March 8, 2012 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the occasion of the International Women's Day
Today marks the International Women's Day, a day to reflect on the gains achieved by women in the respect and protection of their rights and to denounce the places in which those rights are too frequently trampled on. In its 1977 resolution 32/142, the United Nations General Assembly called for the proclaiming of a UN Day for Women's Rights and International Peace to "create favourable conditions for the elimination ofdiscrimination against women and for their full and equal participation in the social development process". It is unfortunate that discrimination and violence against women in Asia continue to be the norm today, and that their participation in society is both minimal and unappreciated. Discrimination is in fact increasingly taking on a violent face, and the Asian Human Rights Commission denounces the high rates of rape and sexualviolence prevalent in Asia. The utter neglect with which state institutions as well as society address such issues and deal with the victims is symptomatic of the continuous challenges Asian women face in claiming their rights and contributing to social development.
Rape and sexual violence are widespread in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Burma, while a recent increase in such cases has been seen in Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Full Story>>>
