GFDD Submits Written Statement on the Eradication of Violence against Women in the Dominican Republic for the Opening Ceremony of CSW 59

Following the Opening Ceremony of the 59th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW59) on Monday March 9, 2015, the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) released a written statement on the official website of CSW59 on the topic of the eradication of violence against women, calling for a coordinated response to this pandemic at all levels and by all relevant stakeholder groups.

The statement is available here.

Translated in all of the official languages of the United Nations (English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Russian and Chinese), the document points to the fact that violence affects the lives of millions of women worldwide and is one of the huge and growing impediments to gender equality and empowerment of women.

Looking in particular at the extent of the situation in the Dominican Republic,
GFDD reveals that   between 2005 and 2013 there were about 1,800 cases of murdered women reported by the Dominican government, with an average of about 200 cases per year (a national rate of one murdered woman every two days).

GFDD stresses the need for a response to violence at all levels: international, national and regional. Explaining what legislative and policy measures have so far been implemented in the Dominican Republic, GFDD stresses the need to also
educate Dominicans about the importance of gender equality and offer support groups for victims of violence throughout the country.

Indeed, reflecting on the value of its own grassroots initiatives like ReCrearte, which seeks to empower women at the community level through recycled art workshops, the foundation stresses the need to complement existing international and national legal
framework and structures with daily actions on the community level. The foundation considers that such actions should seek to address the social, psychological and cultural aspects of gender based violence through education, support and community groups and other actions implemented by public, private and non-governmental sectors.

Related Links:
CSW59 Website – http://www.unwomen.org/en/csw/csw59-2015
GFDD Statement – http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=E/CN.6/2015/NGO/153&lang=A