The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) is part of a coalition of 17 civil society organizations and academic institutions, convened by GENDRO, calling for a gender-responsive international instrument for an effective and equitable prevention, preparedness and response to future pandemics.
In a Consensus Statement issued on 9 June 2022, the coalition urged Member States of the World Health Organization to commit to gender equality and human rights in the new pandemic treaty to ensure equitable prevention of, preparedness for, and responses to future pandemics that leave no one behind. In the process of drafting and negotiating such an international instrument, the statement calls attention to Member States’ commitments and obligations related to gender equality in various international instruments and regulations, requesting these to be reaffirmed, recognized and their importance emphasized in the new instrument.
The coalition further calls for key aspects pertinent to diverse women’s health, uninterrupted and non-discriminatory access to sexual and reproductive health services, timely prevention of, and response to gender-based violence and accountability mechanisms for zero tolerance against sexual harassment and abuse, to be explicitly articulated in the new instrument.
Specifically, the group also invites the newly constituted Intergovernmental Negotiating Body and Member States to, in addition to reiterating previously made commitments, incorporate the following substantive elements in the instrument:
- Gender-responsive evidence must guide pandemic preparedness, control, and response
- Strategies, policies, and response plans must be inclusive, equitable, account for gender dimensions and align with human rights standards
- Meaningful participation is key for a gender-responsive and human rights-based approach to any pandemic
Endorsing organizations:
GENDRO
Harm Reduction International
Medicines for Malaria Venture
Concept Foundation
Gender Centre, Geneva Graduate Institute
Women in Global Health
Women in Global Health – Switzerland
HumanImpact5 HI5 Association
Global Action on Men’s Health
Giving Women
FIND
UNITE Global Parliamentarians Network to End Infectious Diseases
Equimundo
Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative – DNDi
Alliance for Health Promotion
Swiss Alliance for Women’s Health
Women’s Age Lab – Women’s College Hospital
European Association of Science Editors
Spark Street Advisors
International Commission of Jurists
Shekinah Girls’ Empowerment and Protection Initiative
AlResala Foundation
Downloads:
[CONSENSUS STATEMENT] Building back better: towards a gender-responsive international instrument for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (9 June 2022)
Further endorsements:
You can add your name as a signatory on GENDRO’s website.
If you’d like to have your organization be a signatory and add its logo to the statement, please email info@gendro.org.
