From November 18th, 2009, to December 13rd, 2009, in the official documents department of National Library of Belarus (room 207) runs a book exhibition “Women and violence: the new times – the old issues”.
The exhibition is dedicated to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women which was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly (resolution 54/134) in 1999 and since then has been observed on November 25th.
Manifestations of violence against women and girls exist and stay an unresolved problem on each continent, in each country and in each cultural environment. Women still are victims of violence independently of a level of income, social class, race or ethnic group. Violence against the woman is based on the historical inequality of relations between men and women, as well as the everlasting discrimination of women. It is not only a brazen violation of human rights, but also is fraught with huge social and economic expenses. The violence leads to the hardest consequences for women, their families, for society as a whole, and represents a serious threat for achievement of international purposes in the field of development, in particular, the Millennium Development Goals.
Considering all importance of the problem, in February 2008 Secretary General of the United Nations Organization Ban Ki Moon declared the beginning of the campaign ”Unite to End Violence against Women” directed on development and acceptance of concrete measures on prevention and eradication of violence against women and girls all over the world.
This campaign planned for 2008-2015 is designed for mobilization of public opinion for prevention and eradication of violence against women so that it is carried out on the highest political level. The campaign is based on the actual international legal mechanisms and applies the amplified attention of all society to the issue of violence eradication. It finds reflection in the growing amount of the initiatives which are put forward by partners within the framework of the United Nations system, governments and nongovernmental organizations. More and more countries show their determination to promote realization of all rights of women, including the rights to the life free from violence.
The Republic of Belarus pays a big attention to the solving of the problem of violence against women. The strategy of our state is directed on the prevention, suppression and eradication of this evil. Our country adheres to such strategy on the international scene as well. The Republic of Belarus has become the initiator of the important processes directed on expansion of the international community’s efforts for the fight against human traffic. In particular, under the initiative of Belarus resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and Economic and Social Council (A/RES/63/194; A/RES/61/180; E/2008/L.31) have been adopted; the Inter-institutional workgroup has been created, subject debated of the United Nations General Assembly and the international conferencededicated to the fight against human traffic have been held.
Efforts of our society and other states and nongovernmental organizations are directed on protecting women and constructing the world in which they will enjoy the rights and freedoms equally with men.
The exhibition includes the following sections:
- International and regional legal and political documents concerning the elimination of violence against women;
- violence against women in the Republic of Belarus;
- domestic violence: measures for prevention and suppression of violence against women in families;
- the woman and armed conflicts;
- the woman as an article of trade – the issue of human traffic;
- social inequality and gender discrimination.
The exhibition is designed for students, professors, social pedagogues, psychologists, specialists in fight against human traffic, and workers of human rights and nongovernmental organizations.
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