Shared stories condemn violence against women
By Vanessa Hershberger and Godswill Muzarabani
time at the United Nations when the U.N. Economic and Social Council holds the meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women. The CSW evaluates advancement on gender equality, identifies current challenges, sets global standards and formulates policies to promote gender equality and empowerment.
This year’s theme, “Elimination and Prevention of All Forms of Violence Against Women and Girls,” brought 6,000 women from nongovernmental organizations around the world. They passionately shared their stories, experiences and tireless efforts to end violence against women.
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Some spoke from experience with horrific forms of violence such as rape, female genital mutilation and sexual exploitation. Others spoke for those whose voices have been silenced.
MCC works with many partner organizations around the world that provide services to vulnerable women and children. So this year’s CSW was of particular interest. The MCC U.N. Office was able to work with other faith-based NGOs to lead worship services on the empowerment of women, and attend or co-sponsor some of the supplemental side events of CSW.
Work at the U.N. can be challenging when the politics of powerful nations do not mesh with MCC’s values. However, the CSW seemed to represent the U.N. at its best, providing a platform for grassroots input in policymaking.
We participated in several of the side events where women shared strategies for combating violence against women. We learned that in Tanzania women judges are leading the way in combating sexual exploitation by providing capacity building for members of the judicial branch and supporting economic empowerment for women and education for young children.
Though most events focused on the work women are doing, several groups discussed the importance of male involvement. A male presenter from South Africa, Bafana Khumalo of the Sonke Gender Justice Network, spoke of the need for attitude changes toward women — changes that are possible only when men show all women the same respect they show their mothers.
After two weeks of work, CSW member states came up with a list of “agreed conclusions.” The list included condemnation of violence against women as a weapon of war; recommendations to decrease the stigmatization of women who have experienced sexual violence; a call for all states to take responsibility for eliminating violence and not invoking any custom, tradition or religious belief to avoid this obligation; calls for an end to impunity of perpetrators of violence against women; and the importance of including men in the solutions.
Our task, as a world community and as followers of Christ, is to heed the words of Terri Robl, U.S. deputy representative to the U.N. Economic and Social Council, who stated, “We must all now continue the vital work — here at the United Nations, in our capitals and in our schools, hospitals, courts and homes — to ensure that women and girls around the world have the safety and dignity they deserve.”
Godswill Muzarabani and Vanessa Hershberger serve with Mennonite Central Committee at their U.N. office in New York City. Godswill, the MCC/Mennonite World Conference intern, is a member at Entumbane Brethren in Christ Church in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Vanessa, program associate, is a member at Benton Mennonite Church in Goshen, Ind.
