To mark the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of All Violence Against Women on November 25th and in preparation for the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) by Ukraine, MPs and performers will lend their voices to the real life stories of seven women’s rights activists from different countries of the world, by reading the documentary play “Seven”.
This event is co-organised by the Verkhovna Rada Chairperson, the Embassy of Sweden, the Council of Europe and the International Charitable Foundation “Ukrainian Women’s Fund”.
Acts of violence against women – whether physical violence, sexual abuse, forcing girls into unwanted marriages or female genital mutilation – are neither random misfortunes nor isolated crimes. They are part of a social mechanism which allows or tolerates discrimination against women. Because of widespread inaction to stop it, violence against women and girls represents perhaps the most pervasive human rights violation of our times.
The Istanbul Convention is the most far-reaching international treaty to tackle violence against women. It breaks new ground by requesting states to criminalise the various forms of violence against women, including physical, sexual and psychological violence, stalking, sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, forced abortion and forced sterilisation. Of particular relevance in the international context, the Istanbul Convention explicitly states that it shall apply in times of peace and in situations of armed conflict.
9:30 Press Briefing by Mr Nayem, MP; Ms Lutsenko, MP; Mr von Beckerath, Ambassador of Sweden; Mr Ristovski, Ambassador Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine and Ms Natalia Timoshkina, Play Director
12:00 – 12:30 Reading Of Play “Seven” at the Plenary of The Verkhovna Rada
SEVEN is a ground breaking documentary play based on Interviews with seven women’s rights activists from around the world, whose difficult life stories and struggle are a source of inspiration: Farida Azizi (Afghanistan), Inez McCormack (Northern Ireland), Marina Pisklakova-Parker (Russia), Annabella de Leon (Guatemala), Mukhtar Mai (Pakistan), Mu Sochua (Cambodia) and Hafsat Abiola (Nigeria). At each venue the play is performed by a unique ensemble of prominent persons representing different aspects of society.
Confirmed readers so far include:
Mustafa Nayem (Journalist and MP)
Oksana Syroyid (MP and Vice speaker of the Parliament)
Tamila Tasheva (Women’s rights activist from Crimea)
Boryslav Bereza (MP)
Natalia Sumska (People’s Artist of Ukraine)
Ostap Semerak (MP)
Iryna Lutsenko (MP)
For more information, please contact:
Olesya Bondar, Ukrainian Women’s Fund, at olesya@uwf.kiev.ua and +380.503.850.043
Ana Urrutia-Enciso, Council of Europe “Preventing and combatting violence against women and domestic violence in Ukraine” Project Manager, at ana.urrutia@coe.int and +380.662.607.679
