Joint Declaration on the Death Penalty and the Rights of Women

In commemorating the 19th World Day Against the Death Penalty dedicated to women facing the death penalty, who have been sentenced to death, executed, pardoned or found innocent, members of the World Coalition Against The Death Penalty and allies of women on death row take this opportunity to:

- Draw attention to the gender discrimination faced by women facing the death penalty during the pre-crime, investigation, trial, sentencing and appeal phases. Gender discrimination can affect women facing the death penalty, and in many cases extenuating circumstances that could benefit women on death row are not taken into account. For example, this is especially true in cases of sexual and gender-based violence.

 

- Emphasize that discrimination based on gender does not work in isolation, but is combined with other forms of discrimination, such as those based on age, race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, the economic situation and disability, among others, which expose women sentenced to death to multiple and crossed forms of inequality.

 

- It must be taken into account that there are gaps in the information available on the number and situation of women who have been sentenced to death, executed, had their death sentences commuted or pardoned, due to the lack of precise and disaggregated figures in many countries.

 

- Let us remember that in many countries the conditions of detention threaten the physical and psychological integrity and even the life of all prisoners, and that women sentenced to death face unique challenges due to their specific needs, such as the lack of medical attention and gender-sensitive hygiene products; and threats of gender-based violence.

- We recommend to the governments of countries that have not yet abolished the death penalty or that maintain it:

 

1. Abolish the death penalty for all crimes, regardless of gender;

 

2. 2. Pending full abolition, we call on governments to

 

1. Eliminar la pena de muerte para los delitos que no alcanzan el umbral de "crímenes más graves" según el derecho y las normas internacionales;

 

1. Repeal the provisions that allow the mandatory imposition of the death penalty, which does not allow judges to take into account the circumstances of the crime for the defendant when passing sentence;

 

1. Recognize the aggravated forms of violence and discrimination suffered by girls and women -including gender violence and early and forced marriage-; review laws, criminal procedures and judicial practices and implement policies and legislative reforms to protect women from these abuses;

 

1. Ensure that the criminal justice system takes full account of any mitigating factors related to the women's background, including accounts of past abuse and mental and intellectual disabilities;

 

1. Impedir el enjuiciamiento y la detención desproporcionados de mujeres por delitos "morales/sexuales", y considerar la despenalización de este tipo de delitos;

 

1. Promote the training of all those involved in the investigation, representation and prosecution of crimes that affect women on discrimination and gender violence, access routes to crime and mitigations that take gender into account;

 

1. Ensure that all persons facing the death penalty have access to a free and effective lawyer experienced in capital punishment representation, and who is trained to recognize and present claims of mitigating factors, including those related to discrimination based on gender;

 

1. Develop and implement programs to prevent gender violence and discrimination and promote the human rights of women and girls.

 

Signatory Organizations

 

1.	ACAT-France		23.	Focal Commissioner for Women’s
2.	The Advocates for Human Rights			Human Rights and the Anti-Death
3.	Amnesty International			Penalty Campaign Commission on
4.	Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network			Human Rights of the Philippines
	(ADPAN)		24.	Foundation for Elimination of
5.	Asia Catalyst			Violence Against Women – Mitra
6.	Youth Association for Peace and			Woman
	democracy		25.	Gender Violence Clinic – University
7.	French Association of Women of			of Maryland Carey School of Law
	Legal Careers		26.	German Coalition to Abolish the
8.	The Autonomous Women’s Center			Death Penalty
9.	Lawyers Without Borders France		27.	Girl Concern
10.	Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights		28.	Human Rights & Democracy Media
11.	Capital Punishment Justice Project			Center SHAMS/Palestine
12.	Center for Prisoners’ Rights Japan		29.	International Commission of Jurists
13.	Information Center and		30.	Italian Federation for Human Rights
	Human Rights Documentation			(FIDU)
	Children and Women		31.	Japan Innocence and Death Penalty
14.	College of Lawyers and Lawyers of			Information Center
	Puerto Rico		32.	Rights Alliance
15.	Let's Liberate Mumia Collective		33.	Kenya Human Rights Commission
16.	Cornell Center on the Death Penalty		34.	lifespark
	Worldwide		35.	European Magistrates for the
17.	Defense of Human Rights and Dignity			Democracy and Freedoms
	Movement (iDefend)		36.	Maldivian Democracy Network
18.	Iron Chickpea Women's Association			(MDN)
19.	Eleos Justice, Monash University		37.	Mamas for Burundi Association
20.	Families of Victims of Involuntary		38.	Medical Action Group
	Disappearance (FIND)		39.	Dutch-speaking Women's Council
21.	Federation of Women Lawyers FIDA		40.	Parliamentarians for Global Action
	Cameroon			(PGA)
22.	Women for Freedom Algemeen		41.	Pax Christi Uvira asbl
			42.	Selangor Women's Friends Association

 

 

43. Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA)

 

44. Philippine Coalition for the International Criminal Court

 

45. Planet Refugees – Human Rights

 

46. Punjab Women Collective

 

47. REPECAP – International Academic Network for the Abolition of Capital Punishment

 

48. Network of Women Leaders for Development

 

49. Salam for Democracy and Human Rights

 

50. The Sentencing Project

 

51. Serve

 

52. Social Assistance Rehabilitation and Adaptation Center (SOHRAM-

CASRA)