Marking its most active contribution to the work of UNCSW to date, LI will be making the case for the globalization of the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention on preventing and combatting violence against women before a diverse group of UN diplomats and NGO representatives during the course of three separate side events due to take place on 14, 17 and 22 March respectively.
Together with the International Network of Liberal Women (INLW, LI full-member) and LI partner UN Watch, the event on 14 March will discuss the challenges which remain to promote and advance women’s rights globally and it will feature among others Khadija El Morabit, LI HRC Member and INLW Vice-President and Mu Sochua MP, the President of the Women Caucus of the Council of Asian Liberal and Democrats.
Upon the invitation of the National Democratic Institute (NDI, LI cooperating organisation) and alongside NDI Charwoman and former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, LI President Dr. Juli Minoves will be issuing a call for global support to NDI’s #NotTheCost Campaign on ending violence against women in politics during a side event scheduled for 17 March. LI HRC Member Khadija El Morabit will be voicing the MENA perspective on the panel having been invited to contribute to the written plan of action for the campaign. The event will be live-streamed on NDI’s website which is accessible by clicking here.
As a conclusion to the debates, LI will team up with INLW and UN Watch once more for its final side event on 22 March in order to discuss the future of the international legislative framework on ending violence against women and strategize on forming support for the extension of the Istanbul Convention beyond the borders of Europe. The event will be chaired by INLW President Margaret De Vos Van Steenwijk and it will feature LI HRC Member and Member of the Moroccan Parliament Fouzia El Bayed (Union Constitutionelle, LI full-member) and the President of the Women Forum of the Liberal Democratic Party of Macedonia Juliana Nikolova (LDP, LU full-member).
LI member parties and cooperating organizations which intend to send representatives to the 60th UNCSW Session in New York next week are encouraged to contact the Head of LI Human Rights Programme Tamara Dancheva at tamara@liberal-international.org.
All events can be followed live on LI twitter and facebook pages.
