Accelerating the eradication of violence against women: prospects of an international treaty and Canada’s role in supporting global efforts
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Date
2023-03-16
Authors
Lenz, Kimberly
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Abstract
Gender-based violence against women has been recognized as one of the most prevalent human rights violations worldwide. Pandemic levels of violence in every nation, including Canada, have led to a public health and economic crisis. However, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the principal United Nations treaty addressing the issue, has no specific mention of violence within its provisions. In 2021, the United Nations Secretary-General called for enhanced global solidarity and multilateralism to accelerate the eradication of violence against women. The key focus of this paper is whether an international treaty on violence against women can accelerate this change and whether Canada should promote its adoption. Through the analysis of academic and gray literature, including United Nations documentation, research reports, government documents, and news articles, this paper examines the scope of the issue globally and within Canada, analyzes the strengths and limitations of existing international frameworks, discusses the prospects of an international treaty, and considers Canada’s role in supporting global efforts. This paper concludes that a legally binding global instrument on violence against women offers more potential for transformative change than continuing with the status quo and that the Government of Canada should advance its consideration at the global level. This paper concludes with further recommendations about how Canada can bolster global efforts to accelerate the eradication of gender-based violence against women.
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Keywords
women's rights, CEDAW, intimate partner violence, Indigenous women, Canadian government, Every Woman Treaty