Participation in the World Human Rights Cities Forum (WHRCF) in Gwangju

For the first time ever, the World Human Rights Cities Forum addressed the issue of violence against women and girls (VAWG) in connection to the #Cities4Rights agenda. This event brought together local government leaders committed to address VAWG through local policymaking and international cooperation.

The president of Seine Saint Denis, Stéphane Troussel, and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on VAWG, Reem Alsalem, all sent meaningful contributions to the event, highlighting the important role of local engagement and political leadership towards addressing structural violence and supporting the work of actors on the ground.

Four inspiring women leading their respective cities’ quest against violence against women and girls took the floor to share meaningful experiences put in place on the ground: Gissela Chalá, Vicemayor of Quito and the first afro-descendant women to be elected in such position in Ecuador’s capital; Annie Chrystel Limbourg, Deputy Mayor of Libreville (Gabon) and a leading figure in the African network of locally elected women; Angelica Olivares, Deputy Director of Inclusion and Social Welfare of Iztapalapa, the most populous municipality of Mexico City; and Fabiana Goyeneche, International Relations Director of Montevideo (Uruguay) and a leading figure in Latin American municipalism.

Their interventions highlighted the key role of institutionalizing local efforts to address VAWG. They also stressed how VAWG and city-making (public space, social life) are closely intertwined, making a strong case in favor of considering this issue as a core concern in any right to the city vision. They agreed on the need to advance more ambitious policies face to the COVID-19 crisis, and to make sure that local feminist leadership leads the way to a better, more equal future.

Listening to the call to promote “cooperation based on sorority and shared values”, Seine Saint Denis leading figures in the fight against VAWG and promoting decentralized cooperation with the world (Ernestine Ronai and Magali Fricaudet respectively) introduced the project “Territories protecting women from violence” as a very concrete platform to advance this common agenda. Seine Saint Denis is ready to contribute on the basis of its rich, twenty years-old policy-making experience.

Ngazidja (Comores) Governor Sitti Farouata Mhoudine and Jenin (Palestine) Mayor Al Sadi Fayes showed their readiness to join the project. Both are historical partners of Seine Saint Denis, and they are now eager to exchange with other local governments from across the world on how to design effective policies to address VAWG.