OTTAWA, March 8, 2005 - The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Irwin Cotler, today issued this statement: "On this International Women's Day, may I reaffirm my personal credo on this important issue - and one inspired by the women's movement itself - that "women's rights are human rights, and there are no human rights without the rights of women." This must not be a matter of rhetoric but a statement of principle and policy, and one that guides me as Minister of Justice. Indeed, as UNICEF has stated, discrimination against women is an injustice greater than apartheid; and as Charlotte Bunch, a leader of the international feminist movement has stated, vast numbers of people around the world suffer from starvation and terrorism, and are humiliated, tortured, mutilated, and even murdered every year, just because they are women. Accordingly, the struggle for women's rights - the struggle to protect against violence against women - is a priority with respect to the justice agenda. In particular, we have made the combating of the trafficking of women and girls - the new global slave trade and the fastest growing international criminal industry in the world - a priority for us both domestically and internationally; and we continue to develop concrete actions to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls, including family violence, custodial violence, and violence against women in conflict situations. Much remains to be done - a telling reminder of which is the convergence of International Women's Day, the meeting of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, and the 10 th anniversary of the Beijing Women's Conference. Each one of us - government, NGOs and civil society - have an indispensable role to play in this struggle for women's rights, equality, and human dignity. Each one of us can make a difference. May the coming together of these landmark events be not only acts of reminder of the struggle for women's rights, but of the action that needs to be taken." -30- Ref.: Denise Rudnicki Director of Communications Office of the Minister of Justice (613) 992-4621
