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Intersectionality of socio-economic rights of women and VAW

12 Dec 2013

WOREC Nepal in collaboration with National campaign against Rape organised a day long workshop on "Intersectionality of socio-economic rights on women and VAW" to celebrate International World Food day and International Poverty Elimination Day.  Altogether 42 participants representing grassroots level women groups, survivors of GBV, different NGOs and INGOs participated in the program. The discussion of the workshop mainly focused on elements needed for creating environment for women to report GBV in general and sexual violence in particular.

Conclusion and suggestions

Conclusion

  • Transformation of social structure, norms and values, which are the causes of socio-economic discrimination, is necessary to end all forms of violence against women.
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  • Violence against women cannot be ended until and unless women's economic and social rights are ensured. Social transformation and economic empowerment both are equally important.
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  • The concept and programme related to sustainable livelihoods is very important to facilitate women to rebuilt life and enable them to seek justice .The discussion focused on acknowledging women’s agency as a crucial institution to take lead for social transformation as change agents.
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  • Women friendly economic institutions, cooperatives and marketing of agricultural products creating non hierarchial market structures facilitate women’s empowerment, which is  essential element   for their empowerment.
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  • Based on sharing of survivors it was concluded that long term socio-economical and emotional support is a key which enables women to break the silence and rebuilt their life.
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  • Addressing the issues of discrimination ensuring equality of women and women’s right to land and other forms of productive resources   is a key to break the silence against VAW.
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  • Poverty is both the cause and consequence of violence against women; so ensuring right to sustainable livelihood and access and control over natural resources by women enables them to break the silence and lay the ground for justice

 

Suggestions

  • For ending VAW and ensuring women's socio-economic rights, it is essential that the organisations working on these issues have strong coordination and collaboration.
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  • Advocacy for women’s right to land, employment and recognition of unpaid work are key issues to be addressed by organisations   working for women’s right.
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  • Agricultural policy should be formulated ensuring peoples   right to food   taking into account the power dynamics between men and women.
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  • Women’s right to bodily integrity is key for their identity which needs to be ensured for prevention of sexual violence and to ensure their right to food.
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  • A model based approach as initiated by WOREC on transformation of traditional villages into model eco villages helps to end all forms of discrimination on women which ultimately helps to end violence against women through social, economical, political and technological aspects..