A statement by the Head Delegates on behalf of the 2021 Y7
Caroline Sagalchik, Evie Aspinall, Michal Skreta, Mira Gunkel, Mojann Zibapour, Noé Michalon, Rachele de Angelis and Shunta Takino
Youth across the G7 are demanding freedom from violence for women.
We call on our leaders to take strong and immediate measures to address the multifaceted and systemic violence that plagues women in our own democratic societies and around the world. The recent murders of Daoyou Feng, Delaina Yaun, Hyun Jung Grant, Soon Chung Park, Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue, and Xiaojie Tan in Atlanta and Sarah Everard in London, along with countless others in all the G7 countries and beyond, highlight that the road to gender equality is still long and arduous. These killings are not isolated incidents - violence against women is the materialization of centuries-old systemic patriarchy. Norms that promote harmful masculinity are ingrained in nearly every institution, from primary schools to police forces. Although the aforementioned women were killed while at the spa and on a walk outside, a woman’s safety is not even guaranteed at home. Because domestic violence is actually the most prevalent form of gender-based violence, a woman is under greater threat with a man she knows than with one she doesn’t know. COVID-19 and the necessity to stay at home has only exacerbated this seeming irony. Violence against women, moreover, is closely connected to the growing sentiment of hate promoted by white supremacists and far right extremists, and the proliferation of their rhetoric and ideas across digital spaces. This is a terribly dangerous signal that our societies are on a regressive trajectory when it comes to the safety of women. Violence against women has long-term physical, sexual, and mental consequences and Women of Color and Black, Indigenous, and Trans women are at even higher risk. People living in fear based on their sex, gender, race, ethnicity, and/or skin color is unacceptable. Our leaders must act - act comprehensively and act now - to pass reforms that will protect women - police reform, gun reform, justice reform, health reform, political reform, and economic reform. The Y7 will be proposing policy recommendations that reflect these necessary changes.