As International Women’s Day is being marked, a group of women activists from different nations in Switzerland has launched a signature campaign under the name “Free All Women” against sexual vioalence against women in wars. 

 

The campaign, initiated on a digital media platform, will also be carried out physically in five Swiss cities on 7 March. 

 

In their statement, the campaign activists said: “Amid the re-ignited chaos of war, women from different communities are coming together on 8 March International Women’s Day to unite against sexual violence used as a weapon of war. This is a positive step. And yet women from different backgrounds – Christian, secular, Kurdish, Êzidî, Muslim, Jewish – are consciously standing side by side. Sexual violence is not a side effect of war. It is not merely an accidental outcome, but a tool deliberately used in war for the purpose of destruction, humiliation and intimidation. In times of polarization, spaces for empathy and tolerance for ambiguity are becoming increasingly rare. With this project, we also aim to respond to this need.”

 

On Saturday, 7 March, tables will be set up to collect signatures in Switzerland’s largest cities: Zurich, Bern, Basel, Lausanne and Geneva. The collected signatures will be submitted to the Swiss Federal Assembly.

 

The four main demands of the campaign are listed as follows:

 

*The binding and measurable implementation of UN Resolution 1325; transparent targets, reporting and concrete actions.

 

*Holding perpetrators accountable: active cooperation with the International Criminal Court in The Hague, sanctions, the principle of universal jurisdiction and asset freezes.

 

*Secure and designated support for victims: earmarked funds, trauma treatment and protection programs.

 

*No double standards in diplomatic positions: clear condemnation and a consistent foreign policy regardless of who the perpetrator is.

 

The places where signatures will be collected on 7 March are as follows:

 

*Zurich: Tessinerplatz (Bahnhof Enge) 15:00–17:00

 

*Bern: Kornhausplatz 15:00–17:00

 

*Basel: Tellplatz 15:00–17:00

 

*Lausanne: Place des Pionnières 15:00–18:00

 

*Geneva (Genf)

 

You can access the campaign page on the digital platform here. https://www.freeallwomen.org/