Sexual violence and sexual harassment are global phenomena, with most women reporting sexual harassment, verbal or other, and over one-third of women worldwide experiencing sexual violence, most often by those closest to them. 

No one is really immune, and survivors are left feeling powerless, voiceless and forgotten.  

The past year witnessed a spike in calls for justice – a spike that has punctured the code of silence plaguing survivors of sexual assault and harassment for too long. 

Suddenly, upon the launch of the simple #metoo rallying cry, women everywhere have built a platform to call out offenders and make them face the consequences of their actions. Israel’s Eurovision champion, Netta Barzilai, won the competition with “Toy,” her anthem for female empowerment against sexual harassment and abuse. #metoo initiated an important discourse. 

It brought to the limelight the fight that governments, NGOs and schools have been fighting for decades. And it amplified a public outcry finally heard around the world to end the epidemic of sexual harassment and violence once and for all. 

Israel has proven a leader of this fight. Last year, we introduced the UN resolution focused on preventing and eliminating sexual harassment in the workplace. It was adopted by consensus. A few months ago, Israel’s parliament also passed a law fining the clients of prostitution, in order to reduce the demand for prostitution and to assist the rehabilitation of sex workers and reintegrate them into society.  

Following the CSW resolution last year, we initiated, last March, together with Kenya and Colombia, an IPI discussion regarding sexual harassment in the workplace. This discussion resulted in the establishment of the "group of friends - combat sexual harassment", which was launched last month by Israel, Kenya, France and the Netherlands. Many member countries joined us for the first meeting of the group and we hope it will become a significant platform for countering this disturbing phenomenon.  

Madame Chair,

 

It is hard to believe that in 2018 we still feel the need to state the obvious: that all people, women and men, are created equal and therefore are entitled to equal rights and privileges, yet unfortunately there are many places around the world, where this axiom is still debated. Israel is heavily invested in promoting women rights and women empowerment, through bilateral and multilateral partnerships, in various countries and fields of interests.  

Israel’s foreign ministry’s co-operation and development agency, MASHAV, has been engaged for many years in women empowerment projects around the globe, providing governments and NGO’s with training courses, in Israel and abroad, specially designed for women, in leadership and business entrepreneurship, offering graduates continuous support and financial assistance, building their first businesses.  MASHAV holds yearly international conferences for women leaders, building and maintaining networks, increasing opportunities for learning and sharing valuable knowledge with the global women bodies.  

  

Madame Chair, 

Our approach must be twofold: first, our policy must be one of zero-tolerance against sexual harassment, and proper domestic mechanisms should be adopted and enforced, to end this unacceptable phenomenon. Second, we should continue our tireless efforts, empowering women and supporting their quest for dignity and equality, all around the world. 

It is our collective moral obligation to treat all people with decency and respect. We cannot defeat sexual violence and harassment if we do not accept that basic principle. With a top-down and bottom up approach, from the chambers of government to the classrooms of schools, to the boardrooms of businesses and to the halls of the United Nations, let us be the true leaders who move sexual violence and harassment into the annals of history.  

Thank you.