Speakers Call for Survivor-Centred Justice, Coordinated Action against Violence, as Women’s Commission Enters Fourth Day

Speakers at a high-level dialogue on ending violence against women and girls today underscored the urgent need for survivor-centred justice, stronger legal protections and services, and coordinated action to address femicide, conflict-related sexual violence and technology-facilitated abuse.

The Commission on the Status of Women is meeting in New York through 19 March with ministers, feminists and civil society in attendance. The annual forum kicked off its seventieth session on 9 March, adopting an outcome document by a contentious recorded vote. Today's round table was moderated by Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications.

Andreea Mocanu (Romania), Chair of the Commission, in her opening remarks, said her country is strengthening policies in line with the Istanbul Convention and relevant European Union directives, while implementing two victim-centred strategies: The 2021-2023 National Strategy for Preventing and Combating Sexual Violence and the 2022-2027 National Strategy on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men and the Prevention of Domestic Violence. "Both are based on a strong victim-centred approach and include comprehensive measures for prevention, protection and support," she said.

Ending Violence 'Accelerator' for Achieving Development Goals

She highlighted Romania's awareness campaigns linked to domestic violence, some of which mobilized athletes and sports federations. While data show "a continuous increasing trend" in reported domestic violence, she said this reflects increased reporting and improved interventions that encourage victims to seek help. Survivor services have tripled, reaching over 260 services today, she noted, while anti-trafficking reforms align with European Union directives. She stressed the need for strong partnerships and coordinated policies to ensure "real protection" and accountability for perpetrators.

In her opening remarks, Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN-Women, said that ending violence against women and girls is "its own imperative and an accelerator" for other development goals. Noting that this is an evolving challenge, she pointed to the impact of conflicts and fast-moving technology. Further, women's organizations are seeing their resources decline as rates of violence rise. "The gains of the past turn out to be more fragile than we had hoped," she said.

Against this background, she thanked the many Member States who have partnered with the UN to improve global standards on preventing violence against women and girls. "Your engagement of men and boys, your guarantee of survivor-centered justice and services for survivors and your embrace of strong and autonomous women's rights movements" have led to transformative success, she said. Among other examples, she highlighted the Spotlight Initiative which helped launch 540 legal and policy reforms, with campaigns reaching 385 million people.

Action Needed against 'Machismo and Misogyny'

Among the panellists, Janja Lula da Silva, First Lady of Brazil, said Brazil's fight to prevent and address violence against women and girls began in the 1980s with the creation of the first women's police stations - and has since strengthened through national policies and plans, including a recent plan on femicide and the landmark Maria da Penha Law. Yet, she warned, "between 2015 and 2025 the number of femicides tripled", reaching "the shocking mark of four women being killed every day". Citing cases from "just Tuesday in Brazil," she stressed that "these are real stories." Last year, 1,568 women were killed, most inside their own homes. Femicide is "the most extreme expression" of gender-based violence, often preceded by harassment, threats, control and aggression. "None of us is safe anywhere."

In response, she said, Brazil is coordinating the three branches of Government to combat femicide, including by providing stronger specialized police stations, electronic monitoring of aggressors under protection orders, and campaigns aimed at men because laws and policies alone are not enough. She urged action on online harms, warning that platforms are "disseminators of machismo and misogyny" and stressing that a new digital statute will enable the immediate removal of harmful content.

In Ukraine, Lives 'Permanently Altered' by Sexual Violence Used as 'Weapon of War'

Liudmyla Shemelynets, Deputy Minister for Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine, said for 12 years in Ukraine, women and girls have faced daily violence as a result of the Russian Federation's war, with conflict-related sexual violence used deliberately "as a weapon of war". She stressed that each case represents a life permanently altered, including children "who should be growing up in safety, not learning the meaning of war through violence against their own bodies".

She cited officially documented cases of people who suffered conflict-related sexual violence, while emphasizing that the true scale is likely higher because many survivors remain silent due to trauma, stigma and fear. Ukraine's response is focused on building a comprehensive, survivor-centred system that provides medical, psychological, legal and social support. It is also adopting legislation enabling urgent interim reparations even while investigations continue. "The perpetrators of these crimes must be held accountable," she stressed, also adding: "Conflict related sexual violence must never remain without justice or consequences; international cooperation is essential."

Governments Outline Efforts to Prevent Femicide, Embed Gender-Responsive Budgeting, Tackle Online Violence

Several speakers also outlined what their countries were doing to combat gender-based violence and provide services for women and girls, with Belgium's representative highlighting legislation to prevent and combat femicide and gender-related killings. He also pointed to sexual violence care centres offering immediate, free and comprehensive medical, forensic and psychological support "all in one place". He called for long-term funding, evidence-based policymaking and "more men in this discussion".

"We have advanced action on violence against women and girls through a whole-of-Government gender equality framework," added the representative of the Solomon Islands. Regular reviews keep these policies responsive and relevant, she said, adding that cross-sector ownership has embedded the agenda in national development planning for more than 26 years. Yet financing gaps remain, she continued. "This is why we are prioritizing gender-responsive budgeting - assessing our public financial management and piloting a four-year workplan across five ministries," she concluded.

Tunisia's representative also said that Tunis remains firmly committed to preventing and addressing all forms of violence against women and girls, including abuse facilitated through digital technologies. "Our response must evolve accordingly," he said, citing a national law that criminalizes multiple forms of violence, including psychological harassment and acts committed through digital means.

Panellists Call for Coordinated, Systemic Response, Focused on Survivors of Gender-Based Violence

The conversation continued in the afternoon with a dialogue among activists, moderated by Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights.

Lara Aharonian, Cofounder of Women's Resource Center of Armenia, noted that "many women and girls don't seek help - not because they accept violence but because they fear what the system will do to them". They worry that it will expose them, shame them or push for reconciliation. "If our response works only for an ideal victim, it will fail most survivors," she warned. Without funding, survivor-centred implementation becomes empty promises. "When I say survivor-centred, I'm not talking about kindness," she clarified. Rather, it refers to a rights-based gender-responsive standard of governance. It begins by establishing a relationship with the survivor that promotes emotional and physical safety, builds trust and helps her restore control over her life. Crucially, "'survivor-centered' must not become a slogan celebrating resilience while systems remain unsafe", she said.

"We need to name things to differentiate them," Patsilí Toledo Vásquez, Chile's delegate to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, said. She stressed the importance of distinguishing gender-related killings of women - often referred to as femicide - from other forms of homicide, pointing out that 60 per cent of women - and only 11 per cent of men - are killed by their intimate partners. Many women and girls are killed in the context of sexual violence, while others are killed because they face accusation of witchcraft or under the justification of honour. "If these cases are treated simply as homicide, they appear as random acts of violence rather than part of a broader pattern rooted in a structural inequality," she stressed. She recognized the gender dimension affects not only the investigation of such crimes but also their prevention and how their impacts, including on children and family, are addressed.

Humberto Carolo, Executive Director of White Ribbon Canada, said: "Growing up, I witnessed the strength and resilience of the women in my life even as they faced violence in our home and community." Nearly one in three women globally have experienced partner or sexual violence in their lifetime, while online violence is rapidly increasing. His organization's research shows that 71 per cent of boys' parents worry about their sons being exposed to harmful, misogynistic content online. Engaging men and boys in preventing means recognizing their capacity to be agents and beneficiaries of change, he said, adding: "It invites fathers, sons, teachers, coaches and community leaders to become allies." It is especially crucial to educate youth as early as possible about the impact of harmful content and counter misogynistic messages.

Janet Ramatoulie Sallah-Njie, Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa, said a coordinated multisectoral response requires three elements: governance architecture that embeds accountability, day-to-day coordination among front line actors and gender-responsive budgeting. A coherent national strategy that integrates all this will centre the most vulnerable women. Private sector and digital actors, media, professional bodies, survivor networks - all these actors have a key role to play. "We saw the power of this approach recently in the Gambia," she said, highlighting how civil society, religious and traditional leaders, policymakers and international partners mobilized to safeguard legal protections for women and girls that were in danger of getting repealed.