Global
Violence: Psychological Perspectives, Preventions, Interventions and Future
Trends

Angelina
Akhvlediani, New York

Increasingly,
violence is not just considered to be a physical problem. The psychological
aspects to the causes and effects of violence need to be understood to help
determine the best strategy to end the global problem of violence. Following
the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, SI UN Representative Angelina
Akhvelidiani, attended a meeting at the UN in New York on the role that
psychology has in ending violence.

“We know
gender violence is an international problem, and we need to know and understand
the signs and symptoms of possible or ongoing gender violence in order to
prevent it and best help victims”, explains Angelina who has a PhD in
Psychology. “It is important to acknowledge that socially-learned thinking
patterns can influence gender violence”.

Through
attending this meeting, Angelina was able to translate to the UN, the scope and effectiveness of the
on-the-ground project work done by Soroptimists.

 

Photo: Angelina Akhvlediani (right) at CSW58. 

 

Human
Rights Council: Forum on Minority Issues

Sina
Stiffler, Geneva

The Forum on
Minority Issues started on the 25 November – the International Day for the
Elimination of  Violence Against Women. Minority representatives and NGOs gave an
excellent overview concerning the problems of minorities, which includes gender
violence.

“It is clear
that special attention needs to be given to the problems that women and girls
face”, reports Sina, “CEDAW is an extremely important mechanism to help
Soroptimists do that. Violence was a key issue at the conference with Nina
Singh, a police officer from Jaipur speaking about the importance of training
police officers. Even today, she has to say that Police Officers must be taught
that no violence can be tolerated!”

Sina’s
concerns and view was echoed by the Chair of the Forum on Minority Issues,
Patrick Thornberry. He agreed that systematic consideration should be given to
the specific conditions, situations and needs of women belonging to minorities
that results from and contributes to multiple forms of discrimination.

“The meeting
revealed that one of the key factors minorities often face is a lack of
education," explains Sina, “but no minority should be considered inferior –
everyone must be able to access education. Human rights education must be
included in schools too, only if people know and understand human rights
violations can they be empowered to take action to bring an end to those
violations and violence.”

 

Photo: Sina Stifller working at the UN in Geneva

 

Launch of
the Civil Society Task Force

Martina
Gredler, Vienna

In 2016 a
world conference on the global drug problem is set to take place in New York. SI UN
Rep, Martina Gredler has been campaigning hard at the UN in Vienna to ensure
that civil society and NGOs have an input. The role of civil society is
critical, as it is organisations like Soroptimist International who are able to
report on the impact of drugs on the lives of people and communities. Martina
has already put forward proposals on how the needs of women and girls, and how
they are effected by the global drug problem, can be engaged with at the 2016
UNGASS (UN General Assembly Special Session on Drugs) conference.

“It is increasingly recognised
that for cultural, social and historical reasons, women encounter and experience
drugs and drug use in a way that is different from others. The
voices of women, and the relevance of their experiences must be properly and
appropriately included or considered when addressing the world drug problem,”
explains Martina. “The issues that will be discussed at UNGASS are of major
importance and SI’s work at the UN will continue to support the success of
UNGASS in 2016.”

 

Photo: International President Ann Garvie (second from left) with SI UN Reps Martina Gredler (left) and Dora Vrdlovec (right), and past SI UN Rep Roswitha Benesch (second from right) at the UN in Vienna. 

 

 

Mobilising
Global Action at CSW

Gloria
Essoka, New York

The number
of individuals and organisations registering for CSW59 is already breaking
records. What is even better is the increased diversity of those who will
attend CSW59 and the Beijing+20 Review, taking place in New York, March
2015.

“We must
make a commitment to guarantee women’s rights and remove structural barrier to
gender equality,” says SI UN Rep Gloria Essoka, who attended a briefing on CSW59
at the UN in New York. “The dissemination of information, advocacy work and
mobilisation for global action is critical. Soroptimists as members of their
communities and as members of an ECOSOC accredited organisation must continue
to be advocates for women. Moving forward, gender equality must be
strengthened. With 2015 being a review year, it will be important to take a ‘dual strategy’ in New York. Improvements and steps forward for the lives and status women and girls must be protected, but Soroptimists must also push for more!"