Elimination of Violence against Women, 25 November 2014
Al-Khoei Foundation’s statement on International Day for the
Elimination of Violence against Women, 25 November 2014
The Al-Khoei Foundation recognises that today, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, there are still too many women facing aggression and brutality in public and private, and that more must be done to address this growing crisis. According to data gathered by the United Nations in 2013, it is estimated that 35% of women globally experience either physical or sexual violence in some form, including forced marriage, female genital mutilation and physical and sexual abuse. Some national studies put this figure to as high as 70% of women.
The underlying cause of much of this violence stems from a lack of respect towards women and a general belief in their inferiority. The Al-Khoei Foundation strongly believes that to counter this mindset, more must be done to allow women to participate in all facets of public life, at both the domestic and
international levels. Allowing women to be active in their societies will remove the stigma to their development and advancement, whilst also greatly benefiting society in general, including politically, economically and culturally.
The Al Khoei Foundation would also like to use this opportunity to emphasise that no religion justifies violence against women. We echo the statements of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Heiner Bielefeldt, who has said in his 2013 report to the UN General Assembly that “harmful practices inflicted on women or girls can never be justified in the name of religion” and that “countless women are exposed to complex forms of human rights violations based on both religion or belief and their sex”. We recognise that all too often religion is used as a justification for the violence and inequality inflicted on women but are confident that through education, our peaceful religion can provide effective tools to combat this social impediment.
The Al-Khoei Foundation recommends that the new Millennium Development Goals not only focus on empowering women but also addresses the root causes of violence and establishes effective mechanisms which protect women against aggression in both the developing and developed regions of the world, including war zones.
Today, the Al-Khoei Foundation renews its commitment to fight for the protection and advancement of women globally.
