Luanda - The Speaker of the National Assembly Carolina Cerqueira defended Saturday the need for penalties for sexual offences and aggression against women to be aggravated .
In a message on the International Day for the Elimination of Discrimination and Violence against Women, Carolina Cerqueira said this deplorable practice is sometimes associated with economic and social causes and prejudices rooted in certain communities and their traditional and cultural customs, subjecting women to situations of forced submission and permanent violence.
"In the middle of the 21st century, it is incomprehensible that in some communities girls are still prevented from enjoying the right to education and therefore do not attend school. They grow up without security and the necessary self-esteem, and are often forced into early marriages and subjected to psychological, physical and even sexual aggression that eventually results in femicide," reads the message.
The Speaker urged competent public institutions to investigate and punish social practices that undermine women's rights, including domestic violence, having called on society to continually report cases of discrimination and violence against women and girls.
Carolina Cerqueira added that it is imperative that all women parliamentarians, through the specialized working committees and the Group of Women Parliamentarians, multiply initiatives for permanent education towards a culture of defending women's rights.
"This advocacy with public and private institutions, as well as civil society organizations will make it possible to create a platform of local and national databases against violence against women and young girls," Cerqueira said.
The parliament Speaker called on women parliamentarians to be the driving force behind the campaign against gender-based violence.
"So, as legislators, it is important to ensure that there is a female vision in the adoption of the legal framework for preventing and combating violence against women, which also involves aggravating the penalties for perpetrators of sexual offences and aggression and approving gender-sensitive budgets," the Speaker said.
The politician added that she hopes that during the 16 days of activism against gender violence, the women parliamentarians will be able to contribute to implementation of actions at national level related to Angolan state's international commitments to protect women's political, economic, social and cultural rights.
"Only in this way will we be moving towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in general and, in particular, Goal 5 on gender equality," the politician said.
Carolina Cerqueira expressed solidarity with all women who are victims of discrimination by the society that penalizes them simply by the fact of being women.
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence is an international campaign to combat violence against women and girls. The campaign takes place every year between November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and December10, International Human Rights Day. VM/AMP
