End it now: United, we fight violence against women and girls

Today is the last day of the 16 days of activism campaign against gender-based violence. We’ve done a lot over these 16 days to raise attention to this horrific crime. And while this is the last day of the campaign, the work of fighting gender-based violence will continue tomorrow and in the days and months after. I wish this weren’t necessary. I wish this wasn’t something that we still – after so many years – need to fight for. And yet it is. And so we must fight on.

I am appalled at the increasing reports of so many women being sexually harassed, beaten, raped, and even murdered, simply for being a woman. Despite progress made on many fronts towards gender equality and greater empowerment of women, gender-based violence continues to be a harsh reality for so many. This is not only a gross violation of women’s rights as humans, but an enduring stain on our societies. And it poses a real threat to our collective security.

We know that during the COVID-19 pandemic, equality decreased and violence against women has been on the rise. And with the war against Ukraine, we’ve seen the use of rape and other sexual crimes as a weapon of war.

This year, the OSCE has chosen to spotlight the dire situation that women and girls face in war and conflict zones as our focus for the 16 days of activism campaign.

While armed conflict affects all civilians, women and girls are particularly at risk. The breakdown of regular structures, the flow of weapons, the conflict-related mental trauma and many other factors can worsen the levels of violence to which women and girls are subjected, including sexual violence as well as human trafficking and intimate partner violence.

This is unacceptable.

Earlier this year, I repeated a call that I have made many times before – urging the immediate end to the use of rape and other sexual crimes as a tactic of war. Impunity for these crimes must stop. We must do more to protect and support those who have survived these terrible crimes. Protecting and supporting survivors must remain a top priority, including through partnership with women-led organizations. We need to ensure that humanitarian relief and recovery efforts respond to the specific needs of women and the short- and long -term needs of survivors.

It is also crucial to understand that violence against women and girls does not stop when conflict ends. A 2019 OSCE survey found that 3 in 10 women whose partner fought in a conflict experience intimate physical or sexual violence. And we also know that when women and girls have been subject to gender-based violence during conflict, the effect on them and their communities can last for decades.

Ending violence against women and girls a top priority for the OSCE

Ending violence against women and girls remains a top priority for the OSCE, and I am proud to say that we our efforts to fight violence against women and girls are having a meaningful impact.

Last month we brought together women’s organizations from Ukraine and Bosnia and Herzegovina that work directly with survivors of gender-based violence so they can share their first-hand experience and knowledge.

With our long-term partner, the Women Against Violence Europe network (WAVE), we launched a dedicated toolkit to improve the support to survivors of violence and to bolster civil society organizations in conflict and post-conflict areas.

Our colleagues at the Office of the Representative on Freedom of the Media are working on ensuring the safety of female journalists and addressing gender-specific barriers and obstacles to freedom of expression, so all women can exercise their right to seek, receive and impart information of all kinds, including in situations of conflict.

I am grateful to all our dedicated staff for their strong stance against any form of violence against women and girls. Their dedication makes a real difference in the lives of women and girls across the OSCE region.

But we need to do more.

So as we conclude this year’s campaign, we must remain committed.

As Secretary General I will do my utmost to make sure we continue to work – day in and day out – and use all the tools at our disposal to address the harsh realities women and girls in our region and beyond are facing.

I stand by the women in Ukraine. I stand by the women in Afghanistan. I stand by women everywhere in and outside the OSCE region who are suffering or have suffered violence in any shape or form.

We must end this plague on our societies, and we must end it now!