ICJW is proud to support the Every Woman Treaty campaign for a global treaty to end violence against women and girls.

Background:

Violence against women and girls is the most pervasive human rights violation on earth.It occurs in all countries, across all races, and takes multiple forms. The United Nations defines violence against women as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.” 

This violence has devastating consequences on the survivor, all those close to her, her community, and ultimately her nation. Violence against women fuels global crises such as drug and alcohol abuse, suicide, infant mortality, and poverty. Despite the size and scope of the problem, violence against women is solvable. Research shows that when nations take clear, evidence-based steps toward women’s safety, rates of violence plummet.

Treaty Campaign:

The Every Woman Treaty campaign is led by a diverse coalition of more than 1,700 women’s rights advocates, including 840 organizations, in 128 countries working for a safer world for women and girls worldwide. They believe that existing regional treaties do not go far enough, and the United Nations CEDAW campaign against discrimination against women is non-binding. They are therefore campaigning to form coalitions within countries to advocate for the Every Woman Treaty, and urging individuals to sign up to the following statement:

I stand for a life free from all forms of violence for every woman and girl, everywhere.

I hereby join the call for a global treaty to eradicate violence against women and girls.

Click here to find out more and sign the
Every Woman Treaty statement.

The proposed global treaty to eradicate violence against women & girls, known as the People’s Call To Nations, contains the following 2 Articles:

ARTICLE 1:  All national parties shall enact or enhance comprehensive national reform:

1. Reform laws to eradicate violence against women and girls.

2. Implement interventions through health, justice, and security professionals who serve survivors, such as judges, police, doctors, and nurses.

3. Provide services to survivors of violence.

4. Enact prevention education campaigns.

ARTICLE 2:  Establish a global implementation fund to finance interventions specified in Article 1, through governments and/or international and local nongovernmental organizations.

In signing the Every Woman Treaty statement, parties resolve that the adoption of a global treaty will strengthen the protection of girls and women by ensuring successful implementation of laws, policies, and measures by state parties to eradicate violence against girls and women, and urge nations to adopt the Treaty, mandating that governments and citizens alike undertake the work required to end this pandemic of violence against women and girls.

ICJW Campaign:

The ICJW Executive agreed in May 2019 to support the Every Woman Treaty and encourage its affiliates to support and disseminate the treaty within their communities and governments. This proposal was made by Judy Lear and Sara Winkowski, who will update the ICJW Executive at their November meeting on the progress of the campaign.

Click here to find out more and sign the
Every Woman Treaty statement