On the 25 November, Statment of Campain to Stop Honor Killings

“Orange The World”

On November 25, 1960, the Mirabel sisters were assassinated by the Army Security Service in the Dominican Republic. Their “crime” was participating in political activities against the Dominican dictatorship. In recognition of the Mirabel sisters’ efforts and courage in drawing public attention to the issue of violence against women, the United Nations recognized November 25, 1999, as the International Day for the Elimination all forms of Violence against Women.

The UN Security Council Passed adopted Resolution 1325 in 2000 entitled “Women, Peace and Security”. The resolution emphasizes the importance of women’s participation in political and social life, as well as the prevention of all forms of violence against them.

In 2008, the UNITE Campaign to End Violence against Women under the slogan “Orange the World “was initiated by the United Nations and focuses each year on one aspect of violence against women.

The “Orange the World” movement works for 16 consecutive days until November 25 to raise awareness on violence against women and to show serious commitment to eliminating it in any form and in every country. This year’s campaign focuses on preventing violence against women and stopping honor killings.

Any act that results in physical, sexual, or psychological harm to women is violence against them. Although physical violence (physical and sexual) is the most recognized type of violence, honor killings and acid attacks which have killed and disfigured thousands of women worldwide are another form of violence against women. However, other types of violence are also used against women, such as humiliating them verbally, economic deprivation, imposing dress codes and controlling their behavior, depriving their free movement, work and travel.

As in the case of Iran, women experience various forms of violence and gender-based sexual violence in public and in private on a daily basis. Over decades, women’s rights activists have been campaigning tirelessly to end all forms of violence against women, to raise awareness of women’s rights, and to change discriminatory laws. To reduce and ultimately end violence against women in Iran requires mountainous efforts, as most forms of violence are initiated by the state in the form of laws, regulations, controlling women’s lives in the public and private by creating various corpses with huge budgets to impose those laws. The education system and school books have also been designed on gender based-discrimination. Therefore, massive work is needed to change the laws and regulations, to change attitudes, to educate the public in order to reduce violence against women in Iran.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the four countries that have not yet acceded to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Violence against Women. It also rejected the 2030 document, which is based on the principles of dignity and human rights, social justice, peace, as well as shared responsibility and accountability.

In recent years, violence against women has increased dramatically, especially during the corona pandemic. Women have faced more violence at home as they had to be with their harasser for long hours and endure the violence. Honor killings have increased as data shows. In some cases, the murder of women is registered as suicide and in extreme cases, women are forced to commit suicide. In the whole of the country, there are only 22 safe houses that do not meet the needs of society at all.

It is paramount that with the collective efforts of men and women in Iran, the murder of women on the pretext of preserving “honor” and any violence against women to become a social discourse and a public will so to put an end to it.

The Campaign to “Stop Honor Killings” calls on All Awakened Consciences of men and women and Democratic Institutions to join the 16 Days of Activism to end violence against women.

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