On 13 March, leaders from the United Nations (UN), Member and Observer States and civil society met to discuss the urgent work required to fulfil commitments made by UN Member States under the Beijing Platform for Action to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls by 2030. ‘Beijing +30: Driving accountability to end violence against women and girls’ took place on the sidelines of the sixty-ninth Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) and was convened by The Group of Friends for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls, in collaboration with Spotlight Initiative and the UN Women-EU ACT to end violence against women and girls programme.
It aimed to take stock of progress made, key gaps and challenges that remain, identify priority actions, and exchange solutions and practices that have worked.
Ambassador of the European Union to the United Nations H. E. Stavros Lambrinidis outlined the importance of the group’s mission, stating that “a gender equal world will only be possible when gender-based violence and its drivers are eradicated… This cannot be done alone.”
EU Commissioner for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality H.E Hadja Lahbib said: “Today, we renew our pledge to eliminate violence against women and girls by 2030. Ending gender-based violence is not just a political commitment, it’s a moral imperative and a legal obligation.” She outlined several laws and directives adopted by the EU to prevent gender-based violence as well as its partnership with the UN through Spotlight Initiative. “The Initiative’s comprehensive approach is delivering lasting results to end violence against women and girls. It is one of the 12 UN high-impact initiatives,” said Ms. Lahbib.
Ambassador Lambrinidis re-iterated the results, stating, “Spotlight is not just another programme, it is a tried and tested model with more transformative results in the fight against gender-based violence than we’ve seen in a long time. Together with the United Nations and partner countries, the EU has prevented 21 million women and girls from experiencing violence. We are now accompanying this with a second phase and we strongly invite you to join us.”
UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous outlined the need to accelerate action. “Violence against women is not inevitable, it is entirely preventable,” said Ms. Bahous. “The question is no longer what must be done, but why aren’t we doing it faster?” She called for greater investment in women’s movements, which receive less than 1 per cent of international development assistance. “The EU-UN Spotlight Initiative has shown us the way, centring grassroots women’s organizations, shifting power and directing funding where it matters most,” said Ms. Bahous.
Statements were followed by a panel discussion called ‘Voices for Change: Strengthening Accountability to end Violence against Women Globally’ that was moderated by UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications Melissa Fleming.
Terry Dale Ince, Founder and Convener of The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Committee of Trinidad and Tobago, spoke about how governments can strengthen accountability mechanisms and consult with and include civil society. “Civil society is pivotal in holding policymakers accountable by ensuring that policies are addressing the lived experiences of women and girls,” she said.
Leyla Zuleikha Makhmudova, who spoke on behalf of the Spotlight Initiative Global Civil Society Reference Group, said it was a loaded time to represent women’s organizations amid cuts in international funding and withdrawals from international commitments. “It is my hope that in turbulent times, we are going to stand in solidarity with each other,” she said. Ms. Makhmudova invited decision-makers to trust grassroots organizers with flexible funds that allow them to address the needs of their specific context and work with them as “equal stewards”.
Dr. Kemi Da Silva-Ibru from the ACT to End Violence Against Women Civil Society Steering Committee, said: “We are at a critical juncture. There is a backlash against gender equality and shrinking civic space with devastating consequences for women and girls.” She highlighted attempts to roll back laws prohibiting female genital mutilation in The Gambia as a warning that rights are not guaranteed.
Anne Heloise Nascimento, a Youth Leader for the Generation Equality Action Coalition for Feminist Action for Climate Justice highlighted the impact of the climate crisis on women and children, including the fact that climate disasters kept one million Brazilian children out of school last year. She also spoke about the alarming sexual and gender-based violence experienced by women and girls displaced to shelters, and the targeting and murder of women environmental activists. “We need protection for activists that are dealing with climate,” she said.
Members of the Group of Friends spoke after the panel, including Morocco’s Minister of Solidarity, Social Inclusion and Family, H. E. Naïma Ben Yahia. Morocco is a member of the Group of Friends Steering Committee. “For my country, combating violence against women and girls is a national priority, as violence is considered a violation of human rights and an obstacle to development,” said Ms. Yahia.
Mongolia’s State Secretary, Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Protection H.E. Munkhzul Lkhagvasuren spoke about some of the measures her country has enacted to prevent violence and support survivors. Mongolia is also a member of the Group’s Steering Committee. “We have implemented legislative reforms to eliminate all forms of discrimination,” said Ms. Lkhagvasuren, highlighting that domestic violence cases in the country doubled during the Covid pandemic but decreased by 20 per cent in 2023.
Turkiye’s Minister of Family and Social Services of. H.E. Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş said that her country was treating violence as a top priority and working to eliminate the root causes of violence as well as supporting survivors through legislation and services. “We are conducting the third nationwide study on violence against women in Turkiye, which will serve as a vital source of data for all stakeholders,” she said.
New Zealand’s Head of Delegation, H.E. Kellie Coombes, said that “New Zealand has demonstrated a strong commitment to breaking the cycle of intergenerational family violence and addressing technology-facilitated gender-based violence” and shared insights on New Zealand’s national strategy for eliminating gender-based violence. New Zealand is a member of the Group of Friends Steering Committee.
Ambassador-at-large for Human Rights from France, H.E. Isabelle Rome, outlined that gender equality was a top priority for France, and that eliminating violence against women was essential to achieving this goal. “How can we envisage the emancipation, parity and equal participation of women when a large proportion of them are harassed, mutilated, beaten or deprived of their most basic rights?” asked Ms. Rome.
Member of Lithuanian Parliament H.E. Agnė Bilotaitė said domestic violence is still the biggest threat to women in Lithuania but that breakthroughs had been made, including the adoption of the Law on Domestic Violence which enables the state, rather than the victim, to prosecute a perpetrator. “The abuser is temporarily obligated to move out of the house for 15 days. During that time, specialized assistance centres provide [the victim with] all the necessary assistance,” explained Ms. Bilotaitė.
Malta’s Parliament Secretary, H.E. Rebecca Buttigieg said that prevention of violence was critical and required deep societal change. “My country, Malta has taken concrete steps to strengthen its legal and constitutional response to gender-based violence,” she said, as well as “expanded access to emergency shelters, legal aid, psychological support services and a 24/7 national helpline.”
Permanent Representative of Finland H.E. Ambassador Elina Kalkku said that listening to survivors must be central to shaping responses and policies. She stated that “the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action has driven significant reforms in Finland’s national legislation. Recent examples include the criminalization of female genital mutilation and inclusion of forced marriage into the human trafficking provision.”
The event ended with a video message and a call to action from United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed: “Excellencies, we cannot afford to lose decades of hard-won gains. We can leverage platforms such as this Group of Friends to share and implement solutions that work.”
