The UAE hosts the official launch of the Arab Declaration to End Violence against Women and Girls

The capital, Abu Dhabi, hosted the official launch of the Arab Declaration to End All Forms of Violence against Women and Girls, with broad Emirati, Arab and international participation.
This high-level event, which was held over two days under the title “The Arab Declaration to Combat All Forms of Violence against Women and Girls between the Text and the Ways of Implementation”, was chaired by Hessa bint Issa Bu Hamid, Minister of Community Development, and Dr. Haifa Abu-Ghazaleh, Assistant Secretary-General for Social Affairs at the League of Arab States. .
The event was also attended by Noura Al Suwaidi, Secretary General of the General Women’s Union, representatives of the European Union, the Council of Europe, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Human Rights Office of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.
During the event, a photo exhibition on combating violence against women and girls was opened, and buildings were illuminated in orange to celebrate the 16-day campaign to combat violence against women.
In her inaugural speech, Buhumaid stressed that the launch of the Arab Declaration to End Violence against Women and Girls from Abu Dhabi reflects the UAE’s efforts to empower women and improve their societal status.
She added, “The launch of this declaration represents a sustainable commitment at the level of our Arab countries to adopt strategies that will address the problem of violence against women and achieve security, safety, well-being, prosperity, progress and peace in our society.”
She said: “Eliminating violence against women and girls is one of the moral challenges that must be addressed. Women’s rights are human rights and human rights are women’s rights. Violence not only destroys women’s lives and divides societies; It also undermines development efforts and building just, safe and peaceful societies.”
For her part, Abu-Ghazaleh congratulated the UAE on its celebration of the 51st Union Day, wishing it further progress, prosperity and stability under its wise leadership, pointing out that this event takes place during the celebration of the Union Day, which indicates the pioneering role of the UAE in promoting women’s rights.
And she continued: “The holding of this event is an affirmation of the unified Arab position with the participation of the concerned parties, including governmental bodies, national human rights institutions, national women’s bodies, relevant civil society organizations, and the media, recognizing the importance of involving all concerned parties to confront the phenomenon of violence against women and girls, and believing in the need to adopt mechanisms effective legal measures to prevent, address and eliminate violence against women and girls.
She added, “We particularly appreciate the supportive role of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, ‘Mother of the Nation’, for her support for the development of Emirati women at all levels.”
For her part, Noura Al Suwaidi confirmed that the UAE has made unremitting efforts to prevent violence against women based on a set of important national legislation, including the guarantee of gender equality in the UAE constitution, in addition to amending personal status laws, as well as the issuance of a federal law on protection from sexual harassment. domestic violence in recent years.
She explained that the UAE embraces the activities of the Arab Declaration to Combat All Forms of Violence against Women and Girls, based on the firm belief that women have human rights that cannot be violated, and that they are always relied upon in shaping a sustainable future for future generations.
For her part, Dr. Moza Al-Shehhi, Director of the United Nations Women’s Liaison Office for the GCC States, said: “The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women comes this year, and millions of women around the world continue to suffer violence in its various forms and forms.”
She indicated that about 45% of women, according to data from the United Nations Women’s Commission, reported that they or other women they know had been subjected to various forms of violence, and seven out of ten women believed that verbal or physical violence by their husband or partner had become more common. It is widespread, which means that we still need more international efforts to combat gender-based violence, and that we need to redefine and accurately define violence, its causes, and its practitioners, so that we can take appropriate steps to hold its perpetrators accountable, dry up its sources, and then eliminate it.
The opening session was attended by: Nada Al-Nashif, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Talal Khaled Al-Mutairi, Chairman of the Permanent Arab Committee for Human Rights in the League of Arab States, Rola Dashti, Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), Andrea Mato Fontana, Ambassador of the European Union to the UAE, Amna Bouayach, Secretary-General of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, Susan Mikhael, Regional Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, Reem Al-Salem, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women and Girls, and Nadia Issa Javon, Vice-Chairman of the Arab Charter Committee for Human Rights, and Abdullah Al-Ajmi, Director of the Human Rights Office of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.