Committee on Women Facing Crises: Human Rights, Refugees and Violence Against Women

Women represent almost half of the 244 million migrants and half of the 19.6 million refugees worldwide. A 2018 analysis across 161 countries and areas, conducted by WHO found that worldwide, nearly 1 in 3, or 30%, of women have been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner or non-partner sexual violence or both.

Female refugees, women facing violence under any conditions and women facing human rights violations need special attention and efforts to ensure that their reproductive and health care rights are met.

Committee Objectives

This committee focuses on the multitude of crises affecting women around the world. It aims to work with organisations and societies to put policies in place to build capacity of health care providers, in order to identify this vulnerable population and to be sensitive to their needs. The committee will continue to support and deliver rights-based approach to provide access to reproductive and sexual health care across the world.

Without addressing the needs of this segment of the population, the SDG goals will remain elusive even in 2030. It is inextricably involved with contraception, safe abortion, maternal and newborn health, NCDs to name a few.

This committee has a particular focus is to support all actions to expand sexual and reproductive health and rights for all people, but specially for refugees, internally displaced women, adolescent girls, women subjected to violence, unwanted pregnancy and trafficking, and the LGBTQIA community throughout their life span.

Members

Chair

Dr Margit Endler – Sweden  

Members

Dr Atziri Ramirez – Past Chair – Mexico  

Dr Bernard Uzabakiriho – South Africa 

Professor Nazimah Idris – Malaysia  

Dr Rafal Zadykowicz – Poland  

Dr Laura Margarita Bello Álvarez – Colombia  

Dr Isabel Lloyd Martin – Panama  

Professor Kristina Jarienė – Lithuania 

WATOG representative

Dr Adalberto Rochin Benoit – Mexico  

Associate members

Dr Lyra Ruth Chua – Philippines  

Dr Leopoldo Santiago Sanabria – Mexico  

Ex-Officio Trustee