G8 Conference on Violence Against Women Recap

The conference was a two day affair hosted by the Italian President, who cited gruesome (triggering) details of the worst abuse imaginable against women. The summit seemed to only feature the accounts of abuse and how many women and children are affected each year. I suppose the purpose, in theory, was to start collaborating on ways to reduce the increasing violence against women. The members decided to wear white, and sell bracelets in honor of women killed by a spouse or partner.

Politicians and supporters are being urged to wear white during the course of the conference in order to raise awareness about the issues being discussed. More than 20,000 bracelets with the conference's slogan "Respect women, respect the world" are being distributed in major Italian cities.

In effect, such actions reveal this summit to be a largely symbolic one. From most accounts the purpose was to raise awareness of violence and think of ideas on how to stop it.

ROME — Participants at a conference on violence against women vowed Thursday to put women's rights at the center of the international agenda, saying world peace and security depended on women's leadership in government and society.

The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro

states

that rich nations have to make a concerted effort to fight and fund programs that work to stop increasingly drastic violence against women in the world's poorest countries. However, rich nations are not immune to this rise in violence, as America saw a huge increase in women and children seaking shelter from abuse during the economic collapse in 2008.

Migiro said, while addressing the ministerial-level Conference on Violence Against Women, held under the auspices of the Italian presidency of the Group of Eight (G8), that there was an evidence that women and girls are exposed to a greater risk of violence during times of hardship .

"We have seen rising levels of despair and frustration in families and communities around the world, exacerbating violence against women. In a recent survey of more than 630 domestic violence shelters in the United States, 75 per cent reported an increase in women seeking help for abuse since September 2008, coinciding with a major downturn in the US economy. We must remain especially vigilant through these tough times," she said.

However, besides citing the increased numbers of domestic violence, especially in the poorest countries, not much detail has been released on how they intend to fight it.

While this two day meeting among world leaders has obtained significant international media attention, lesser known but much more devastating developments have occurred, which threaten the progress the G8 Conference may have achieved. Britain has been leading the way to combine four major groups to create a sort of "super" women's defense fund/group which would, among other things, have over a billion dollars in funding and specifically help impoverished women in war torn countries. The good in this is endless, and yet four major nations are flooding the developments with legal fights and political "ambushes" to stop this "super" group from occurring.

The general assembly was set to ratify the new agency – which would have a budget of around $1bn and consolidate four existing bodies that deal with women's issues – before its current session concludes on Monday. But Egypt, Cuba, Sudan and Iran have mounted a last-minute campaign to delay ratification.

Britain's development minister, Gareth Thomas, this week called on the hold-outs to end their blocking tactics, warning that this was the last opportunity to make a UN women's agency a reality.

So, while the G8 Conference may have been a great place for world leaders to convene and share ideas, it is evident more must be done.

-Sophia

(Posted at Women Undefined)