Delhi and Beyond: Concrete Actions for Safer Cities | Grassroots Women, Feminist Organizations and Local Authorities in 48 Cities Join February 19 Global Day of Action



After rising up to raise awareness on violence, women's organizations in 48 cities around the world are sitting down at the table with local governments to sign concrete commitments on improving public safety and building safer cities during February 19 Global Day of Action. (http://www.huairou.org/19feb)

 

On Tuesday, February 19women in 48 cities around the world from Almaty, Kazakhstan to Harare, Zimbabwe, will reach collaborative commitments with local governing agencies to make their communities safer for women and girls.
 

The rape and murder of a young woman in Delhi, India in December 2012 has triggered unprecedented global outrage. Building on the momentum of awareness-raising One Billion Rising campaign and leading up to the 57th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, women around the world are working from the ground level to move beyond merely raising awareness. On this Global Day of Action,grassroots women's groupsfeminist organizations, and local authorities in the Global South and Global North will come together to sign tangible, locally-specific commitments for action for safer cities. (Click the interactive map above to see the actions planned in each city).

 

For instance, Zimbabwe Parents of Handicapped Children Association will sign a commitment with the Mayor of Harare to clear areas with long grasses, install street lights, deploy police in dangerous areas and allocate market stalls to grassroots women. In Washington, D.C., Stop Street Harassment, in collaboration withCollective Action for Safe Spaces, will meet with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to decide next steps in the anti-sexual harassment campaign on buses and the subway system.

 

"Momentum for change to end violence against women and girls is stronger and more widespread than ever before," said UN Women Executive Director and former President of Chile Michelle Bachelet. "Violence against women in the private domain is widely recognized as a human rights violation. But sexual violence and harassment against women in public spaces remains largely unaddressed, with few laws or policies in place to address it. It is time for these issues to come front and center as a priority on every policy agenda."

 

Highlights from the Global Day of Action will be showcased and further steps will be planned at the UN meeting of the Commission of the Status of Women in New York on Friday, March 8 at 12:30 p.m. (Hardin Room, 11th Floor, United Nations Church Center, 777 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017). 

We invite you to attend this event! RSVP to: cathy.toledo@huairou.org