59th session of the Human Rights Council
Item 3: Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls
Action Canada for Population and Development
President,
The reports of the Special Rapporteur on Violence against women reveal a worrying pattern of positions that, under the guise of protecting women, erode fundamental human rights. Both in her analysis of violence based on biological sex and in her criticism of the concept of consent, the Special Rapporteur promotes regressive approaches that paradoxically weaken the rights she claims to protect.
The report on consent presents overly broad generalisations without clear alternatives, grouping diverse industries under uniform criticism. Her paternalistic analysis denies the decision-making autonomy of women, effectively denying their agency under the guise of protection. This protectionist analysis, which is reflected in the Special Rapporteur’s work, scapegoats trans and gender diverse people, creating an artificial hierarchy of rights.
The report reinforces and reflects the rising conservatism in which governments instrumentalise dubious claims of security to undermine their human rights obligations. Evidence overwhelmingly confirms that inclusive policies do not pose security risks. The reports reinforce patriarchal systems by reducing women to reproductive roles and denying their autonomy. Truly rights-based policies require inclusion and recognition of universality, not exclusions based on obsolete essentialisms or protectionist paternalism.