19TH SESSION OF THE ASSEMBLY OF STATES PARTIES
8 December 2020
Name of the Side Event: Ending Violence Against Women and Girls under the Rome Statute System (Co-hosted by the Dominican Republic, Finland, and Trust Fund for Victims (TFV))
Report by: Marielotte van Ballegooijen, Junior Research Associate PILPG-NL
Highlights:
The Side Event was hosted by the TFV in support of the 2020 UNiTE Campaign Theme: "Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!”, 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (25 November to 10 December 2020).
Panelists underlined the importance of States Parties to the CEDAW to financially contribute to the TFV.
Panelists noted that CEDAW States Parties should hold perpetrators of violence against women accountable so victims are given hope and are encouraged to testify.
Summary of the Event:
On the first day of ASP side events, this virtual event was organized by the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) in support of the 2020 UNiTE Campaign Theme: Orange the World; Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!. The moderator of the event, Ms. Franziska Ecklemans, legal advisor at the TFV, started by introducing the panelists: Chief Prosecutor Ms. Fatou Bensouda, Ms. Minou Tavarez Mirabal, and Ms. Mama Koite Doumbia. Ms. Ecklemans also introduced the co-hosts of this event, the Ambassador of Finland, H.E. Päivi Kaukoranta, and the Ambassador of the Dominican Republic, H.E. Guillerm Pina-Coñtreras.
Following these introductions, H.E. Kaukoranta started the event by referring to Finland’s leading role in both gender equality and in the prevention of violence against women and girls. Finland is an avid contributor to the TFV, specifically contributing to compensation for women who have experienced sexual violence. Next, H.E. Pina-Contreras described the history of the UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. On 25 November 1960, sisters Minerva, Patricia, and Maria Mirabal, political activists against the regime in the Dominican Republic, were brutally murdered under the direction of then-president Trujilo. Their assassination serves as a symbol for the victimization of women and in 1991, the UN General Assembly declared 25 November as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
Ms. Minou Tavarez Mirabal, member of the Board of Directors of the TFV and daughter of Minerva Mirabal, as mentioned above, highlighted the importance of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the International Day. Ms. Mirabal noted that because half of the world comprises women, the issue of violence against women forms a central challenge we face as a planet. Ms. Tavarez Mirabal subsequently called upon all states to take three actions. First, states should implement the CEDAW in order to give hope to women and girls who have experienced violence. Second, states should commit to prosecuting individuals suspected of violence against women and hold perpetrators accountable. Third, states should focus on victim reparations, which can take any form, such as monetary compensation or truth-seeking. Ms. Tavarez Mirabal concluded by pleading to all CEDAW States Parties to contribute financially to the TFV to support it in fulfilling its important mandate.
The event then included testimonies of four women who suffered violence at the hands of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda. In their testimonies, the women described how the TFV helped and empowered them. One survivor, Ms. Akello Brenda, shared her story of being abducted by the LRA and forced to commit atrocities, or have such atrocities committed against her, such as rape. When she returned home, she was stigmatized and ostracized by her community. The TFV helped her by providing counseling, compensation, and assisted her to visit a hospital to be treated for the violence she had suffered at the hands of the LRA.
After these testimonies were shown, Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda shared how she was inspired during her time as a court clerk in the Gambia by the countless courageous women who came forward to share the violence they endured. Ms. Bensouda noted that these stories empowered her to try to help victims as ICC Prosecutor. She underlined the importance of the Rome Statute as the first international instrument that uses the term “gender” in relation to violence. It is also the first international instrument that defines what gender-based violence is and what crimes fall under that definition. Similar to Ms. Tavarez Mirabal, Benosouda called on the empowerment of women and girls in order to continue the fight to prevent violence against them and to create a better world for generations to follow.
Ms. Mama Koite Doumbia, Chair of the Board of Directors for the TFV, concluded the event with remarks on the gravity of the situation as well as thoughts for the future, reiterating the importance of the commitment of States Parties to the CEDAW, both financially and politically, to the TFV. She noted that although the situation is grim around the world, the situation is particularly grave in Africa and that millions of victims could be helped if both compensation funds and political measures are enacted upon.