Partners, promoters, top athletes, governments, young people and high-level representatives of several UN agencies (UN Women, UNFPA, UN HABITAT UNESCO…) including representatives of the FIFA have committed to leverage the values of justice and put the respect of human rights at the heart of the most famous event in the planet: the 2022 FIFA World Cup
March 6, 2020 New-York; IPPF AR Regional Director and Head of External Relations and Advocacy were among the personalities invited by Dr Djibril Diallo, President and CEO of the African Renaissance and Diaspora Network ( ARDN) to attend the global launch of a media campaign to fight all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls.
According to the UN Women, it is estimated that 35% of women worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at some point in their lives; and this does not include sexual harassment.
Marie -Evelyne Petrus -Barry the IPPF Africa Regional Director, who was one of the key speakers during the launch ceremony has stated that “We can make a real difference by using this powerful communication and sports events to eradicate violence against women and girls. This is why we must engage; this is why the International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Region engages its 39 member associations and 3 collaborative partners to protect the rights of women and girls and to join the red card campaign against violence and discrimination against women and girls.”
In order to seal this commitment, the IPPF AR solemnly signed an MOU with ARDN, as a new platform for the member associations and collaborative partners of the Africa region to operationalize gender normative frameworks and guidance as well as to shape and provide a comprehensive response for gender equality.
Addressing SGBV and harmful practices as a solution to deliver on SDG 3 and 5 remains challenging in a continent where 1/3 of women and girls have experienced Gender Based Violence. Much of this violence is physical and/or sexual, committed by intimate partner, relatives or friends and more than one in three girls is married before the age of 18.
For H.E Ms Epsy Campbell, First Vice President of Republic of Costa Rica and guest of honor of the launch, the call is clear: “we must have a zero-tolerance to all form of violence against women”
A multicultural set of young people granted the guests with a very intense cultural segment that ended with a torch ceremony handle by Dr Phumizile Mlamb-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women and Mr Dereje Wordofa , Deputy Executive Director of UNFPA .
The Equal Light Red Card campaign is part of a solution initiative aiming at popularizing and achieving the SDG and eradicate violence against women.
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