UN leaders discuss how to end the "invisible emergency" of gender-based violence UN Info

UN leaders, including Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and heads of major UN agencies, discussed ways to end this 'invisible emergency' at a roundtable at Headquarters of the United Nations in New York.

This candid and open conversation was organized by the Spotlight Initiative, a joint United Nations and European Union (EU) program to end violence against women and girls.

A clear and present danger

In a video opening the discussion, the deputy head of the United Nations described gender-based violence as a “clear and present danger” for millions of women and girls in the world.

Moderator Melissa Fleming, head of the UN's Department of Global Communications (DGC), asked him about the impact of the targeted women, including the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Essentially what this does is put all the SDGs at risk,” Ms. Mohammed said, “because if 50% of humanity is not covered by this program – that it is whether it is about ending poverty, having access to education or a decent job - all of this is in jeopardy”.

UN Women/Johis AlarcónWomen protest against gender-based violence in Ecuador.

Not so invisible

Gender-based violence permeates all aspects of life, whether public or private, said Reem Alsalem , independent expert on human rights of the United Nations. It also begins very early - from childhood - and represents a "continuum" of violence.

"That's why I also wonder if we are really talking about an invisible emergency in the sense that it is visible enough for those who want to see it", wondered the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women.

“It's a bit like the climate crisis. The evidence is there. We can see it, we can see the consequences,” Ms. Alsalem added.

The discussion served as a coda to the 16 Days of Activism Against Violence Against Women, an annual global campaign that runs from November 25 to December 10, Human Rights Day.

According to Natalia Kanem, the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Covid-19 has led to a dramatic increase in the number of gender-based violence around the world, although the statistics are insufficient.

The growing use of technology during the pandemic has also created an online “danger zone” for women and girls, she added, where they are stalked and harassed.

UNDPUN officials say gender-based violence is a 'shadow pandemic', hidden under Covid-19.

Fear of speaking out

This issue was also raised by Henrietta Fore, the Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), who spoke about the risks young girls and adolescents face online, such as grooming and sexting, which can harm their mental health.

The United Nations has described the spike in gender-based violence that has accompanied the spread of Covid-19 as the “shadow pandemic”. But despite the increase in incidents, women are reluctant to speak out about the abuse they have suffered.

A UN Women survey of 16,000 women in 13 countries found that while one in two women said they, or a woman they know, had experienced some form of violence from the start of the pandemic, only one in ten reported the incident to the police.

Double victimization

Furthermore, data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) revealed that last year, 47,000 women and girls were killed by intimate partners or family members.

For Sima Bahous, newly appointed Executive Director of UN Women, the low level of confidence of women in the institutions supposed to protect them is worrying. She fears that women will be doubly victimized.

“First, they experience violence. Second, they experience the lack of support and justice they seek. And often, they find that even when they report, and even when they have access, the perpetrators are very rarely brought to justice,” she said.

End the 'conspiracy of silence'

UN Women Tanzania/Deepika NathIn Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, schoolgirls stage a march against gender-based violence.

The UN and partners continue to work to dismantle what some participants called the “conspiracy of silence” that surrounds violence against women and girls, to ensure that their voices are heard.

Through the Spotlight initiative, some 650,000 women and girls have been able to access services despite the ongoing pandemic.

Ms Fore also highlighted examples of UNICEF work in countries such as Mexico, where the agency has brokered a partnership with the government and the hospitality industry to provide shelter safe places in hotels for survivors and their children, which was essential during the pandemic.

Meanwhile, in Iraq, Ecuador and Lebanon, UNICEF has created virtual safe spaces to improve access to services and information for women and girls, especially those with disabilities or facing to other forms of marginalization.

“Can these and many other initiatives be scaled up around the world? Yes, Ms. Fore replied, adding that the Spotlight initiative has served as a good space for UN agencies to collaborate.

Ghada Waly, the head of UNODC, highlighted another positive development that has emerged from the pandemic. Governments now realize that they need to invest in digitalization and online platforms, or e-platforms, including for justice. She also highlighted other areas for improvement.

“We know that women are safer when you have more female police officers, when you have more female judges, when you have equity and gender representation in those who make decisions and receive call for help ".