Arab lawmakers call for regional convention to prohibit violence against women

AMMAN — Arab women parliamentarians on Tuesday called for entrenching the culture of liability to protect women from violence, and for media coverage of the phenomenon so it is condemned by the public.

At the conclusion of the two-day first annual conference of the Coalition of Women MPs from Arab Countries for Combating Violence Against Women, participants stressed the need to draft an Arab convention on prohibiting violence against women. 

They also called for coming up with an effective strategy to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which addresses women’s safety and security in times of war and conflict.

A council of religious scholars should also be established, they said, to work towards reducing gender-based violence and networking with the various regional and international alliances active in this field.

The lawmakers also called for relying on the “enlightened” interpretations of Islam in combating the phenomenon and remembering victims of gender-based violence on Arab Day for Combating Violence Against Women, which was launched by the coalition on Monday.

HRH Princess Basma, honorary president of the coalition, attended the conference, which focused on the situation of women in times of conflict and occupation.

Parliamentarians attending the conference, which concluded on Tuesday, agreed that events taking place in the Middle East and North Africa, especially the advent of the so-called Islamic State group, armed disputes and the Israeli occupation, have amplified the ill-treatment of women.

Initially formed with 11 countries, the coalition, supported by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, now includes 22 nations.

The coalition was established last year in response to the “heightened mistreatment” of women in a region embroiled in conflict, with the main aim of reforming laws relevant to them. It aspires to become an incubator for joint Arab action towards a better future for people.