Subscribe to Bahá’í News UK
Dec
9
Leading peers condemn violence against women
Filed Under Education, Human Rights, Parliamentary, Social action, women | Leave a Comment
Violence against women and girls is widely condemned, but still too widely perpetrated, according to Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, the Leader of the House of Lords.
Baroness Royall, pictured right, was speaking at a reception held on Monday 8 December at the UK National Bahá’í Centre to highlight a Baha’i International Community statement, Beyond Legal Reforms: Culture and Capacity in the Eradication of Violence Against Women and Girls.
Baroness Royall described the document as “excellent” and added that she was impressed by the value Bahá’ís place on the education of girl children. During her presentation, she outlined elements of the British government’s programme of legislation and action to deal with some of the areas of abuse that women suffer. “The United Kingdom has made great progress,” she said, “but there is still much to do. Strengthening of personal, social and health education (PSHE) in schools will be crucial in changing attitudes in children and young people in the long term.”
Baroness Royall also announced the launch in early 2009 of a new public consultation on violence against women and urged everyone to respond to the consultation.
The reception, hosted by the UK Baha’i community, was part of 16 days of activism to draw attention to the continuing need to eradicate violence against women.
The chair of the Women’s National Commission, Baroness Gould of Potternewton, also congratulated the Bahá’í community on the statement and for what it does in the UK and internationally to promote gender equality and the elimination of violence against women.
“The position of women and girls has improved in recent decades,” she said, “but many throughout the world are still deprived of the security and education that would enable them to develop their potential.”
“We need a change of culture and an integrated approach towards the elimination of violence against women and towards the development of a more equal society,” said Baroness Gould. However, she said, relevant government departments and NGOs need more resources to play their part in achieving the set objectives.
Zarin Hainsworth-Fadaei, President of the UK National Committee for UNIFEM, the UN women’s agency, highlighted some of the major themes of the document.
“Any effective programme to eliminate violence against women and girls,” said Ms Hainsworth-Fadaei, “must be based in the understanding that the individual has a spiritual and moral dimension, which shapes their understanding of the purpose of their life and of their responsibilities towards others. Development of these moral and spiritual capacities through education must go hand-in-hand with the structural and legal changes that are slowly emerging at international and national levels.”
Robert Weinberg, External Affairs Secretary of the Baha’i community’s national governing council, the National Spiritual Assembly, welcomed the audience, which included more than 20 leading members of the women’s movement in the UK.
“Bahá’í educational activities at the grassroots level, whether it be in the fields of community development, literacy or healthcare, in the moral and social development of children and pre-teens – all of these activities have the principle of equality, rights and justice at their heart,” said Mr Weinberg. “We are learning at the local, national and international levels what it means to build a community where the capacities of all are encouraged, nurtured and trained so they can play their part in the building of healthy society.”