Tackling violence against women and girls

The following is a guest blog by Louise de Sousa, Head of the Foreign Office’s Human Rights and Democracy Department.

I’m looking forward to arriving in Brazil tomorrow, the day after International Human Rights Day, for my first visit to discuss human rights issues since I left the Embassy after three happy years in 1997. Back then I was responsible for reporting on human rights, including indigenous affairs. So I’m keen to see how things have changed in the Brazil of 2013.

And I know there have been huge changes, including in the way that the UK and Brazil are working together to tackle human rights issues, both domestic and international.

One incredibly important area of work is what we are doing to pursue what the UK Foreign Secretary, William Hague, has described as the key challenge of the 21^st Century: nothing less than women’s full economic, social and political participation and rights.

Women’s equal participation in the processes and systems that impact their lives is not just a human right. It is also important for effective development and poverty reduction. We need to increase the power of girls and women to control the decisions that affect them. We need to give power to women’s voices and create female role models so that we can improve the quality of policies and laws, tackle gender inequalities and discrimination and unleash women’s full potential to contribute to economic and social development.

That is why we have supported “Safe and Friendly Cities For All”, a joint initiative by UNICEF, UN Women and UN Habitat to increase safety and improve the quality of life for women youth and children in Rio de Janeiro. Our funding helped increase access for women in low-income communities to support services for victims of gender violence. And we are keen to work with Brazil to promote these solutions that work to reduce violence against women and girls and support victims to rebuild their lives.

We were delighted with the strong outcome of this year’s (2013) UN Commission on the Status of Women, which adopted by consensus a conclusions document on violence against women and girls. The text provides a solid reference point for the UK and others to take forward international efforts to eradicate violence against women and girls, and agreed standards against which civil society can hold governments to account.

But we cannot take this consensus for granted. Countries that champion women’s rights need to work together to protect these hard-fought gains. I look forward to discussing with my Brazilian colleagues how we can work together on this incredibly important agenda.

*Louise joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) following completion of her degree at Bristol University in Ancient History and Archaeology. After working in countries like Brazil, Mozambique and Kenya, Louise became, in June 2011, the Head of the Human Rights and Democracy Department at the FCO.