On January 30, GATE submitted a response to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against women and girls call for inputs on the report “Forms of Sex-Based Violence Against Women and Girls: New Frontiers and Emerging Issues” to inform about the threat that the current ‘sex-base’ framing of violence against women and girls can pose.
Such framing increased GATE concerns as the ‘sex-based’ violence framework is:
- Using exclusionary definitions of ‘woman’
- Neglecting the root causes of gender-based violence
- Risking undermining progress in human rights
GATE urged the Special Rapporteur to:
- Adopt an inclusive, gender-based approach that recognizes all women, including trans and gender diverse individuals.
- Reject transphobic and biologically deterministic narratives that fuel division and undermine protections.
- Center trans and gender diverse voices in policy discussions to ensure comprehensive and equitable protections.
Why this matters?
By framing gender-based violence through an inclusive lens, this approach ensures that all individuals who face discrimination and violence due to their gender identity or expression receive protection.
The submission emphasizes that feminism and human rights should combat all forms of patriarchal violence, rather than reinforce exclusionary definitions that marginalize some of the most vulnerable communities.
Read the full submission to learn more about how to argue against these frameworks and what we recommended in alternative to the ‘sex-based’ violence against women and girls framework.
