Today, René Cassin begins the 16 Days of Activism on violence against women and girls.
“While much progress has been made for women and women’s rights, these rights must continue to be fought for and preserved. Through the promotion of human rights, we must continue to push back against discrimination and violence targeted at women and girls. Because of course, women’s rights are human rights”
Mia Hasenson-Gross, Executive Director, René Cassin
Equal Opportunity and Respect
“I stand for simple justice, equal opportunity and human rights. The indispensable elements in a democratic society – and well worth fighting for”.
Helen Suzman
All women have the fundamental human right to live a life of equal opportunity with freedom and respect, away from all forms of violence and discrimination in times of peace and war. Instead, women and girls continue to be left out of policies and placed at risk of violence and harassment within society through governmental structures.
It is often women from marginalised and minority groups who disproportionately experience different forms of discrimination and violence.
Uyghur Women
Uyghur women in the Uyghur region of China are subject to persecution and discrimination. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) narrative of Uyghur women has bound Islamophobic rhetoric with misogyny, viewing women as ‘dupes of religious extremism’ rather than as autonomous individuals practising their customs and exercising their own beliefs. Uyghur women, specifically those who are influential in their communities, have been identified as threats where cultural values are passed down. Thus, they are punished with deplorable methods of sterilisation, forced marriage and more. Their crime; being a Uyghur woman.
Women in Immigration Detention
No one deserves to be locked up, not knowing when they will be released and threatened by gender-based violence. Yet, many women in immigration detention in the UK face such a reality. Rather than allow these women to build their lives as survivors of forms of gender-based violence, they face arbitrary detention. Many women claiming asylum in the UK are subjected to replicates and continue the patterns of control that they are trying to escape from.
This year, our focus is on strengthening the voices of women from marginalised groups, including Uyghur women and women in immigration detention, affected by violence, providing a platform of hope, safety and respect. We will continue to remind individuals, society and decision-makers that women and girl’s rights are human rights!
