ACHRS Celebrates the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

To commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, ACHRS stands in solidarity with victims of domestic and other forms of gender-based violence.

One in three women worldwide are victims of physical or sexual abuse in their lifetime. In addition, women are frequently killed by their family members or partner and are victims of human trafficking, female genital mutilation and child marriage. ACHRS acknowledges that gender based violence stems from the inequality women and girls face throughout their life. Women are often not provided with equal access to education and employment opportunities. ACHRS believes that the financial independence of women is one of the most important factors in women escaping instances of domestic abuse and violence.

ACHRS aims to empower women through its many initiatives, most notably the Jordanian Institute for Women’s Leadership, which aims to educate women about their rights. Such initiatives are crucial in strengthening civil society and spreading awareness regarding violence against women. In addition, ACHRS wants to take this internationally recognized day to strongly condemn honor killings in Jordan and the Arab world. Honor killings are still common in Jordan as men continue to murder women in their family who they claim have violated family honor. ACHRS strongly supports the many shelters in Jordan that house women escaping threats of being killed by their family.  It is crucial that those responsible for committing honor killings are charged in Jordanian courts. Too many men who commit honor killing are not imprisoned for their crimes.

ACHRS stands with United Nations to end gender based violence and make the world a safer place for women. The global community needs to take a stance to ensure all cases of rape and abuse are criminalized and eradicate harmful gender stereotypes that lead to such violence in the first place.