COALITION OF ARAB WOMEN MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENTS TO COMBAT VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN LAUNCH DRAFT ARAB CONVENTION ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AT ARAB LEAGUE, CAIRO 1st December 2016

The Coalition of Women MPs to Combat Violence against Women launched on the 1st December 2016 a draft Arab Convention aimed at tackling the issue of violence against women in the Arab region at an event hosted by the Arab League in Cairo.

Building on the impact of regional commitments and the Arab League Strategy to combat violence against Women, and the action plan of Cairo declaration on the sustainable development goals beyond 2015, the Coalition initiated the work on a draft Arab Convention to be submitted to the Arab League and aims to encourage the governments of the region to a commitment to combat violence against women in a convention appropriate for the context of the Arab region and the needs of Arab women.

The conference aims at strengthening the role of Arab women and supports the Arab League’s efforts in moving forward to develop a regional instrument to combat violence against women. It also aims to review and take advantage of the regional and international experiences and to coordinate efforts at regional level to develop and promote legislation that protects women from violence.

The meeting will bring together key decision makers, MPs, civil society and national and international bodies to consider the draft Convention during the 16 days of Activism against Gender Violence Campaign.

The Chair of the Coalition, Jordanian MP Wafaa Bani Mustapha said:

“I am delighted that the Coalition of Women MPs will be joining efforts with the Arab League to work together to launch this vitally important Convention on violence against women. Violence against women is an issue that affects us all globally and is particularly acute in the Arab region. Our hope is that this Convention will sit alongside other international and regional agreements including the, Declaration of Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Council of Europe Convention CEDAW and the Optional Protocol and the Sustainable Development Goals to further protect women from all forms of violence”

Ambassador Inas Mekkawy, Head of Women, Family and Childhood Department in the League of Arab States confirmed that ”violence against women is one of the most important risks to women and girls. In the light of what the Arab region is going through and the  circumstances of instability and conflict and the threat of terrorism;  and the negative effects exacerbating violence against women and girls, the Arab League gives a importance to the issue of violence against women in the Arab region and building on this vision, comes the importance of the regional Conference for the Coalition of parliamentarians from Arab Countries to Combat Violence against Women “toward a Convention to Combat Violence Against Women in the Arab region “ in the light of joint efforts in order to push the issue of violence against women and the protection of women and girls in the Arab region from all forms of violence.