Soroptimist International has worked for 100 years at local, national and international level to elevate the equality of women and girls, making progress especially in the areas of education and health. Soroptimist International is therefore horrified to find that in many parts of the world women and girls can no longer take their rightful place in their local communities. The work of many civil society organisations to support women and girls affected is not recognised and is often brutally rejected by authorities leaving the women isolated.
Sadly, across the world these challenges are too common. In many countries women and girls face significant human rights abuses; Soroptimist International has always worked to combat these human rights violations and will always stand up for women. Regardless of where these abuses happen, and who perpetrates or enables them, it is critical that these violations end immediately. We must unite to protect women and girls everywhere.
Soroptimist International and other Civil Society partners believe that freedom of speech is fundamental to the implementation of the UN Declaration of Human Rights and all the consequent resolutions and agreements with access to all parts of the media being fundamental to this.
This is not a political issue but a clear violation of women’s rights as expressed through the UN Human Rights Commission and the Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. As a leading global advocate of gender equality, Soroptimist International has the responsibility to be the voice of those who have no power and no voice.
Soroptimist International, in sisterhood with other women’s organisations demands that all Governments:
- implement the international agreements which enable a diversity of viewpoints to be heard and for representatives of civil society, especially women human rights protesters and defenders, to voice an opposing view to that of the State or the corporation.
- ratify relevant treaties and incorporate into national law protections for the implementation of gender equality and the elimination of violence against women and girls.
- cease any violent and aggressive actions taken against civilian protesters, especially women and children, immediately,
- take urgent action, through international mechanisms including the UN to address the continuing impunity for human rights violations wherever these take place, ensuring that independent investigations take place.