DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
P R E S S  S T A T E M E N T
2330 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, Philippines                                                         Tel. No. 834-4000                                                                                   www.dfa.gov.ph

STATEMENT BY THE HON. DR. ALBERTO G. ROMULO
SECRETARY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S ISSUES
21 NOVEMBER 2005

Philippine efforts to promote global action against violence against women migrant workers received a major boost when the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly adopted by consensus the Philippine-sponsored resolution on this issue.

On 15 November 2005, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural), adopted by consensus the Philippine draft resolution “Violence against women migrant workers.” This draft resolution will now go to the Plenary where we expect that it will also be adopted by consensus.

 The key features of this resolution are the call on states to:

· incorporate a gender perspective in all policies on international migration, including for the protection of women migrant workers from violence,
   discrimination, exploitation and abuse;
· criminalize violence against women migrant workers;
· protect rights of women migrant workers, regardless of their immigration status;
· become a party to the International Convention on the Protection of the rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, a major UN
   convention that was negotiated and concluded upon the initiative of the Philippines and other origin states.
This resolution not only projects a major foreign policy interest of the Philippines, but is also the Philippine contribution to the observance on 25 November 2005 of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

In December 1999, the 54th session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 54/134 declaring November 25th the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

The origins of November 25th go back to 1960, when the three Mirabal sisters from the Dominican Republic were violently assassinated for their political activism. The sisters, known as the "Unforgettable Butterflies," became a symbol of the crisis of violence against women in Latin America. November 25th was the date chosen to commemorate their lives and promote global recognition of gender violence, and has been observed in Latin America since the 1980s.

We are also taking the lead in working for the further strengthening of the rights of women.  Ambassador Rosario G. Manalo is the current chairperson of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.  END
 
 

/bjg
 

/jay