WOMEN'S RIGHTS, SOCIAL JUSTICE AND PEACE IN A CHANGING WORLD
In a world in constant transformation, women's rights, social justice and peace are essential pillars to build more equitable, inclusive and sustainable societies. The promotion of women's rights, social justice and peace are not separate causes, but deeply intertwined realities. Social justice creates the necessary conditions for women to exercise their rights and actively participate in the construction of lasting peace, social justice is only guaranteed when women can freely and fully exercise their rights. In turn, peace is indispensable to guarantee security and stability, fundamental conditions for women's full access to opportunities and resources that allow them to live with dignity and autonomy.
Social justice requires equal rights, opportunities and access to essential resources such as education, health, sexual and reproductive health, decent employment and political participation. However, women continue to live in contexts of structural inequality, with barriers that limit their access to basic rights such as food, clean water, adequate housing, and timely medical care. Reaching positions of power or influencing decision-making remains a considerable challenge for many women, as does fully exercising their personal autonomy.
Peace requires fair legal frameworks that guarantee the protection of the rights of all people, especially women. Building peace means preventing all forms of violence against women: physical, psychological, sexual, economic, patrimonial, political and domestic violence. The Socialist International Women reaffirms its unwavering commitment to women's empowerment, because there can be no peace without the full and meaningful participation of women at all levels of decision-making.
The proliferation of armed conflicts, the regression of democratic spaces, populist discourses, the climate crisis, forced displacement, and growing global inequalities disproportionately impact women and girls. Women often have fewer resources to protect themselves and make up the majority of displaced people or refugees, along with their children. This reality translates into increased risks of sexual violence, human trafficking, forced marriages, and exploitation. In many contemporary conflicts, women are specifically targeted by war strategies that include sexual violence as a systematic weapon of destruction and control.
The advances made by decades of feminist struggle are now threatened by the rise of extremist ideologies, ultraconservative and far-right movements, and misogynistic and anti-feminist discourses. This regression weakens the fundamental principles of equality and justice, and undermines the rights that have been conquered. In the face of this, the women of the world reaffirm their determination to resist, transform and move forward with a revitalized global agenda.
We recognize that governments, both at the national and local levels, have a key role to play in promoting gender equality and social justice. The implementation of public policies with a gender approach, the guarantee of access to justice, the prevention of violence and the promotion of women's political participation are essential components for consolidating inclusive and resilient democracies.
In this sense, the Istanbul Convention, an international instrument binding on the countries that have ratified it, with powerful roots, represents a fundamental milestone in the protection of women's rights and the eradication of all forms of gender-based violence. Its recognition of violence against women as a violation of human rights and its emphasis on the prevention, protection and effective prosecution of aggressors constitute a model for the design of comprehensive public policies. We deeply regret the decision of some Governments to withdraw from this Convention, and we urge States that have not yet ratified it to do so without delay.
Therefore the Socialist International Women calls for:
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National governments, local authorities, parliaments and state powers to implement transformative public policies with a gender perspective, aimed at promoting equality, eradicating violence, empowering women and peacefully resolving conflicts.
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Governments should design economic and social policies that integrate social equity with economic efficiency, and that aim to strengthen women's socioeconomic rights, promote access to credit and financial training, so that they can enable women to emerge from systems of economic dependence.
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The international community, multilateral agencies, NGOs, grassroots organizations, feminist movements, and civil society actors to work together to ensure women's access to all their rights, ensure their representation in all decision-making spaces, and promote social justice as a basis for lasting peace.
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Member States of the European Union and other regions to strengthen their commitment to the Istanbul Convention, to promote its effective application as a legal and ethical standard for the prevention of violence and the promotion of gender equality.
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Education systems, media and cultural platforms will promote respect for human rights, intercultural and intergenerational dialogue and education in equality, as essential tools to transform mentalities and build a culture of peace.
Today more than ever, we reaffirm that there is no peace without equality, there is no justice without women, there is no democracy without inclusion. United, we will be stronger today than ever.
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