Welcome to the 16th International Helvi Sipilä Seminar My Body Is Mine – Legislation, Consent and Women’s Rights!
Sexual violence is a serious human rights violation and is recognized as a form of gender-based violence under international law. The CEDAW Committee requires States parties to take all appropriate measures to counter it and recommends that the definition of sexual crimes is based on the lack of freely given consent. With the title of My Body is Mine – Legislation, Consent and Women’s Rights, the 16th International Helvi Sipilä Seminar will examine sexual violence as a human rights violation and explore measures, including legislation, education, cooperation, and negotiation, needed to counter it. Finland’s ongoing legal reform on sexual offences will be compared to similar developments globally.
The Seminar takes place on the eve of International Women’s Day, on Monday 7 March 2022 at 15–16.30 CET (16–17.30 Helsinki time). The event is organized as a webinar. The language of the event is English.
Register your participation here by 4th March!
More information of the event is available on our website here.
PROGRAM
Welcome
Opening remarks: Finland’s consent-based legislative reform on sexual offences
Anna-Maja Henriksson, Minister of Justice of Finland
Comment: Legislation, Consent, and Women’s Rights from the perspective of women’s organizations
Saara-Sofia Sirén, President of the National Council of Women of Finland, MP
Keynote speech: Sexual equality: the importance of consent-based definitions of rape
Jacqui Hunt, Global Lead – End Sexual Violence at Equality Now
Panel discussion
Puja Mandal, Rise Up! Young Woman Lead at Young Women’s Christian Association YWCA of India
Clara Berglund, Secretary General at the Swedish Women’s Lobby
Päivi Kannisto, Chief, Peace and Security at UN Women
Moderator: Merja Kähkönen, Advocacy Coordinator, The National Council of Women of Finland
Closing words
Fatim Diarra, Chairperson of the Coalition of Finnish Women’s Associations NYTKIS
Helvi Sipilä (1915–2009) was a Finnish lawyer, diplomat and the first female Assistant Secretary-General of the UN. She was a well-known and respected advocate for equality and women’s rights. The International Helvi Sipilä Seminar is organized for the 16th time to honor her work by the Finnish Federation of Graduate Women, UN Women Finland, the Young Women’s Christian Association of Finland YWCA, the Coalition of Finnish Women’s Associations – NYTKIS, and the National Council of Women of Finland.
