March 8 marks the celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD). The CICC calls on governments to promote justice for women by ratifying the Rome Statute and by implementing its landmark gender provisions at the national level.
“Countries are strongly encouraged to bring their national laws in line with the standards enshrined in the Rome Statute, both in terms of criminalizing the serious crimes contained in the Statute and by assuring that laws make full cooperation with the Court possible,” said CICC Convenor William R. Pace.
The Rome Statute is a powerful instrument for protecting women’s rights. The Statute’s provisions by targeting sexual crimes represent a historic advance for international justice: the Statute is one of the first international treaties to extensively address gender-based crimes as crimes against humanity, war crimes, and in some instances, genocide. Specifically, the Statute recognizes rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy, forced sterilizations, gender-based persecutions, trafficking of persons particularly women and children, and sexual violence as among the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole.
The Coalition and women’s organization around the world will continue their tireless efforts after today’s celebration to make sure that violence and persecution of women are treated as they are: serious criminal and humanitarian law violations.[/lang_en
