that United Nations in 1979 adopted an international legal instrument that requires countries to eliminate discrimination against women and girls in all areas called: “Convention On The Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women”, CEDAW as most important treaty for Women, which is built on three fundamental principles: Non Discrimination, State Obligation & Substantive equality. Afrihealth in the statement told global leaders, United Nations’ leadership that in many nations, data specific to violence against indigenous women is minimal or non-existent resulting to invisibility and racist practices, while suggesting that, data collection can be part of a new instrument’s metrics-based monitoring and reporting system.
Afrihealth provided some empirical review and data analysis of countries in the world where violence against women and girls are at astronomical increase, while urging United Nations, Presidents and States, other critical stakeholders to take action. The statement reads in parts: We acknowledge all the indigenous women who have been murdered, violated and are missing, in all areas of the world. They are our friends, our daughters, our sisters and our mothers. They are our cousins and neighbors. To most of the world, these sacred souls are invisible. Not to us, which is why we are writing to you.
Violence against indigenous women is astronomically high. The World Bank estimates that 68 percent of indigenous women in Ecuador have experienced violence”.
“In Cameroon, violence against two indigenous communities is estimated at 55 percent. Eighty-four percent of American Indian and Alaska Native women have experienced violence in their lifetime, while indigenous women in Canada are almost seven times more likely to be murdered by an acquaintance than non-indigenous women. In 2020, 889 indigenous women were raped in Bangladesh, a number that is believed to be underreported. It’s believed that the data are underestimated. The intersecting reality of discrimination against indigenous women means not only are rates of violence against them higher, seeking help and getting justice is difficult. Indigenous women have less access to education, employment and healthcare. In shelters in a province in Canada, for example, indigenous women comprise 70 percent of the women, while the indigenous population is 16 percent, a result of high rates of violence plus added economic and social marginalization. What can we do to stop this? What can we do to make the world see our situation and work toward change? We, indigenous women’s rights activists across the globe, need this violence to be out into the light, everywhere. We believe the most promising path is through a treaty in the form of an Optional Protocol to CEDAW specific to ending violence against women and girls”.
Afrihealth leadership provided empirical review on violence Against Indigenous Women & Girls with astronomical rise and statistics of countries with higher percentage while urging United Nations to act with sense of urgency.
Afrihealth CEO then highlighted the importance of New treaty to strengthen CEDAW in eliminating menace of violence against Women & Girls globally which states:”Your Excellencies; António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General; Dr. Sima Bahous, Executive Director, UN Women, Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director, UNFPA, All Presidents/Heads of States & Governments within the United Nations, in short a treaty, a new optional protocol to CEDAW specific to violence against women and girls will strengthen CEDAW’s framework and be binding on states, pushing them to action.
It will close the geographic gap created by the three regional instruments, which leave nearly 75 percent of women and girls without protection from a legally binding instrument on violence against women and girls”.
” An Optional Protocol is urgently needed. Broadly speaking, such a mechanism would mandate interventions widely known to lower rates of violence, particularly when enacted together, including legal reform; training for police, judges, healthcare providers and all others who come into contact with survivors; establishment of survivor support systems; and violence prevention education and national campaigns.
We need global leaders like you to become champions of a binding framework to end violence against women and girls. We know you believe in human rights, in justice and in the rights of all people and all women, including the rights to indigenous women and girls to live free from violence. We know you believe in the interventions a treaty would mandate. We are asking you to see the power a treaty has to change our lives and the power you have to make it happen. We are asking you to save our lives and the lives of our sisters, daughters, and granddaughters, and your sisters, daughters and granddaughters. We are asking you to join us in hope and to call for an optional Protocol to CEDAW dedicated to ending violence against women and girls to make the world safer for all of us”.
“Dr. Uzodinma is a renowned global CSOs Network leader, a seasoned National Evaluator, Development Expert, Reproductive & Public Health Advocate Consultant and has contributed to global SDGs; peace and security, sustainable Health and socio-economic development”.