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

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)