04/10 | Matera

Sexual Violence and femicide: continuous and with impunity: a global scourge

WWVIF is organising a conference in October 2024, in Matera (Italy), that is happening parallel the G7 and the Ministerial conference on gender equality and violence, and in relation to the forthcoming Beijing 30+.

Sexual Violence and femicide: continuous and with impunity: a global scourge

Time & Location

04/10/2024, 09:00 CET – 06/10/2024, 18:30 CET

Matera, Province of Matera, Italy

About the event

WWVIF is organising a conference in October 2024, in Matera (Italy), that is happening parallel the G7 and the Ministerial conference on gender equality and violence, and in relation to the forthcoming Beijing 30+. This conference is being realised in collaboration with Fondazione Pangea. Additionally there are the Matera Women’s Network with the support of the Municipality of Matera and the Raja Foundation.

A recording of the proceedings of the conference will be available at a later date on this website.

Concept Note

Sexual Violence and femicide: continuous and with impunity: a global scourge

Sexual violence against women (including inter alia sexual assaults, rape, sexual harassment), whether in times of conflict or peace, in migration or due to forced displacement, or during detention, etc., is a phenomenon to which all women are exposed, in all countries of the world, regardless of the socio-economic cultural-political categories to which they belong.

The Women without Violence International Foundation (WWVIF) was set up in May 2023 in France, with the following objectives: to promote the dissemination and training of activists and professionals on the Istanbul Convention; to be a force for advocacy and present proposals to public authorities, the media, professionals and the general public; to support, network, lead or coordinate any initiative in favour of this convention; to combat all forms of violence and sexist stereotypes against women and their children, and promote gender equality.

Pangea Foundation is a non-profit organisation that has been working since 2002 to prevent and combat all forms of violence against women and girls, to promote equity and the advancement of human rights. It prevents and protects all women through shelters and various services aimed at guaranteeing paths of social, legal, economic and cultural empowerment, to promote a better livelihood for women, those dear to them, and her decision-making independence in every aspect of her life. Pangea works in areas of conflict and peace, in the north and south of the world, without borders.

WWVIF and Fondazione Pangea are organising a parallel event, in collaboration with the Municipality of Matera and its Women’s Network Rete Donna during the G7 Ministerial conference on gender equality and violence, in October 2024, in Matera (Italy), also in relation to the forthcoming Beijing 30+.

This conference will bring together experts, NGOs and activists involved in the prevention, protection and empowerment of victims/survivors of sexual violence and femicide. Areas to be covered will include prosecution of perpetrators, the comparison of international texts, national legislation and services designed to support and protect victims/survivors of all forms of violence, with a particular focus on sexual violence.

Furthermore, it will be an opportunity to discuss good practices and legislation that facilitate effective responses to this structural phenomenon that is still ever present worldwide, including Europe, the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America.

WWVIF and PANGEA would like to thank the Raja Danièle Marcovici Foundation, the Municipality of Matera, AES Language, Matera Sum Ipogeo and Basilicata Creativa for their financial support in making this event possible, as well as all the NGOs, institutions and participants, especially those who contributed to covering their own expenses, thus ensuring the success of this conference.

Arrival of participants and registration.  Networking reception offered by Basilicata Creativa

08:00 Registration

08:30 Welcome, introduction and opening remarks

Francoise Brie, President of Women Without Violence International Foundation,

Sophie Pouget, General Delegate of the RAJA Foundation and the Matera institutions.

The institutions of Matera:

Cristina Favilli, Prefect (tbc)

Emma Ivagnes, Questore (tbc)

Tiziana D’oppido, Assessor for Culture and Social Policies,

Simona Lanzoni, Vice President of Fondazione Pangea

 

09:30     Panel 1

Sexual violence and major women’s human rights conventions (including migrant women)

Maria-Andriani Kostopoulou, President of GREVIO, Council of Europe, “The Istanbul Convention and sexual violence, including the issue of consent.”

Luz Patricia Mejía, Technical Secretary of MESECVI, “Follow-up Mechanism of the Belém do Pará Convention”.

Elisa Samuel Boerekamp, High Court Judge, Managing Director, Center for Legal and Judicial Training (CFJJ) African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights/Maputo Protocol (Mozambique), human rights and gender equality activist.  “Maputo Protocol and sexual violence, including in times of conflict”.

Vivi Restuviani, programme officer, International Women’s Rights Action Watch, Asia Pacific. “The issue of sexual violence in Asia Pacific”.

Feride Acar, Former Chair of UN CEDAW and Former President of GREVIO. “Sexual Violence as treated in the CEDAW Convention, its General Recommendations and by its Optional Protocol”.

Facilitator: Iris Luarasi

10:30 Q & A

11:00 coffee break

 

11 :30                Panel 2

National laws with a focus on prosecution of perpetrators of sexual violence and related femicide, including their extraterritorial prosecution.

Céline Bardet, Lawyer and international criminal investigator, Founder and President of the NGO We are NOT Weapons of War. “Documentation of victims’ testimony in sexual violence in times of conflict – the role of civil society organisations”.

Alice Bordaçarre, International Federation for Human Rights, Head of the Women’s Rights Office and gender equality desk. “Avenues for extraterritorial justice for victims of sexual violence”.

Renata Gil de Alcantara Videira, Counsellor of the Brazilian National Council of Justice, judge (40th Criminal Court -Rio de Janeiro). “Combating sexual violence against women and girls on the island of Maràjo”.

Jhuma Sen, Advocate at the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court of India and an Adjunct Faculty at the National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata. “Pivotal cases that created changes in relation to sexual violence legislation in India”.

Rachel Asensio, Coordinator of the Gender Commission of the Argentine Public Defence (online). “The current situation in Argentina regarding access to justice for victims of sexual violence and femicide”.

Darian Pavli, judge at the European Court of Human Rights (online). “Jurisprudence in cases of violence against women including sexual violence”.

Facilitator: Helena Maria de Carvalho Martins Leitão

13:00 Q & A

13:30 lunch

15:00                     Workshops (English)

Workshop A: Intersectionality – is the increased vulnerability of victims/survivors taken into account when penalising aggressors, in practice and in conventions/laws? If so, how? If not, how can this be achieved?

Facilitator: Maria Perquilhas; rapporteur Fatima Bilquis.

Workshop B: Why is sexual violence (in public and in private) still considered taboo and not disclosed/reported? What are the obstacles? What can we do about it?

Facilitator Rachel Eapen Paul; rapporteur: Smita Premchander

 

17:00     Coffee Break     

17:30     Plenary feedback from workshops                                                          

18.30     End

15:00                     Parallel seminars and conferences of the Matera women organizations (Italian) working on violence against women and on empowerment and gender equality and equity issues.                                                      

17:00     Coffee Break

19:00     End

Evening Tour of Matera Underground offered by Matera Sum Ipogeo for foreigner guests

09:00 Registration

09:30                                                                                     Panel 3

Sexism and sexual violence in the broadest sense: What public policies and best practices are in place on each continent?

 

Eve Bazaiba Masudi (Democratic Republic of Congo): Deputy Prime Minister; Minister for the environment. (online) “An overview of the situation in Congo – what is being done?”.

Edith Lopez Hernandez (Mexico):  Afro-Mexican Feminist Lawyer. (online). An overview of the situation in Mexico – what is being done?”.

Monia Ben Jemia (Tunisia) Mena: Executive Board member of EuroMed Rights, Law professor. “An overview of the situation in the MENA region – what is being done?”.

Katarzyna Nowakowska (Poland): coordinator of the Warsaw Rape Crisis Centre by Feminoteka. “An overview of the situation in Poland and their experience with asylum seekers, including Ukrainian women”.

Bilquis Tahira (Pakistan) Asia: Executive Director. Shirakat-Partnership for Development . “An overview of the situation in Pakistan and their experience with women Afghan asylum seekers”.

Facilitator: Simona Lanzoni

10:30 Q & A

11:00 Coffee

 

11:30                                                                                     Panel 4

Economic, health and social consequences of sexual violence and related femicides

Sylvia Walby, Professor, School of Law and Social Sciences, at Royal Holloway, University of London. “The cost of Violence Against Women”.

Catia Pontedeira, Professor in Criminology at the University of Maia and at the University of Minho (Portugal). “Consequences of femicide: from pain and injustice to compensation and reparation”.

Anna Zobnina, European Network of Migrant Women, Strategy & Executive Director. “Consequences of multiple discrimination”.

Nagham Hassan, Yezidi justice committee, gynecologist (Iraq). “Health and social consequences of sexual violence”.

Avni Amin, World Health Organisation, Sexual and Reproductive Health Researcher. (online). “Overview of global sexual violence and its consequences, especially on sexual and reproductive health”.

Facilitator: Marceline Naudi

12:30 Q&A

13:00 Lunch

15:00     Workshops (English)

Workshop D: Intersectionality: how do the consequences of violence, the cost of violence, and reparation for victims impact women differently? What can be done to ensure that none are left behind?

Facilitator: Kuhu Das ; Rapporteur: Krupa Sriram

Workshop E: what can we do to create change in the mentality in relation to the way that women are viewed and as a result the way that sexism and violence are perceived?

Facilitator: Mirela Arqimandriti; Rapporteur: Rachel Eapen Paul

17:00     Coffee Break     

17:30     Plenary feedback from workshops                                                          

18.30     End

09:00 Registration

09:30 Presentation on Gender Apartheid Campaign for Afghan Women

9:45 Presentation of Draft Statement

10:30 Panel Discussion

11:15 Conclusion

Francoise Brie, President of Women Without Violence International Foundation,

Simona Lanzoni, vice president of Fondazione Pangea

11:30 Coffee Break

12:00 End

 

15:45                     Parallel seminars and conferences of the Matera women organizations (Italian) working on violence against women and on empowerment and gender equality and equity issues.                                                      

19 :00    End

Live the mission.

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Human connections matter.

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Own the impact.

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See potential in everyone.

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Always learning.

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Online Registration ↠

a recording of the proceedings of the conference will be avaialble at a later date on this website

Send an email to

womenwithoutviolence@gmail.com eventi@pangeaonlus.org