Violence against women and girls impedes building prosperous, developed societies where peace and knowledge prevail. Women and girls are still vulnerable due to armed conflicts, forced displacement, natural disasters, and discrimination in education. Convinced of the role of women in establishing balance in society and preserving its identity, values ​​and mental health, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) calls for strengthening societal, national and international mechanisms for the protection, education and empowerment of women and girls, as well as the development of their leadership skills.

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (November 25), ICESCO warns that despite international efforts to combat this type of violence, the figures revealed by UN Women are alarming as they indicate that globally, an estimated 736 million women—almost one in three—have been subjected to domestic and/or other violence at least once in their lifetime and that the social, economic and psychological reverberations of the Covid-19 pandemic increased the vulnerability of girls and women.

To address violence against women and girls and achieve substantive progress in their empowerment and protection of their rights, ICESCO calls for concerted international efforts to protect women and safeguard their rights, counter the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on them, especially that they have confronted the pandemic on the front lines, and enhance their participation as decision-makers and contributors to sustainable development, to overcome challenges in the educational, health, scientific, social and cultural fields.

ICESCO reiterates that, within the framework of its new vision and action strategy, it attaches great importance to safeguarding women’s rights and proclaimed 2021 as the “Year of Women” to contribute to raising their standing and enhancing their role in building a more prosperous future, by acting to end all forms of inequality and injustice that women face, building more sustainable peace, and providing more comprehensive psychological, social and economic support systems.
ICESCO also reaffirms that it will pursue its efforts to foster cooperation with the Member States and international organizations, bodies and institutions to eliminate all forms of violence against girls and women, reinforce their roles as peacemakers, and enhance their participation in achieving sustainable development.