“Multisectoral program to address violence against women”

New York, 12 March 2015 : The speakers at a high-level side event on “Multisectoral program to address violence against women” at the UN have emphasized on a coordinated effort both nationally and internationally to stop violence against women.

The side event was organized by the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the UN yesterday on the occasion of the ongoing 59^th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the UN.

The main focus of the CSW session is to assess the progress on the implementation of Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of 1995 and current challenges that affect its implementation and the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women.

State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroze Chumki, Permanent Secretary of Women Affairs Ministry of Zimbabwe Dr. Perpetua Gumbo, Deputy Permanent Representative of Denmark Erik Laursen, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific of the UN-Women Roberta Clarke and global gender equality advisor of Plan International Sarah Hendriks were present in the side event as panelists. Participated by the representatives of government agencies of various countries, women’s rights groups, NGO’s, media personnel and elected representatives, the event was moderated by the Permanent Representative of Bangladesh Dr. A. K. Abdul Momen.

State Minister said, violence against women was a common phenomenon across the world and it had been creating devastating consequences on the victims, their families and societies and impeding the potentiality of the society and the world as a whole.

Elaborating the multi-sectoral initiatives taken by the Government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the State Minister said, one stop crisis center at medical college hospitals, crisis cell at upazila health complexes, DNA profiling laboratory, trauma counseling center and helpline centre at national level have been playing a great role to prevent violence against women in Bangladesh. These initiatives were supported by laws and rules including the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act, she said and added, a 12 years national action plan was formulated to prevent violence against women and children.

A short video on the activities of multisectoral program on violence against women in Bangladesh was presented in the event. The speakers said, the political will that has been showing by Bangladesh to combat violence against women and children in commendable.

During the question and answer session, the panelists hoped that with the strengthening of organized global co-operation, violence against women would be eradicated from the society.