Opening ceremony of the workshop
“How to Guarantee Women’s Rights in the Political Transitions in the Arab world: Developing Joint Strategies”
Date: 26th April, 2012
Opening Speech
Christina Kaili, Project Coordinator Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies and Member of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) Gender Working Group (GWG)
Unfortunately, Minister EratoKozakouMarkoullis could not be with us today as she had to urgently attend a Ministerial Meeting. I would like to welcome Ambassador Rea Yiordamlis, Director of the Division of European Union, representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We hope that Minister Markoullis will be with us during the networking reception.
On behalf of the Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies I would like to welcome you all in this opening ceremony which is held in the occasion of the workshop entitled “How to Guarantee Women’s Rights in the Political Transitions in the Arab World: Developing Strategies”. This two-day workshop, which begins tomorrow and ends on Saturday, is organized by MIGS and the Gender Working Group of the Euro Mediterranean Human Rights Network.
MIGS is an active member of the EMHRN since 2008, a network of more than 60 human rights organisations, institutions and individuals based in 30 countries in the Euro-Mediterranean region (established in 1997). With a membership dedicated to universal human rights principles and the scope of cooperation and dialogue across and within borders, the Network promotes networking, cooperation, development and strengthening of partnerships between human rights NGOs, activists and the wider civil society in the Euro-Mediterranean region. The EMHRN also acts as a regional forum for human rights NGOs,as well as a pool of expertise in promoting and strengthening human rights and democratic reform in the region under the EU- Arab cooperation frameworks.
At the moment the Network consists of 6 active working groups, including the Gender Working Group which we have the honour of hosting today in Cyprus. The working groups are created as a part of the EMHRN strategy of addressing specific human rights issues in the Euro-Mediterranean Region, such as freedom of association, justice, migration, human rights education, gender and women’s rights.
This opening ceremony aims to act as a networking opportunity between local civil society actors, stakeholders, journalists, and the members of the EMHRN Gender Working Group which consists of 15 key women’s rights organizations from Europe and the Mediterranean countries. The ceremony also aims at raising awareness and providing information on the work of the Network and specifically the important work of the Gender Working Group in the region.
This public event takes place in a significant period for the region, as various Euro-Mediterranean countries are still undergoing a multitude of diverse challenges includingdemocratic transitions and financial crises.
These two challenges (among others) have a tremendous impact on women’s lives. Many women were and are still involved in grassroots efforts for democratization and re-building of the new economic, political, social and cultural picture of their societies. However, backlashes and setbacks on their status threaten a real promotion of gender equality, including the multi-layered marginalisation and exclusion of women in transitional bodies and decision-making processes- leaving them in a vulnerableposition.[1] Women across the region have also been subjected to high levels of gender-based violence committed by militia, soldiers and police, specifically sexual violence and rape during in the Arab Spring uprisings and revolutions.
If I may quote JasminSooka, Former commissioner of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission[2]:
“If transition does not address discrimination and violence against women, the violence against them increases and reinforces their marginalization […] when you hear ‘Liberation first, equality after!’ you can rest assured that equality will never come.”
I hope that a productive dialogue will follow and that we will all benefit from each other’s experiences in building action oriented strategies for promoting and ensuring gender equality the Euro-Mediterranean region.
Finally, I would like to thank the EMHRN for their valuable cooperation in organizing this event, our guest speakers and all of you for being here today.
Now, I would like to give the floor to MagaliThill, Gender Political Referent member of the EMHRN Executive Committee, who will give an overview of the Network’s and the GWG’s work, and the aims & objectives of the workshop.
[1] Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network, Transitional Governments Should Ensure Women Get Their Full Rights, Press release March 7, 2012
[2] International Centre for Transitional Justice, 2011, Reparations and Gender Justice: is Egypt Ready for Transitional Justice?