Celebrating Feminists’ Voices, Inspiring Global Peace

The Solidarity of the Women’s Movement: WILPF Spain’s Contribution

12 August 2015

A few weeks ago, Spain underwent a review by the CEDAW Committee and was held accountable for its compliance to women’s rights under the CEDAW Convention. WILPF Spain was there!

Many strong concerns affecting women in Spain have been brought up by Spanish NGOs to the Committee, notably, the burden of austerity measures that has been heavier on women’s shoulders, persisting gender-based violence and gender equality policies relegated to a sub-thematic under the Ministry of Health. WILPF Spain of course echoed these concerns and supported other NGOs in their advocacy.

WILPF Spain members came to Geneva with a different priority: making Spain accountable for human rights violations it perpetrates outside of Spain and in particular, women’s rights violations.

Around the world, gender-based violence is perpetrated with the direct or indirect use of a firearm. Spain is not supposed to sell or allow the sale of weapons to countries where those arms might be used for the commission of gender-based violence, as agreed under the Arms Trade Agreement. However, Spain authorised the sale of firearms to countries such as, Brazil and Guatemala with high rates of femicide. In this manner, Spain has contributed to human rights violations outside Spain.

Palestinians march on International Women's Day

The same goes for the actions of corporations. The Spanish Government has supported the globalisation of Spanish corporations, but this has not been accompanied by a legal framework ensuring that human rights violations are not perpetrated or facilitated by these corporations abroad. For instance, local companies that supply products to Spanish companies, especially in the textile and food sectors, have maintained illegal practices such as 72-hour work-weeks, failed to provide legal contracts to working women or placed restrictions on their freedom of movement.

It is clear that Spain is responsible for ensuring that corporations, that have headquarters and assets in Spain, do not engage in activities that would be considered as illegal and unacceptable if conducted in Spain.

When we analyse human rights, we often look to countries in isolation. We hold states responsible for violations perpetrated within their country, but we forget to take into account the difference in power of each state, or the limits of their national jurisdiction.

When the Democratic Republic of Congo, India or Colombia were under review by the CEDAW Committee, our sisters from those sections came and strongly denounced the human rights violations committed in their countries and held their governments accountable. On these occasions, the CEDAW Committee very clearly stated that human rights of women must be respected.

However, it would be unfair to place the burden only on governments of the Global South and forget that those human rights violations cannot be avoided without the collaboration of other countries: arms exporters and home countries of large corporations in the North that contribute to conflicts around the world.

The women movement is a united group, where women from all kinds of backgrounds come to defend human rights, where we join in solidarity. It is time to show others that solidarity.

Pamela and Manuela came from our Spanish section to remind their government that Spain is not only to protect the human rights of women within its territory, but that human rights are universal. As such, Spain should not put women at risk of human rights violations outside its territory for instance, through its arms sales to Guatemala, Brazil, Libya, Egypt and many other countries with serious levels of violence. Spanish companies in Latin America are also violating the rights of indigenous peoples, contributing to conflicts and are violating labour rights.

After exchanging with WILPF and other civil society members, the CEDAW Committee exchanged views with Spain on their implementation of the CEDAW Convention. First, a member of the Committee asked Spain: “What methodology do you have in place to ensure that your arms exports do not facilitate gender-based violence abroad?”. The Spanish delegation could not provide an answer. We know the answer because WILPF Spain has presented it in the Human Rights Council in the past: not enough transparency, not enough accountability.

The Committee insisted: “You have obligations towards human rights of women abroad, how do you ensure Spanish corporations do not violate the rights of women for example labour rights?”. Spain still could not provide an answer and a third time, members of the Committee insisted that their question had not been answered. Spain finally said they would present a written answer in which they provided policy measures (not legal or binding measures).

You can also hold your government accountable; you can get your WILPF section involved in our project to End Corporate Abuse. Write to your government, gather signatures, organise awareness raising events or you can simply sign our petition calling on the governments of the UK, the US, Italy, France, Germany and Spain to take action to end corporate abuse. Read our blog “Protecting human rights from transnational companies: WILPF’s petition” to learn more.

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Thank you!

Melissa Torres

VICE-PRESIDENT

Prior to being elected Vice-President, Melissa Torres was the WILPF US International Board Member from 2015 to 2018. Melissa joined WILPF in 2011 when she was selected as a Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women as part of the WILPF US’ Practicum in Advocacy Programme at the United Nations, which she later led. She holds a PhD in Social Work and is a professor and Global Health Scholar at Baylor College of Medicine and research lead at BCM Anti-Human Trafficking Program. Of Mexican descent and a native of the US/Mexico border, Melissa is mostly concerned with the protection of displaced Latinxs in the Americas. Her work includes training, research, and service provision with the American Red Cross, the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Centre, and refugee resettlement programs in the U.S. Some of her goals as Vice-President are to highlight intersectionality and increase diversity by fostering inclusive spaces for mentorship and leadership. She also contributes to WILPF’s emerging work on the topic of displacement and migration.

Jamila Afghani

VICE-PRESIDENT

Jamila Afghani is the President of WILPF Afghanistan which she started in 2015. She is also an active member and founder of several organisations including the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organisation (NECDO). Elected in 2018 as South Asia Regional Representative to WILPF’s International Board, WILPF benefits from Jamila’s work experience in education, migration, gender, including gender-based violence and democratic governance in post-conflict and transitional countries.

Sylvie Jacqueline Ndongmo

PRESIDENT

Sylvie Jacqueline NDONGMO is a human rights and peace leader with over 27 years experience including ten within WILPF. She has a multi-disciplinary background with a track record of multiple socio-economic development projects implemented to improve policies, practices and peace-oriented actions. Sylvie is the founder of WILPF Cameroon and was the Section’s president until 2022. She co-coordinated the African Working Group before her election as Africa Representative to WILPF’s International Board in 2018. A teacher by profession and an African Union Trainer in peace support operations, Sylvie has extensive experience advocating for the political and social rights of women in Africa and worldwide.

WILPF Afghanistan

In response to the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban and its targeted attacks on civil society members, WILPF Afghanistan issued several statements calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with Afghan people and ensure that their rights be upheld, including access to aid. The Section also published 100 Untold Stories of War and Peace, a compilation of true stories that highlight the effects of war and militarisation on the region. 

IPB Congress Barcelona

WILPF Germany (+Young WILPF network), WILPF Spain and MENA Regional Representative

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Demilitarisation

WILPF uses feminist analysis to argue that militarisation is a counter-productive and ill-conceived response to establishing security in the world. The more society becomes militarised, the more violence and injustice are likely to grow locally and worldwide.

Sixteen states are believed to have supplied weapons to Afghanistan from 2001 to 2020 with the US supplying 74 % of weapons, followed by Russia. Much of this equipment was left behind by the US military and is being used to inflate Taliban’s arsenal. WILPF is calling for better oversight on arms movement, for compensating affected Afghan people and for an end to all militarised systems.

Militarised masculinity

Mobilising men and boys around feminist peace has been one way of deconstructing and redefining masculinities. WILPF shares a feminist analysis on the links between militarism, masculinities, peace and security. We explore opportunities for strengthening activists’ action to build equal partnerships among women and men for gender equality.

WILPF has been working on challenging the prevailing notion of masculinity based on men’s physical and social superiority to, and dominance of, women in Afghanistan. It recognizes that these notions are not representative of all Afghan men, contrary to the publicly prevailing notion.

Feminist peace​

In WILPF’s view, any process towards establishing peace that has not been partly designed by women remains deficient. Beyond bringing perspectives that encapsulate the views of half of the society and unlike the men only designed processes, women’s true and meaningful participation allows the situation to improve.

In Afghanistan, WILPF has been demanding that women occupy the front seats at the negotiating tables. The experience of the past 20 has shown that women’s presence produces more sustainable solutions when they are empowered and enabled to play a role.

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