Markel decries aggression against women

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday said any aggression against women on gender ground would not be tolerated.

“We must not tolerate the fact that women are made targets of aggression simply because they are women,” said Merkel in a video address on the occasion of receiving the first-ever International Gender Equality Prize introduced by the Finnish government.

The award ceremony was held in Tampere on Tuesday, said an official press release.

The main theme of the event was violence against women and girls.

Merkel, who was named the recipient of the award in December 2017, will grant the EUR 150,000 prize to a Niger civil society organisation advocating the rights of women and girls.

The organisation is planning to use the money to establish a residential shelter.

“This international prize draws attention to the need to promote equality across the globe,” said the German chancellor.

Prime Minister Juha Sipilä handed the prize over to German Ambassador to Finland Detlef Lingemann who accepted it on behalf of Merkel.

This was the first time the prize was awarded. The prime minister hosted the event together with Anna-Kaisa Ikonen, the chair of the Tampere City Council.

“The aim of the prize is to promote equality between men and women around the world,” said Sipilä in his speech, adding, “Gender equality is one of the core values of Finnish society.”

In addition to the award ceremony, the event included an international expert panel discussion on violence against women.

“Women’s rights are human rights. Every woman and every girl on this planet have the right to live free from violence and the fear of violence,” said Annika Saarikko, the Finnish minister responsible for equality issues.

“I promise to bring the messages of this important event today to the people at the United Nations, where I will attend a CSW meeting about women’s and girls’ rights next week,” said the minister.

Earlier, in her video greeting, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka also drew attention to the importance of the work on combating violence against women and girls.

“Chancellor Merkel has highlighted one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today,” she said.

Mariama Moussa, founder of the SOS Femmes et Enfants Victimes de Violence Familiale and internationally renowned promoter of the rights of women and girls, was very thankful to receiving the prize money.

She said the prize money will allow them to make a long-time dream of the organisation come true. They want to establish a residential shelter where women and children who are victims of gender-based violence will be safe and receive physical and psychological help.