The Holy See used this week’s commemoration of International Women’s Day to call for an authentic “gender equality” that is based on eliminating stereotyping and all forms of violence against women, and by demanding that their inherent dignity be respected throughout the world.

Vatican Radio is reporting on the statement made yesterday by Monsignor Janusz Urbanczyk, the Holy See’s Permanent Presentative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

“The Holy See is highly concerned about women who are discriminated against or undervalued solely on the ground of their gender and will continue to work with other stakeholders in promoting a culture that recognizes the equivalent dignity that belongs to women and men, in law and in concrete reality,” Msgr. Urbanczyk said.

“The Holy See welcomes the progress already made in favor of women’s advancement but regrets, however, that, at a time when sensitivity to women’s issues appears stronger than ever, the world is still confronted with old and new forms of violence and slavery directed at women,” he continued.

“These include the use of rape as a weapon of war during conflicts; the trafficking of girls (who are treated as merchandise); the abuse of domestic workers (that remains, at times, unpunished); kidnapping of young women, forced marriage, forced conversion and forced abortion.”

These types of violence occur more frequently where poverty and social instability are prevalent, he said, and in places where legal systems and traditions continue to condone them, even though they cause serious and long-lasting physical, psychological and social effects.

“The authentic advancement of women entails respect for their inherent dignity, while acknowledging women’s critical roles not only in society, but also in the family, as equal participants in marriage as spouses. This Delegation is convinced that the best way to promote so-called ‘gender equality’ - that is equality between women and men - and to increase women’s participation, is to fight prejudices and stereotypes against women, affirming the ontological equality in dignity and rights between men and women in all juridical, cultural and social areas.”

He also called for future documents of the OSCE to be “oriented towards the achievement of a true and authentic equality between women and men” and to eschew other aims that might distract from achieving this equality.

“Finally, we would like to stress that there is no doubt that much still has to be done to meet the enormous needs in a satisfactory manner, to address the issue of equal rights for women and men, and to effectively enable women to actively participate in all sectors of society,” he concluded.

“Thus we must do more and act more rapidly, because crimes against women and girls – our mothers, sisters, and daughters – cannot anymore go unheard, unseen, overlooked or treated as an inevitable consequence in the horrible reality of armed conflict.”

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