International Violence Against Women

Congress shares the shock and outrage at the appalling attack on a 23 year old physiotherapy student in Delhi, in December 2012 who later died from the severe injuries she sustained. The crime caused international outcry, and raised again the need to campaign to end global violence against women. 1. the 1993 UN declaration on the elimination of violence against women, and the recommendations of the 1995 UN Beijing Platform for Action and to ratify the convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women; Civic origins of progressive policy change: combating violence against women in a global perspective, 1975-2005 - the most comprehensive study to date, covering 70 countries over four decades, (published in the American Political Science Review - September 2012). It concludes that:the mobilisation of feminist movements is more important for change than the wealth of nations, left-wing political parties, or the number of women politicians -strong, autonomous feminist movements were key to the adoption of policies against violence and have leveraged global and regional agreements to push for local policy change. Congress resolves:

1. to support the Indian Association of Physiotherapists in their campaign for greater respect for women, and their right to study and to practise the profession of their choice; 2.to urge the Irish Government and Northern Ireland Assembly to work with all organisations interested in addressing violence against women, to take action to combat violence against women, and make international women's rights a global priority.