UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Karima Bennoune, speaks about her experiences working with IANGEL in this new video. (Scroll down for the full transcript.)
I think that IANGEL’s working methods offer such an essential model because they bring together legal experts and gender equality advocates, building networks between those with shared concerns for women’s rights and enabling them to cooperate across frontiers. We have never needed that work more than today.
Karima Bennoune
Recent IANGEL work with UN Special Rapporteur Karima Bennoune:
“Women, Cultural Rights & Climate Change: COVID-19 Impacts and Opportunities”
In direct response to COVID-19 and the unprecedented impacts on women, cultural rights and climate change, IANGEL produced a special addendum to our recent report to the Special Rapporteur.
This Spring IANGEL produced a report on the intersection of women, culture and climate change to inform the Special Rapporteur’s forthcoming report on climate change. IANGEL’s report will soon be published on the website of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) under the mandate for cultural rights.
“IANGEL Paper Cited by UN Special Rapporteur”
IANGEL’s paper, Women, Cultural Rights, and Public Spaces, was cited by Ms. Bennoune in her report to the UN General Assembly addressing the international legal framework supporting cultural rights through public spaces, and offering a “cultural rights checklist” for policymakers on this topic.
IANGEL’s report to the UN Special Rapporteur providing a gendered perspective on cultural rights and public spaces was published on the website for the UN OHCHR’s mandate on cultural rights.
Full Audio Transcript:
“Hello to the supporters and friends of the wonderful organization known as IANGEL, the International Action Network for Gender Equity & Law, a global network for transformative gender justice. My name is Karima Bennoune, and I am the United Nations Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, and a professor at UC Davis Law School. I wish we could gather together in person today to celebrate IANGEL’s work and the work of women’s human rights defenders in the legal field, but it is still an honor to be with you via video for a moment at this 7th Anniversary Virtual Gala.
I’d like to warmly congratulate Joan Haratani on winning the Amel Zenoune-Zouani Rights & Leadership Award, and I’d like to salute Connie de la Vega from whom I believe you will be hearing. Every year at the Human Rights Council Professor de la Vega is there with students, encouraging them to envision themselves as full participants in the fight for women’s human rights.
I am so grateful to IANGEL both for honoring me in 2016 with what was then their Rights & Leadership Award, but even more importantly for subsequently naming that award after Amel Zenoune-Zouani, a law student from my father’s home country Algeria, who was murdered by armed fundamentalists in 1997 because she bravely refused to give up her legal studies. Amel believed in law. She believed in the importance of women working in law, and she was committed to education. That is also IANGEL’s philosophy, and it strives to remember women like Amel who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend women’s equality and to do so in the best way possible, which is by continuing their work.
I think that IANGEL’s working methods offer such an essential model because they bring together legal experts and gender equality advocates, building networks between those with shared concerns for women’s rights and enabling them to cooperate across frontiers. We have never needed that work more than today in the face of COVID-19, when rates of violence against women are skyrocketing around the world, yet another terrible pandemic. The virus is also an awful reminder that the principle of solidarity grounded in human rights law has never been more important. IANGEL’s model of promoting solidarity and the sharing of expertise to achieve women’s rights is so very timely.
In my work as UN Special Rapporteur I have benefited greatly from its commitment: IANGEL has provided volunteer input on women’s human rights related to my reports on public spaces and human rights for the general assembly in 2019, for my report on cultural rights defenders for the UN Human Rights Council in March 2020, and for my upcoming report on climate change and cultural rights that will be presented to the general assembly on October 22nd.
IANGEL’s expert input and briefs, which can be read on the cultural rights mandate home page, were vital for enabling me to ensure informed gender mainstreaming in my work and for identifying critical intersections. For example, in the most recent brief IANGEL reminded us that “women have an opportunity to become leaders in all aspects of the response to climate change, and in doing so, to promote their own rights.” As grave as the challenges are, let me end with the spirit of optimism. Optimism is not false hope; it is not about denying reality.
As an Afghan woman I interviewed who was in a terrible security situation once said to me, “Optimism is key to survival.” I thank IANGEL for embodying that concerned optimism in its work, and for offering us all a way to contribute to a more positive, equal future for women. Let us continue to support them in that work. For now, my good health wishes to all, and please stay safe. Thank you.”
This video aired during IANGEL’s Virtual Gala “In It To Win It!” on August 13th, 2020.