“The more we respect others, the more we respect ourselves,” UNESCO Former Director-General
The fight against racism and all forms of discrimination is a mainstay of peace and social cohesion, especially in our increasingly diverse societies. On the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, UNESCO calls on all its Member States and partners to step up their efforts to build a more inclusive, more giving and fairer world.
UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia & Related Intolerance https://www.ohchr.org/en/issues/racism/srracism/pages/indexsrracism.aspx
SECRETARY GENERAL - STRASBOURG - 6 MARCH 2020
Based on International Women’s Day 8 March, Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has called on all member states to change how rape is defined.
In an opinion article published in today’s EU Observer, she says that “Too few of our members treat this crime as seriously as they should, because their legal definitions of rape are not based on lack of consent”. She adds: “This places the burden on those who have been raped to prove that they – most often women – are victims.”
The Secretary General also notes that monitoring by the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) has found that many criminal justice systems in Europe maintain force-based definitions of rape.
“States must take full responsibility and change their laws to conform with the Istanbul Convention and the time to act is now”, she stresses.
Although the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) was established 25 years ago, many of the challenges identified in 1995 remain relevant today (such as the gender pay gap, unequal distribution of unpaid work or experiences of gender-based violence, to name just a few). This report both tracks progress against these long-standing challenges and goes beyond them to assess new challenges that have emerged in recent years, including those brought by digitalisation, recent migration flows and a mounting backlash against gender equality.
The report consists of three chapters. The first chapter provides an assessment of institutional developments related to gender equality at EU level. The second chapter analyses major trends and developments in the 12 areas of concern of the BPfA at EU and national levels. The final chapter provides practical recommendations for action to address key gender equality challenges identified in the previous analysis.
2020 Miguel Medina/Contributor/Getty Images
By Clare Wenham, Julia Smith, Rosemary Morgan, on Behalf of the Lancet Gender & COVID-19 Working Group
March 6, 2020 - Policies and public health efforts have not addressed the gendered impacts of disease outbreaks.
The response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) appears no different. We are not aware of any gender analysis of the outbreak by global health institutions or governments in affected countries or in preparedness phases. Recognising the extent to which disease outbreaks affect women and men differently is a fundamental step to understanding the primary and secondary effects of a health emergency on different individuals and communities, and for creating effective, equitable policies and interventions.
This report’s review of the Beijing Platform for Action draws on the most comprehensive and participatory stock-taking exercise ever undertaken on women’s rights, to which 170 countries contributed. It highlights gaps and opportunities and proposes effective solutions. It helps us look frankly at where commitments have been broken, and to energetically recommit to action and implementation. This is also critical for the success of the UN Decade of Action and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, for which gender equality is fundamental.
Direct Link to Full 28-Page UN Women 2020 Report:
