CSBR Featured, News from Member Organizations, News on Sexual & Bodily Rights, Resources & Tools

WAO Reveals 2015 Domestic Violence Report & Launches Public Education Campaign “Can You Keep A Secret?”

WAO Launch 'Can You Keep A Secret'


Kuala Lumpur, 23 June 2015 – Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) revealed their annual “Working Together: Case Studies in Domestic Violence Response, 2015 Report”, simultaneously launching their public education campaign with a ceramic art installation entitled, “Can You Keep A Secret?” in collaboration with Leo Burnett/ Arc Worldwide Malaysia today in Publika. The launch was officiated by the Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, YB Dato’ Sri Rohani Abdul Karim.

The report details the experiences of domestic abuse survivors and the challenges they faced in obtaining protection and justice. WAO also compiled a comprehensive list of recommendations directed towards relevant government authorities.

“Can You Keep a Secret?” is aimed at raising awareness on domestic violence and will be onWAO 2015 Report Working Togetherdisplay at the Blue Bridge on Level G3 of Publika, featuring live-size ceramic head sculptures representing everyday women who could be victims of abuse. The twelve ceramic heads feature different stories of domestic violence survivors, drawing the public’s attention and urging them to speak out when it matters most – when they notice abuse.

Artist James Seet from Leo Burnett/ Arc Worldwide Malaysia volunteered his time and skills to create the sculptures as it was an issue he strongly wanted to champion. “Ceramic art was used to mirror real stories of survivors, representing the fragility of abused victims. Masking their internal emotions with a strong façade, victims develop deep mental and emotional scars that affect their wellbeing,“ Seet said.

“In line with Leo Burnett’s Humankind philosophy of creating work that influences behaviour, we hope to be able to bring the severity of domestic violence to attention through this art installation. This issue will not resolve overnight, but with the little exposure and education on this topic, we hope to encourage Malaysians to take action when they come across domestic violence,” James added.

“The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development prioritises women’s rights, and is working towards achieving gender equality. Malaysia is committed to our obligations to Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The Ministry strongly supports efforts by government and non-governmental agencies to assist survivors of domestic violence,” the Minister stressed.

WAO Launch "Can You Keep A Secret?" 2The Minister also noted that there were strengths and weaknesses in the response system for domestic violence survivors, which the report points out. The Minister added that her Ministry would “consider all suggestions and recommendations that WAO has raised in the report to better address domestic violence.”

Sumitra Visvanathan, Executive Director of WAO, emphasised the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration in addressing domestic violence. She stated, “All relevant bodies, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and government agencies such as hospitals and the police must work together to improve our response to domestic violence and continue to ensure that victim-survivors have access to the crucial support and assistance that we collectively provide.”

The report highlights the key role of police as first-responders in most domestic violence cases. From the 110 victim-survivors surveyed, 68 (61.8%) of them sought help from the police before anyone else.

“The police play a vital role in domestic violence response. It is exceedingly important that officers receive proper support and training to deal with these cases,” Visvanathan further commented.

Another highlight in the report is breakthrough developments in the courts where domestic violence cases are tried. For example, a victim impact statement (VIS) was successfully used in convicting a perpetrator. In another case, the perpetrator was successfully jailed for breaching a protection order, a first in Malaysia.

WAO Vice-President Tashia Peterson said at the launch, “Domestic violence must not be seen as normal; women have the right to a life free from violence. We want the public to recognise that and realise that we all have a part to play in ending domestic violence.”

“We would also like to thank Leo Burnett/ Arc Worldwide Malaysia for helping to make our campaign a success,as well as the office of Datuk Paul Low Seng Kuan, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, and Brickfields Asia College (BAC) for their generous support towards publishing the report. Thank you as well to Publika for providing us the space to conduct these initiatives,” she added. `

The art installation will be on display in Publika, on the Blue Bridge on Level G3, until the 22nd of July. It will then exhibited in other locations.

The report is available for download at bit.ly/WAOreport.

Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) provides temporary shelter, social work and counselling services for domestic violence survivors and advocates for women’s human rights. Call our counselling line at 03 7956 3488 or SMS TINA at 018 988 8058 if you or someone you know is experiencing abuse. Together, we change lives.

For more information, contact: Kristine Yap, kristine.wao@gmail.com

 

 

CSBR Featured, News from Member Organizations, News on Sexual & Bodily Rights, Statements

Ensuring Women and Girls’ Sexual and Reproductive Health and Reproductive Rights in the Post-2015 Agenda

This 28 May 2015, on the international day for action on women’s health, the Women’s Global May-28-slogan-finalNetwork for Reproductive Rights (WNGRR) and partners launched a Call to Action to ensure that women and girls’ sexual and reproductive health rights are included within the Post-2105 agenda.

The action called on governments worldwide to respect, protect, and fulfill women’s right to health, dignity and bodily integrity, and end violence against women in ALL its forms, including the one form of violence particularly experienced by women and girls if they are young, unmarried, poor, HIV affected, of diverse sexual orientations or gender identities, living with a disability, or in other vulnerable situations, that remains rampant and unaddressed: namely, the institutional violence they experience when they are denied their right to health and are unable to access sexual and reproductive health services. 

“Institutional violence,” or violence perpetrated by the State, has traditionally been understood as largely occurring within extreme circumstances of conflicts, disasters, and economic crises.[3] As defined by the 1993 UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, however, violence against women includes “physical, sexual and psychological violence perpetrated or condoned by the State or its agents regardless of where it occurs.”[4] With this definition in mind, examples of violence and discrimination resulting from the violation of women’s right to sexual and reproductive health are far too common and widespread, such as:

  •  The denial of the right to access safe and legal abortion services, thereby forcing women through restrictive abortion laws to carry to term an unwanted pregnancy, even if it puts their health and life at risk, or even in cases of rape or incest, subjecting them to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, particularly if women are then criminalized and incarcerated;
  • Forced or coerced sterilization or abortion, as all too often experienced by women living with HIV, women living with disabilities, individuals of diverse SOGI, among others;
  • Obstetric violence, discrimination and denial of medical care to pregnant women, particularly if they are single and/or unmarried, forcing them to go through their pregnancy and/or labour in unsafe and life-threatening conditions;
  • The denial of young people’s access to comprehensive SRH services, particularly in the form of denying access to emergency contraception even in cases of rape, thereby subjecting young women and girls to forced teenage pregnancy and exacerbating the violence they already experienced.

While these examples may seem extreme, they happen all too frequently, and share a common root cause: namely, the denial of women’s right to sexual and reproductive health, and the denial of women and girls’ right to exercise autonomous decision-making over their bodies and their lives. The denial of these rights results in violence against women[5] and in some cases results in cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment paramount to torture, as recognized by Human Rights Bodies.[6]
As a follow-up to the action, WNGRR submitted a letter to the delegates of 58 UN Member States who delivered a joint statement in support of SRHR at the OWG13 session.

See the original call to action here: http://www.may28.org/call-to-action/, and the final letter to UN delegates endorsed by 177 organizations and 290 individuals worldwide here.

 

CSBR CSBR Activities, News from Member Organizations, ODOS

6th CSBR “One Day, One Struggle”

November 9 2014 marks the 6th annual celebration of One Day, One Struggle. This time, every year, CSBR member organizations join forces to campaign locally and globally for sexual and bodily rights. Events will be happening around the world over the coming week, here are some:

Tunisia

Association Tunisienne des Femmes Democrates (ATFD) is launching a campaign to repeal article 227 bis of the plenal code and which allows a minor to marry her rapist.

Turkey

Women for Women’s Human Rights – New Ways, KAOS GL, and LambdaIstanbul are reading the Istanbul Convention through the lens of its emphasis on sexual and bodily rights. A series of informative and inspiring infographics and caps are distributed online and offline to highlight the importance of The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (a.k.a. Istanbul Convention) in the fields of sexual and bodily rights. The information is available in English and Turkish.

Bangladesh

The Centre for Gender, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, housed at the James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University are screening a 20 minute clip from Fauzia Khans film, “Je Golper Shesh Nei” on Sunday, November 9, 2014. The rest of the event will be an open discussion on what sexual bodily rights means in Bangladesh with questions to:

  • Neda Shakiba, Head of Student Affairs, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh
  • Joya Sikder, leader of the Sex workers union of Bangladesh
  • Tanvir Alim, Representative, Boys of Bangladesh 
  • Naomi Mirza, Medical consultant, Maya.com.bd
  • Farhin S Kabir, Representative, Shombob (Bangladesh’s first LBT Rights Advocacy Organization)

Indonesia

GAYa NUSANTARA and the C2O Library are screening “Lovely Man.”

Pakistan

Aahung, SPARC & Madadgar  are organizing an awareness raising session for parents and teachers on Child Sexual Abuse in a school for the underprivileged children.

Drag It to the Top is hosting a series of workshops on bodily rights and human rights starting in Lahore in November 2014. The first workshop will be held at the Institute of Peace & Secular Studies (IPSS) in Lahore. The aim of the 2-hour workshop is to create comfortable safe spaces for expression and dialogues leading up to body acceptance, body positive and fat-positive attitudes. The workshop will be moderated by Hadi Hussain and Aisha Haleem. A human rights activist, Hadi is one of the founding members of the Organization for the Protection & Propagation of Rights of Sexual Minorities (OPPRSM) and teaches women and gender studies at a public sector university in Lahore. Aisha, also a human rights activist is another founding member of OPPRSM and a well-known motivational speaker. Aisha manages business processes for US consultancy firm isiFederal. The event is admitting and registering participants by invitation-only. The program entails a mix-and- match of interactive discussions and activities focused on understanding body politics of daily life. Drag It to the Top administrators will also be live tweeting key messages exchanged amongst the moderators and participants of the workshop under the #JHIH hashtag which expands to Jismani Haqooq, Insani Haqooq (Bodily Rights, Human Rights). Anyone on Twitter can join the conversation by including the #JHIH hashtag. A short documentary-film, “That’s What She Said,” will also be screened during the workshop.

Malaysia

Women’s Aid Organization and Sisters in Islam are kicking off the campaign at 10am until 9pm on 9 November 2014. Follow @SistersInIslam and @womensaidorg on Twitter (if you haven’t already), #SBR4ALL, #WhySexEd, #EndChildMarriage, #abortionmyths, and #sexbodyrights. You may also follow Sisters In Islam on Facebook.

Let’s work together and get as many people involved in our fight for Sexual and Bodily Rights for all!

For more information on each event, write to coordinator@csbronline.org and follow @sexbodyrights.

Keep checking in for more announcements!

CSBR CSBR Activities, News from Member Organizations, ODOS

5th CSBR “One Day, One Struggle”

November 9 2013 marks the 5th annual celebration of One Day, One Struggle. This time, every year, CSBR member organizations join forces to campaign locally and globally for sexual and bodily rights. Events will be happening around the world over the coming week, here are some:

Bedayaa Organization for LGBTIQ In the Nile Valley, Egypt & Sudan:  An online campaign that includes blogging , Facebook and Twitter. On the ground, graffiti will be drawn on the walls in the city of Cairo that expresses the content of the campaign and its goals. Finally, on November 9, there will be an open day with panel discussion about sexual and bodily rights from queer perspectives, showing short films and open discussion about the concept of privacy.

Vision, Pakistan: “Bol” (Speak) is a student poster exhibit with each participant expressing  in writing their feelings about themselves and the kind of change and freedom they would want to see in the gay world of Pakistan today.

GAYa NUSANTARA, Indonesia: “Me Vs. Family – Understanding, Surviving, and Loving your own Family” is a four day movie and arts performance festival at Balai Pemuda.

Women Research Institute, Indonesia: “Penguatan Remaja Untuk Mendapatkan Hak Kesehatan Reproduksi yang Komprehensif” (Youth Empowering for Comprehensive Reproductive Health Services) is a seminar on youth and reproductive health issues.

Bishkek Feminist Collective SQ, Kyrgyzstan, are planning to launch a study group on “Feminisms and Islam” within the framework of Open Feminist School and start a small online (through social media) photo campaign that will focus on Islamophobia in the society and the stereotyping of Muslim women as docile, not able to choose for themselves, submissive, etc.

For more information on each event, write to coordinator@csbronline.org.

Keep checking in for more announcements!

CSBR CSBR Activities, News from Member Organizations, News on Sexual & Bodily Rights, Statements

بيان تضامني ضد الإساءة في الدكوانة

caricature source: NOW.

بيان تضامن مع مطالب العدالة ضد الإساءة والإهانة للأجساد غير النمطية من قبل بلدية الدكوانة، لبنان

لقد احتج العديد من الناس ضد الظلم الذي مارسته بلدية الدكوانة يوم السبت الماضي في ٢٠ نيسان ٢٠١٣. أنطوان شختورة، رئيس بلدية الدكوانة، أمر قوى الأمن الداخلي بمداهمة وإغلاق ناد يرتاده أشخاص ذي أنواع اجتماعية وتوجهات جنسية غير نمطية. أمرت قوى الأمن الداخلي لإجراء عملية اختطاف تعسفية داخل صناديق سياراتهم الأمنية واعتدوا وأذلوا 4 أشخاص، من بينهم/ن من أجبرت على خلع ملابسها أمام رجال قوى الأمن الداخلي في مقر بلدية الدكوانة وبإشراف رئيس البلدية وذلك “للتحقق من كون المرأة رجلا أو امرأة”. وقد أخذ رجال شرطة البلدية صورا بإشراف السيد شختورة وجرى توزيعها على وسائل الإعلام. أنطوان شختورة، رئيس بلدية الدكوانة، أعلن قراره بشكل صارخ، لاعتقال وإذلال وتعيير المتحولين جنسيا ونكر بشدة إجرامية أفعاله وأفعال البلدية و قال:

“لقد خلعنا ملابسهم، في مكتبنا، في مركز البلدية، بالطبع. ويجب أن نعلم. رأينا أمرا فضائحيا يحصل، ولذلك كان علينا أن نعلم، ما الأمر؟ الفجور في الشوارع العامة… نعم… ولكن هل هي امرأة أم رجل؟ لا، اتضح أنها نصف امرأة ونصف رجل”.

ووقع الاعتداء بالتوازي مع قرار بلدي حديث لفرض حظر التجول بدءا من الساعة السابعة مساءً بحق السوريين والسوريات الذين واللواتي يعيشون ويعشن في الدكوانة.

هذه الاعتقالات والاحتجاز غير القانوني، والإهانة وتحرش رجال الشرطة تمثل تسعفا في استعمال السلطة، وتعميما لعنف أمني، واعتداءً إجرامياً. كما ندرك كراهية الن الواضحة في أفعال وأقوال السيد شختورة من خلال دوره في النظام البطريركي، لضبط واستقصاء ومن خلال الدور الجندري للشرطة من جهة، بهدف ضبط ومعاقبة أي خروج عن هذه الأدوار الجندرية من جهة أخرى. كما نشهد على كراهية النساء المتأصلة في هذا الاعتداء، حيث وصف شختورة “خلع ملابس” رجل كامرأة ورفاقه كأمر بغيض وجنائي وهجوم على “قلعة الصمود للدكوانة”.

وتتخذ البلديات في لبنان قرارات تستحق الشجب وهي مسألة متنامية وتبعث على القلق، وقد اتخذت بلديات لبنانية، ومن بينها بلدية الدكوانة، على عاتقها فرض دولة بوليسية تقمع حرية التنقل للسوريين والمهاجرين في لبنان، مع تسجيل العديد من اعتداءات الشرطة والتشدد العنفي حيالهم.

أنطوان شختورة لديه السلطة والموارد الأجهزة الأمنية لفرض جو من رهاب المتحولين جنسيا على الأخلاق. وليس من اختصاص قوى الأمن الداخلي أن تجرد الناس بالقوة من ملابسها وتفحص أعضائها الجنسية، وإنه أمر يستدعي الشجب أن تشعر بلدية الدكوانة أن لها الحق لتصوير ونشر صور لأجساد الأشخاص المعتدى عليهم/ن ولأعضائهم/ن الجنسية، الأمر الذي نعتبره اعتداءً للذاتية الجنسية، أي اغتصاب. هذا السلوك يشكل اعتداء إجراميا من جانب بلدية الدكوانة وبشكل مباشر، رئيسها السيد شختورة. لقد أصبح واضحا منذ وقوع الحادث أن السيد شختورة يستهدف بطريقة استراتيجية الأفراد الذين لا يتمتعون بدعم سياسي، كاللاجئين السوريين وأشخاص ذي أنواع اجتماعية غير نمطية والطبقة العاملة، في محاولة منه لتأكيد سلطته تمهيدا للانتخابات البلدية المقبلة.

نحن ندرك الصلات العميقة والتشابه بين تجارب شعوبنا في جنوب الكرة الأرضية ونحتج بشدة ضد القرارات والسلوك المعادي للمتحولين جنسيا الذي قامت به السلطات المنتخبة وقوى الأمن الداخلي واضطهاد المتحولين جنسيا والعمال الأجانب كأداة سياسية. ونطالب القضاء اللبناني أن لا تتساهل إزاء الاضطهاد غير المشروع والتعسف في استعمال السلطة التي ارتكبها السيد شختورة وبلديته وأيضا نحث سكان الدكوانة الضغط بهدف إقالة السيد شختورة من منصبه.

إن الموقعين/ات على هذا البيان يرفضون ويرفضن ويدينون ويدنّ كل شكل من أشكال العنف الذي تمارسه السلطة من خلال الوحشية التي تمارسها الشرطة، وتتغاضى عنها السلطة، عبر اعتدائها على الحريات الاجتماعية والسياسية والجسدية. هذا الاعتداء يشكل استمرارا لوحشية الشرطة والتعسف في استعمال السلطة والاعتداءات الإجرامية والاغتصاب. فالشرطة اللبنانية اعتدت على الاستقلالية الجنسية ل٣٦ عامل في سينما بلازا في منطقة النبعة من خلال إجبارهم على الخضوع لفحوصات شرجية (اختبار المثلية الجنسية جرى التنديد به من قبل نقابة الأطباء)، الاعتداء على المهاجرين الأجانب في منطقة الدورة على يد قوى الأمن الداخلي، والاعتداء على متظاهرين سياسيين أمام السفارة المصرية في كانون الثاني 2010 والاعتداء على ناشطين من جمعية شمل خلال اعتصامهم المطالب بقانون مدني للزواج أمام مبنى مجلس النواب اللبناني، كما الهجمة الشرسة، التي بقيت دون حل، والتي شنها أعضاء في الحزب السوري القومي الاجتماعي على ناشطين سياسيين في منطقة الحمرا، وفي المرحلة الحالية الاعتداء على أجساد المتحولين جنسيا من قبل رئيس البلدية السيد شختورة، والهجوم على عاملات الجنس خلال برنامج “إنت حر” التلفزيوني. ندعو السلطة اللبنانية إلى إدانة جميع أشكال الانتهاكات على الحريات الاجتماعية والسياسية والجسدية ووقف إباحته لانتهاكه سيادة القانون.

ونحن نحيي كل الأفراد (في هذه الحالة المتحولين جنسيا والسوريين) الذين يعيشون تحت التهديد اليومي من الاعتداءات الجسدية والكلامية والعنف الممنهج ونشيد بالمؤسسة اللبنانية للإعلام(LBC) لفضحها إجرام بلدية الدكوانة ومطالبتها المستمرة بتحقيق العدالة. ونحن هنا ندعو إلى وحدة المجتمع المدني اللبناني والحركات الناشطة لتنظيم جماعيا حول تزايد حالات انتهاكات الشرطة، والعنف والوحشية والتجاوزات غير المعاقبة بواسطة المسؤولين الرسميين.

ملاحظة إلى الموقعين/الموقعات
نشكركم/نشكركن على تبنيكم/تبنيكن لهذا البيان تضامنا مع مطالب العدالة ضد الاعتداء والتردي ضد الأجساد غير النمطية من قبل بلدية الدكوانة. ونحن نحثكم/ نحثكن على نشر هذا البيان في منظماتكم/ منظماتكن ومعارفكم/معارفكن وأن تعملوا/تعملن على إيصاله إلى وسائل الإعلام والانضمام إلى حملة الحشد الجماهيري في لبنان وعالم الجنوب في السعي لتحقيق العدالة.
الرجاء تسجيل بريدكم/ بريدكن الالكتروني: solidarity.lebanon@gmail.com

Endorsements

VISION, Pakistan

Mideast Youth, Bahrain

Balance Promoción para el Desarrollo y Juventud, México

Nasawiya, Lebanon

Women for Women’s Human Rights (WWHR),  Turkey

Take Back Parliament, Lebanon

Realizing Sexual and Reproductive Justice (RESURJ), International

Anti-Racism Movement, Lebanon

Kaos Gay and Lesbian Cultural Research and Solidarity Association (Kaos GL), Turkey

Women Living Under Muslim Laws, International

Lebanese LGBT Media Monitor, Lebanon

Lebanese Medical Association for Sexual Health, Lebanon

المنتدى الاشتراكي، لبنان

CSBR CSBR Activities, News from Member Organizations, ODOS

One Day, One Struggle: Around the World!

 

November 9 2012 marks the 4th annual celebration of One Day, One Struggle. This time, every year, CSBR member organizations join forces to campaign locally and globally for sexual and bodily rights. Events will be happening around the world over the coming week, here are some:

PALESTINE

 

 

Muntada – The Arab Forum for Sexuality, Education and Health organized a screening of short films entitled “Sexual Rights are Human Rights” and launched a manual for teenage girls. The event took place on Friday, November 2nd, 2012, at 5 PM, Cinematech, Nazareth. You can find an overview of the event and photos here.

EGYPT

 

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights  (EIPR) are joining efforts with the New Woman Foundation (NWF) and the Woman and Memory Forum (WMF)  for this year’s One Day, One Struggle. “Everyday Feminism: Remembering Harassment Resister Iman Salama” commemorates the life of Iman Salama, a young girl from southern Egypt who was shot and killed after defending herself from a sexual harasser. A video interviewing Iman’s father  and activists from the Assiyut governorate (where the incident took place) will be published, as well as a cartoon series describing Iman’s death and how she fought back her perpetrator. Last but not least, a graffiti will be created on a downtown Cairo mural depicting Iman and her resilience and strength to fight.

EGYPT/SUDAN

 

Bedayaa – LGBTIQ of the Nile Valley Area, Egypt and Sudan are organizing a movie night and discussion panel this year to raise awareness within the LGBTIQ community on sexual and bodily rights.

INDONESIA

 

GAYa NUSANTARA will be holding a public discussion for this year’s One Day, One Struggle. More details will be posted soon.

 

Aliansi Remaja Independen are launching guetau.com – a comprehensive portal that provides information and tools for teens on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for Adolescents. Make sure to check it out!

MALAYSIA

 

Sisters in Islam, Women’s Aid Organisation, and friends will be presenting a double bill performance exploring the issues of statutory rape and child marriage on Friday, November 9, 8pm @ The Annexe Gallery, Central Market. The event is free of charge, you only need to register by emailing adibah@sistersinislam.org.my  or calling 03-77856121. Refreshments will be served, and there will be a moderated discussion after the show to allow audience members to voice their opinions, ask questions, engage in public debate.

Forum Theater
Title: “Young Love, Young Bride” (Cinta Muda, Pengantin Muda)
Date: 9th Nov 2012 ( Friday )
Time: 8.00pm – 10.00pm
Venue: Gallery 3, Annexe Gallery, Central Market

PAKISTAN

 

“Mapping One Day of Struggle” – A Calendar Exhibit/Publication, documenting and showcasing daily individual struggles of non-heteronormative Pakistani minorities against patriarchy in public spaces and/or private spaces. The event is organized by Drag it to the Top, along with the Organization for the Protection & Propagation of Rights of Sexual Minorities, Institute for Peace and Secular Studies and DugDugi Group.

“Advocating for Domestic Violence Bill 2012” – a 3 hour event on November 15 organized by Aahung, along with Shirkat Gah, Home Ministry, Women Development Department, Population Welfare Department, Packard Foundation and other organizations. The program will include a theater show as well as a panel discussion with key government stakeholders. Facts and figures related to domestic violence in Pakistan will also be shared.

LEBANON 

 

 

“3ayb! Shu Hal 7aki?” – An art exhibit on sexuality and gender (photography, paintings, drawings, videos and more). The event is in Dar Al- Mosawir, Hamra, for more information: Mobile: 71 – 433 048 Email: leexhibit@gmail.com.

TUNISIA

The Tunisian Association of Democratic Women is organizing an event for abortion rights and access to abortion services in post-revolution Tunisia on November 9. The program includes an overview of abortion rights around the world with insights into the Tunisian legislation, and abortion rights in Tunisia (history and current debates) and will be followed with a discussion.

Keep checking in for more events!

CSBR News from Member Organizations

Turkey: Say No to Abortion Ban!

TO THE POLICIES OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE GOVERNMENT OF TURKEY THAT TARGET GENDER EQUALITY, WOMEN’S BODIES, REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS AND SEXUALITY, OUR RESPONSE IS A RESOUNDING “NO!”

We demand that the process to ban abortion be ceased IMMEDIATELY!

Banning abortion or further limiting the duration and conditions under which it can be performed;

  • Violates women’s human right to health and life!
  • Violates women’s human right to make decisions about their own sexual and reproductive health and rights!
  • Constitutes yet another manifestation of the conservative politics that does not view women as equal individuals!

Prime Minister Erdogan’s statements in the last week of May 2012 have revealed that plans to ban abortion have been underway for some time now. Experience from the global arena illustrates that this lethal attempt, which has no scientific backing, will not reduce abortion rates; instead it will only lead to unsafe abortions and increase maternal mortality.

ABORTION IS NOT MURDER, BUT BANNING ABORTION IS!

FREELY CHOSEN SAFE ABORTION IS A WOMAN’S RIGHT TO LIFE; IT CANNOT BE RESTRICTED, IT CANNOT BE BANNED!

According to data from the World Health Organization, tens of women across the world die every year as a result of unsafe abortions. In Turkey, establishing the legal grounds for women to end unwanted pregnancies on demand has contributed to the decrease in maternal mortality, which dropped from 250 to 28 in every 100,000 live births from the 1970s to the mid-2000s. There is no data indicating that abortion is on the rise in Turkey; on the contrary, while 18 pregnancies out of 100 ended in abortion in 1993, this ratio was down to 10 percent in 2008. In an era where 26 countries have taken steps to remove obstacles that hinder access to abortion between 1994 and 2011, efforts to ban or restrict it in Turkey are unacceptable. Restricting the right to access safe abortion services and making them available only when required by medical conditions or instances of rape works to marginalize women’s fundamental bodily and sexual rights, and reduces the enjoyment of this right to circumstances of necessity.

We object to risking women’s rights to health and life by restricting or banning abortion instead of encouraging free, easily accessible, high quality birth control methods. Abortion is not only a freedom of choice, but a vital social right. The right to abortion that is on demand, free-of-charge, accessible, safe, and legal, is also a right to life. Forcing women to take life-threatening risks is nothing short of murder.

THE RIGHT TO SAFE ABORTION IS AN INDIVISIBLE PART OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR BODILY AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS!

Women’s right to sexual and reproductive health includes having control over their own bodies and access to safe abortion; limiting these rights is an open violation of fundamental human rights and women’s human rights. In accordance with its domestic legislation and the international conventions it is party to, Turkey is under obligation to provide adequate, comprehensive, and accessible sexual and reproductive health services. In Turkey, child marriages, forced marriages, women’s murders, rapes, and morality-based repression mechanisms have all become normalized. The responsibility for birth control has been left primarily to women. However, in a country where contraceptives are not easily accessible, withdrawal is the most prevalent form of birth control, female employment rates continue to drop and female poverty is rapidly increasing, restricting or banning women’s right to on demand pregnancy termination is an act of blatant discrimination that will push women to seek unsafe abortions.

WE REJECT THE ATTACKS ON HUMAN RIGHTS THROUGH MILITARIST AND DISCRIMINATORY DISCOURSES AND PRACTICES!

By saying “Every abortion is an Uludere,” PM Erdogan equated women’s enjoyment of their bodily rights with killing people in a bombardment attack. This is a discriminatory and militarist statement that calls to question the human rights of both Kurds and women, whereas the primary responsibility of any state should be to ensure its citizens lead a decent life, and to guarantee equal rights and freedoms to all.

According to Article 16.1.e of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women-to which Turkey is a proud signatory-women have the right to “decide freely and responsibly on the number and spacing of their children.” The current governmental initiative to ban abortion is simply another manifestation of the ongoing misogynist mentality that ignores women’s right to make decisions on matters that concern their bodies, sees women’s primary reason for existence as the continuation of the species, and constructs neoliberal population policies based on women’s bodies.

A decision to ban abortion will constitute an open violation of the right to life for millions of women, and the right to live with dignity for men, women, and children alike.

We, the undersigned organizations, demand that the process initiated to ban abortion and the politics of the Prime Minister and the Government of Turkey that target women’s bodies be ceased IMMEDIATELY!

CSBR CSBR Activities, News from Member Organizations, News on Sexual & Bodily Rights, ODOS

One Day, One Struggle around the World!

Today, November 9, 2011 marks the 3rd annual celebration of One Day, One Struggle. This time, every year, CSBR member organizations join forces to campaign locally and globally for sexual and bodily rights. Events will be happening around the world over the coming week, here are some:

MORE UPDATES COMING AS WE RECEIVE THEM!

MALAYSIA

You can also read the statement by Women’s Aid Organization in solidarity with the campaign.

PAKISTAN

Rutgers WPF have launched a survey with special focus to the issues faced by transgenders in Pakistan. Fourth question of the poll refers to the recently released Pakistani famous Movie “BOL” which highlights different Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights issues with the context of Muslim families living in Pakistan.

Rutgers will share the results of the poll on 10th December 2011 on the commemoration of International Human Rights Day.

LEBANON

Nasawiya in Lebanon are organizing around the theme of marital rape, which has recently caused controversy during the campaign to Protect Women from Family Violence. Marital rape is exempted from bring considered criminal in the Lebanese Penal Code and women’s movements are calling for its criminalization.

A conference with interactive theater and public forum will take place on Tuesday, November 15 on the theme of marital rape and you can watch the video prepared by the group, gauging out the public’s reactions to the campaign below (in Arabic):


The Lebanese Society of ObGyn will also be holding a session on sexual pleasure deconstruction from a biomedical perspective on November 17.

PHILIPPINES

In Davao City, PILIPINA Legal Resources Center organized a Human Rights Policy Forum on LGBT Rights with a panel discussion and policy recommendations. The event brought together sociologists, researchers, writers, activists, and city councilors. PILIPINA Legal Resources Center worked to connect the LGBT community with local city legislators, academe, women’s movement, the press in order to intellectually discuss the proposed Anti Discrimination Bill Of Davao City Legislative Council which does not have a section on LGBT rights.

Isabelita Solamo-Antonio writes about the issue in Womenwise: LGBT (Lesbians, Gay, Bi-sexuals & Transgenders) Rights Are Human Rights. Check out the Facebook photo album here!

INDONESIA

Organizations in Indonesia marked ODOS with 2 days of events under the theme “My Body, My Rights : No Health Without Rights.” The occasion brought together several NGOs, academic institutions and AIDS Commission at province level (Government Organization). The Organizations that joined the events are Dipayoni (Lesbian organization), Savy Amira (Women Crisis Center), Bhinneka (Religion and pluralism organization), AIDS Commission (Government organization), and Study Center for Human Rights- Surabaya University, Study center for gender and Health- Psychology Faculty-Surabaya University.

 

CSBR CSBR Activities, News from Member Organizations, ODOS

ODOS 2009 Events

OVER 40 ORGANIZATIONS IN 11 COUNTRIES CAMPAIGN FOR
SEXUAL & REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS:
ONE DAY ONE STRUGGLE – 09.11.09

On 9 November 2009 the Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR) organized a historic campaign bringing together a diverse group of nongovernmental organizations, academic institutions and activists across the Middle East, North Africa, South and Southeast Asia. As part of this simultaneous campaign entitled One Day One Struggle, tens of organizations from 11 countries held public demonstrations and meetings to assert that sexual and reproductive rights are universal human rights.

During the 1-Day Campaign that created a milestone event in the history of the sexual and reproductive rights movement, activists held 16 simultaneous yet diverse events, each focusing on the pertinent issue of their respective local and national contexts and all underlining the fact that sexuality is not a private issue but a site of political struggle. The Campaign showed that even if we are in different continents, working on different aspects of the issues related to sexuality, we are united in our quest to realize sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in Muslim societies.

Coordinated by Women for Women’s Human Rights (WWHR) – New Ways, the previous international coordination office of the CSBR in 2009, the Campaign was designed to raise public awareness on sexuality and SRHR in the local contexts, and contribute to advocacy efforts on the national levels to counter the rising conservatism, fueled by militarism, increasing inequalities, the politicization of religion and Islamophobia that have strengthened patriarchal and extremist religious ideologies, which use sexuality as a tool of oppression.

A major goal of the Campaign was also to make the struggles of SRHR advocates in Muslim societies visible at the international level. Contrary to the coverage in Western media, the Campaign once again showed that there is not one single definition or description of “Muslim society.” The variety of issues raised during the Campaign portrayed the huge diversity of practices in different Muslim societies. For instance, advocates in Palestine campaigned against a widespread violation of women’s sexual and bodily rights in the Middle East, namely the so-called “honor killings” which is a practice almost unheard of in Southeast Asia. While homosexuality is still a criminal offence in many countries of the Middle East, the LGBT communities in Bangladesh held panels, discussions and culture shows to bring more visibility to their struggles. Providing a glimpse at the courageous work undertaken by SRHR advocates in these societies, the Campaign shed light on the variety of our struggles that depend on the practices within our specific contexts.

As the first such international campaign from our regions, we hope it has also helped show the strength of our solidarity across continents and will set a precedent to increase awareness and understanding of sexual and bodily rights in Muslim societies regionally and internationally.

THE EVENTS:

On 09/11/2009 hundreds of activists joined forces in their quest to realize sexual and reproductive health and rights in Muslim societies.

Showing the united struggle to assert sexual and reproductive rights as universal human rights, the Campaign addressed a wide array of cutting edge issues, ranging from so-called honor killings to LGBT rights, penal code reform to sexuality in Islam…

16 simultaneous events were held in 11 countries across continents, all underlining the fact that sexuality is not a private issue but a site of political struggle:

Bangladesh:

  •  Debating Sexual Rights: Open discussion on promoting sexual and bodily rights in Muslim societies
    Organized by: Bandhu Social Welfare Society (BSWS)
  • Launch of a pioneering research: Understanding Sexuality and Rights in Dhaka City                                       
    Organized by: Center for Gender, Sexuality and HIV/AIDS at the James P Grant School of Public Health of BRAC University
  • Discussing the extent of feminist engagement with religion and the place of sexuality and pleasure in the Quran  
    Organized by: Naripokkho
  • A first for the queer members of Bangladeshi society: Jaago (Wake-up)                                                              
    Organized by: Boys of Bangladesh (BoB)
  • Being hijra (transgender) in Bangladesh
    Co-organized by: Rangberong & Sachetana Shilpa Shangha

Cyprus:

  • Joint effort against sexual violence and homophobia: Mobilizing to reform the Criminal Code
    Co-organized by: Feminist Workshop (FEMA) & Initiative against Homophobia (HOKI)

Egypt:

  • Struggling for the right to abortion in cases of rape
    Co-organized by: Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) & New Woman Foundation (NWF)

Indonesia:

  • New Aceh law violates Islam and women’s right to bodily autonomy
    Organized by: GAYa NUSANTARA

Lebanon:

  • Talking of sexuality in Lebanon: A Sexuality Seminar
    Co-organized by: MEEM & HELEM

Malaysia:

  • Penal Code Section 498: Out of Date, Out With It
    Co-organized by: All Women’s Action Society (AWAM) & Empower & Sisters in Islam (SIS) & Women’s Aid Organization (WAO)

Pakistan:

  •  Building queer-straight alliances: Bring a Straight Friend Along                                          
    Organized by: Organization for the Protection and Propagation of the Rights of Sexual Minorities (The O)

Palestine:

  • My Land, Space, Body and Sexuality-Palestinians in the Shadow of the Wall: A Media Campaign
    Organized by: Muntada (Arab Forum for Sexuality, Education and Health)
  • A Campaign against Femicide
    Organized by: Women Against Violence (WAV)

Sudan:

  • Voicing the Need and Advocating for Reproductive and Bodily Rights of Sudanese Women
    Organized by: Ahfad University for Women (AUW)

Tunisia:

  • Which sexuality education today?
    Organized by: Tunisian Association of Democratic Women (Association Tunisienne des Femmes Démocrates – ATFD)

Turkey:

  • Feminists and LGBT Activists Stand Together Against Sexist Courts                              
    Co-organized by: Feminist Collective & LGBT Human Rights Platform
    Initiated by: Women for Women’s Human Rights (WWHR) – New Ways
CSBR News from Member Organizations, News on Sexual & Bodily Rights, Resources & Tools

SIS RESEARCH ON THE IMPACT OF POLYGAMY

by Jessica de Cruz, intern at SIS – Malaysia

The status of women‟s rights in Islam is a highly contentious issue with profound impact on Malaysia‟s Muslim majority population. CSBR member organization, Malaysian-based women‟s rights NGO Sisters in Islam (SIS) argues that Malaysia‟s 1984 Islamic Family Law Act (IFL), to which all Malaysian Muslims are subject, is restrictive of women‟s rights and has become more so in recent years. One key area of debate is polygamy, the impact of which has been comprehensively studied by SIS over the last three years. Researchers from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Malaya and Universiti Sains Malaysia led by SIS, interviewed and surveyed numerous husbands, first and second wives in polygamous marriages across Malaysia. Their experiences in a broad range of issues, from financial security to emotional impact, from social relationships to sexual needs were examined. This article is based upon SIS‟ research findings from the East and Central Zones, as presented at the 7th Malaysian Studies Conference in March 2010.

In Malaysia, Muslim men can legally take up to four wives. In 1994, to the consternation of women‟s rights groups, the IFL was amended allowing men to contract polygamous marriages without prior permission from a Syariah court, provided that they subsequently obtain legal endorsement. To avoid lengthy annulment proceedings courts tend to endorse such marriages, failing to thoroughly examine the impact on existing wives. Whilst in most states, Muslim family law stipulates that existing wives must be informed of their husbands‟ application for polygamous marriage, many men circumvent this requirement by taking an additional wife in a different state. Without a centralised registration database that records all Muslim marriages, women struggle to ascertain that their husband has taken an additional wife. Women who are aware of their husband‟s intention to marry another are occasionally permitted to voice their opinion in court, but the court is not obligated to consider their consent or opposition. Thus, many polygamous marriages are contracted without the existing wives‟ approval or knowledge.

The emotional distress caused by such polygamous marriages is exacerbated by the financial repercussions. Whilst the Qur’an and IFL stipulate that a man may enter a polygamous marriage only if he can provide equally in material as well as intangible needs, the rule is poorly enforced. In Perak, for instance, a man is not required to prove his financial means, but must merely state his intention to treat his wives fairly. Financial problems are felt acutely by first wives, with 40% stating that their husband‟s financial contribution to the first family diminished significantly after these men‟s second marriages. Second wives generally reported feeling more financially secure than first wives, it is posited that this may be due to their lower expectations of their husbands‟ obligations towards them.

Amendments to the IFL have been regressive in ensuring that first wives‟ attain financial security: husbands are no longer required to maintain their first wives‟ standard of living, and first wives are often forced to surrender their right to maintenance if they seek to obtain „harta sepencarian.‟(1) Consequently many first wives are compelled to increase their working hours to support their children. Children are profoundly affected as many resent their absent fathers, particularly when denied their right to proper education owing to their fathers‟ financial neglect. Within the existing IFL there is little a woman can do to escape the deleterious effects of a polygamous marriage, she even loses her entitlement to maintenance if she leaves the marital home without her husband‟s approval and is declared nusyuz (2) by the Syariah court. It is unsurprising that 82.8% of first wives stayed in a polygamous marriage merely for the sake of their children.

It is apparent that many polygamous marriages in Malaysia fail to live up to the Qur’anic image of a humane institution designed to protect women and children in the exceptional circumstance of a post-war period. The 2005 amendment to the IFL no longer requires that a polygamous marriage be proven „both just and necessary‟; only „just or necessary‟ thus allowing the notion of justice, the raison d’etre of polygamy in the Qur’an, to be almost completely undermined or disregarded in court deliberations. SIS intends to use the research findings to lobby the Malaysian government to amend the IFL to ensure that polygamous marriages uphold justice and equality for all concerned. In 2011, SIS will publish its research findings in academic and other publications, to increase public awareness on the negative impact of polygamy. SIS also hopes to garner popular support for more effective legal protection for all the members of polygamous marriages. Progressive amendments to the IFL will be most effective when supported by a civil society movement that challenges the discourses of superiority and patriarchy upon which many polygamous marriages are based. Hence, SIS‟ research is an important contribution towards advocating for women‟s rights in Malaysia and striving for advancements in this particular area.

 

(1) Division of matrimonial property.
(2) Disobedient

CSBR CSBR Activities, News from Member Organizations, News on Sexual & Bodily Rights, Statements

CSBR: What will be the next violation of human rights in Indonesia?

2 April 2010

PRESS RELEASE

What will be the next violation of human rights in Indonesia?

First there was the Aceh Legislative Council that passed the Qanun Jinayat punishing adultery and homosexual conduct with stoning to death and caning. Then there was the
Constitutional Court decision upholding the Anti-Pornograhy law that criminalizes
homosexuality, and leaves room to criminalize sensuality violating especially cultural
minorities’ freedom of expression. Finally there came the mobs attacking the ILGA Asia Conference participants in broad daylight of Surabaya.
On March 23rd the Indonesian police cancelled the regional Asia Conference of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Association (ILGA) that was to be held in Surabaya through 26 – 28 March and was to be attended by more than 150 activists representing 100 organizations from 16 Asian countries. It is claimed that the police cancelled the conference due to pressures and threat of attacks from conservative Muslim groups, though in fact the duty of the police was to deter such attacks.
As the inability of a state and its law enforcement units to protect the freedom of expression and association can only reflect institutional discrimination and systematic intimidation against human rights advocates.
On March 26th, these groups did indeed attack the Conference participants in the Oval Hotel where they were trapped, having arrived in Surabaya unaware of the last minute cancelation, and unable to leave the city.
We know that the freedom of association is protected by the law in Indonesia, and we also know that though not required by law, the Organizing Committee had received the permit for the conference and that this permit was withdrawn by the police in Surabaya, which allegedly feared violent attacks by radical Islamic groups.
Yet the same police had no fear dining with the attackers in the lobby of the Oval Hotel, while the mob harassed the Conference participants subjecting them to verbal and physical abuse. The mob also sealed the office of GAYa NUSANTARA, the local organization that hosted the conference. This office is still closed and human rights activists in Surabaya are still under the threat of further attacks.
In a country such as Indonesia that prides itself on its diversity, and is supposed to uphold the universal principles of human rights, these acts of violence and intimidation against human rights activists are simply and completely unacceptable. In a democratizing country such as Indonesia, the duty of the state, its legal instruments and its police is to guarantee the constitutional right of association of the people, and not to deprive them of this right by sheltering pressure groups that wrongfully use the name of Islam to further their political agendas.
As 38 leading non-governmental organizations and academic institutions from 16 countries in the Middle East, North Africa, South and South East Asia, we call upon the
members of the press to spread the news on these outrageous violations of human rights,
so that the authorities take immediate and solid action to guarantee the safety of the Conference organizers and participants who are still in Surabaya, and reopen the doors of GAYa NUSANTARA and safeguard the security of all its members.
Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR)
Coordination Office: Women for Women’s Human Rights (WWHR) – New Ways, TURKEY
AAHUNG, PAKISTAN
Association des Femmes Tunisiennes pour la Recherche et le Développement (AFTURD),
TUNISIA
Ahfad University for Women (AUW), SUDAN
AMARGI, TURKEY
Association Marocaine des Droits des Femmes (AMDF), MOROCCO
Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW), MALAYSIA
Association Démocratique des Femmes du Maroc (ADFM), MOROCCO
Association Tunisienne des Femmes Démocrates (ATFD), TUNISIA
BRAC University, BANGLADESH
Collectif Maghreb Egalité, ALGERIA
Egyptian Initiative For Personal Rights (EIPR), EGYPT
GAYa NUSANTARA, INDONESIA
HELEM, LEBANON
Indonesian Women Association for Justice (APIK), INDONESIA
Institut Pelangi Perempuan (IPP), INDONESIA
IWRAW-AP, MALAYSIA
Jordanian Women’s Union, JORDAN
LAMBDAISTANBUL LGBTT Association, TURKEY
Lebanese Council to Resist Violence Against Women (LECORVAW), LEBANON
MADA al-CARMEL – Arab Center for Applied Social Research, PALESTINE
Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC), MALAYSIA
Meem, LEBANON
Muntada – Arab Forum for Sexuality, Education and Health, PALESTINE
New Woman Foundation (NWF), EGYPT
Pilipina Legal Resources Center (PLRC), PHILIPPINES
Rassemblement Contre la Hogra et pour les Droits des Algériennes (RACHDA), ALGERIA
RAHIMA, INDONESIA
RESEAU WASSILA, ALGERIA
Sisters Arabic Forum (SAF), YEMEN
Sisters in Islam (SIS), MALAYSIA
Synergie Civique, MOROCCO
VISION, PAKISTAN
Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counseling (WCLAC), PALESTINE
Women Against Violence (WAV), PALESTINE
Women’s Aid Organization (WAO), MALAYSIA
Women’s Health Foundation, INDONESIA
The Queen Zein Al Sharaf Institute for Development (ZENID), JORDAN