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Civil Society
and NGO Reports, Papers and Statements
Statement by Yakin ErtŸrk UN Special Rapporteur on
Violence against Women, its causes and consequences
Yakin ErtŸrk, SIDA's conference on Gender Based Violence,
September 12, 2008
The gender perspective to violence
is a relatively new trend within the human rights movement as well.
Its basic premise is that identities are socially constructed beyond
biological sex; therefore, they are negotiable and mutable. It was
initially coined to contextualize violence against women (VAW) and
identify its causes and consequences that transcend the injury caused
to the individual victim.
There is sufficient evidence to show that women (and girls) are
the primary victims of gender–based violence simply because
they are women. This is a universal, structured and systematic phenomenon,
which is motivated - across ethnic groups, classes and societies
- by a common patriarchal culture which through values, laws, and
institutions delegates women to a subordinate position.
To read the full statement, please click HERE
Breaking the Silence
Violence Against Women in Politics (VAWIP) Issue no. 1, September
2008
This bulletin will cover information on the issue of six countries
of South Asia- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and
Sri Lanka and bring together news, views, analyses and information
regarding women in politics, violence against women in politics
(VAWIP) and women in governance.
This first issue of BREAKING THE SILENCE comes as an initiative
to raise the issue of violence against women in politics not only
at national level but also at regional and international levels
to nudge stakeholders into taking corrective actions.
This bulletin is an effort to seek out the substantive solution
to the violence, the major obstacle of women in the career path
of politics. It is an effort to ensure a bigger role for women in
decision-making by creating congenial environment for women in politics
to become a part and parcel of the democratic governance. It is
an effort to break the deep rooted culture of silence that is prevailing
in the political environment of South Asia. We anticipate larger
participation from “the friends of women in politicsâ€_
for breaking the culture of silence.
Above information is an excerpt from the Editorial.
To view the newsletter, please click HERE
Justice for Women: Seeking
Accountability for Sexual Crimes in Post-Conflict Situations
Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo
Exterior, July 2008
The systematic use of extreme violence, in particular sexual
violence, in conflict and post-conflict situations raises the pressing
question of how to end the cycle of impunity. Although the priority
is for national justice systems to bring the perpetrators of massive
human rights abuses in their territories to account, it has been
amply demonstrated that this is not always a practical answer. This
report includes key points of debate regarding proposals relating
to the pending challenges in achieving justice for women.
To read the full report, please
click
here
Women in Prison: A Commentary
on the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners
Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO), June 2008
This commentary identifies a number of the key problems for women
prisoners, based on QUNO’s primary research - including what
women prisoners have told us - and on secondary sources; highlights
how the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment
of Prisoners, the key reference in management of prison systems,
apply to these problems; identifies other human rights instruments
and standards applicable to women’s imprisonment; and examines
what measures these human rights standards require. In addition,
there is a section on women detained in armed conflict.
To view the commentary, please click HERE
Because I am a Girl: The
State of the World's Girls 2008 - Special Focus: In the Shadow of
War
Plan International, June 2008
This report is the second in a series
of eight reports published by Plan examining the rights of girls
throughout their childhood, adolescence and as young women.The 2008
report, subtitled ‘In the Shadow of War’, examines the
state of girls in conflict situations around the world and looks
at what happens to them before, during and after war is over. It
makes recommendations for change at international, national and
local levels.The report is organised in two sections – the
first is a comprehensive overview of data and an analysis of why
and how girls experience conflict in particular ways due to their
age and sex.The second section monitors global statistics to see
how girls are faring.
The report uses five ‘lenses’ to examine the impact
of conflict on girls:
1. Participation and empowerment
2. Security and protection
3. Access to basic services
4. Economic security
5. Gender roles and relations
To read the full report, please
click HERE
Women’s Participation
in Domestic Violence Health Policy Development: Afghanistan Component
University of Calgary, June 2008
This report comprises the Afghanistan component of an international
project examining women’s participation in family and domestic
violence health policy and policy development. Carried out across
five different countries – Canada, Australia, Bangladesh,
Thailand, and Afghanistan – the goal of the project was to
describe the characteristics of the domestic violence health policy
community in each country. There is a separate report for each country
involved in the project, as well as a report on the comparative
analysis of the five studies.
This report begins with a rationale for the project and an introduction
to the unique situation facing women in Afghanistan. A brief history
of the recent conflict and current political situation follows.
A description of the Afghan health sector and a summary of government
and non-governmental organizations’ attempts to address violence
against women and domestic violence are provided.
To read the full report, please
click HERE
Press Release: Africa: Violence
against Women in Africa: From Discrimination to Impunity
Pambazuka News, July 31, 2008
African Women’s Day gives the signatory organizations the
opportunity to remember that gender-based violence is one of the
most serious and widespread violations of the basic rights of women,
particularly on the African continent. Gender discrimination is
both one of the causes and an aggravating factor of the consequences
of violence against women, thus contributing to the perpetuation
of impunity of such cases.
To read the full statement, please
click HERE
Violence against Women in the Mediterranean: Final Results of a
Euro-Mediterranean Project
Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies [MIGS]
The publication is a result of the project “Intercultural
Dialogue on Violence against Women” funded by the Anna Lindh
Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures. It includes a synthesis
of the state-of-the-art reports on Violence against Women from all
five partner countries, information from the workshop and training
sessions conducted in Cyprus, the short-listed photographs from
the project’s widely publicised photo competition and photo
exhibition.
The overall objective of the project was to enhance the active participation
of women in intercultural dialogue about violence against women
and the diffusion of information about overcoming discrimination
and violence against women in the Euro-Med region.
For the full report, please CLICK
HERE
East Africa: Sex and Gender
Based Violence in the Great Lakes Region
AllAfrica.com, July 2008
There have been countless initiatives at international and
regional level aimed at putting to an end to Sexual and Gender Based
Violence, culture of impunity and other forms of related crime.
However, we have not done enough to eradicate these types of crimes
and those who have perpetuated these crimes have gotten away with
impunity. As part of collaborative effort, the International Conference
of the Great Lakes Region in collaboration with UNIFEM and other
UN Agencies and partners organized recently the High Level Regional
Consultation on "Eradicating Sexual Violence and Ending Impunity
in the Great Lakes Region" from 15th - 18th June 2008 in Goma.
The objective of the consultation was to come with practical approaches
aimed at strategizing and seeking the best way to domesticate the
ICGLR Protocol and implement the enabling project on the subject.
To read the full article, please
click here
Uganda: War And Sexual Based
Violence in the North
AllAfrica.com, July 2008
This paper analyzes the 22 years of conflict in Northern Uganda
which has been labeled the "worse humanitarian crisis"
in a statement by Jan, the representative of the UN, during his
visit in Northern Uganda. There were high levels of human right
abuse which greatly affected women in the war tone zone. The women
are still experiencing psychological, spiritual, and physical health
trauma as a result of the long conflict in the region.
To read the full analysis, please
click here
Africa: The Limits and Possibilities
of Transitional Justice
AllAfrica.com, July 2008
In considering the wars in the Central African Republic (CAR), Darfur,
and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where the use of sexual
and gender-based violence (SGBV) is widespread, this paper seeks
to accomplish two tasks. The first task is descriptive: to give
an overview of the manner in which the International Criminal Court
(ICC) has responded to SGBV in the three countries. The second task
is a modest attempt to analyze why SGBV continues to be inadequately
addressed. Here, the paper considers the practical challenges that
are inherent in transitional justice as a tool, particularly in
its preference of some harms and narratives over others.
To read the full paper, please click
here
Transitional justice in
sexual and gender-based violence
Pambazuka News, July 2008
It is now fashionable in academic and activist circles to speak
of transitional justice in normative, inflexible terms that suggest
a utopian certainty. Nothing could be further from the truth. At
the outset, we need to understand that transitional justice concepts
are experimental – good experiments to be sure – but
that they do not offer us tested panacea because they are essentially
works in progress. What is more useful for us to do is to imagine
transitional notions as one incomplete vehicle through which we
can understand and start the recovery of a tormented society. If
we keep this perspective, then we are more likely to achieve a more
realistic result.
To read the article, please click
here
Iran: Equal Rights Denied.
The Systematic Repression of the Women’s Rights Movement in
Iran
International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, May 2008
Iranian authorities have systematically thwarted peaceful and legal
civil society efforts to advocate for women’s rights in Iran,
abusing the legal system and gravely violating internationally protected
civil rights in the process. This report illustrates this process
by providing concise but comprehensive documentation of the persecution
of women’s rights defenders in Iran.
For the full report, please click HERE
Human Rights Council and
the Human Rights of Women
Human Rights Council’s 8th Regular Session, June 5, 2008
Extracts from Report by WILPF Interns: Kirsty Mckay with contributions
from Ashley Farnan
On June 5, 2008, during its 8th Regular Session, the Human
Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva hosted two interactive panels with
experts on the human rights of women. The first panel, “Addressing
Violence Against Women: Setting Priorities”, convened with
a view toward setting priorities for the HRC’s work on this
issue. The second panel addressed maternal mortality and women’s
human rights. The discussion of the first panel aimed at addressing
how to integrate the issue of violence against women (VAW) into
the full agenda of the HRC, in both regular and special sessions,
as well as into the work of Special Procedures and the Universal
Periodic Review (UPR), and finally as a criteria for membership
on the Council.
For the full report of the panel and contributions from
NGOs and governments click HERE
Pakistan: Cases of Armed
Violence Against Women
Blue Veins, June 2008
IANSA Women's Network member, Blue Veins, has started a media monitoring
project that summarizes cases of armed violence against women in
Pakistan, particularly in the North West Frontier Province.
For the full report, please click HERE
Women, Peace and Security:
Sexual Violence in Situations of Armed Conflict
Security Council Report, June 11, 2008
The US, which has the Security Council presidency in June,
has advocated for an open thematic debate on “women, peace
and security: sexual violence in situations of armed conflict.”
Council members have now agreed to schedule this for 19 June.
This report includes areas of focus for the debate, elements
included in the first draft resolution on sexual violence, key recent
developments leading up to the debate, and background information
on the issue of sexual violence.
For the full report, please click
here
Blog: Wilton Park Conference
on Women Targeted by Armed Conflict: What Role for Military Peacekeepers?
The Changing Face of War
OpenDemocracy, June 3, 2008
Last week's UN-led conference on women targeted by armed conflict
proved an eye-opener for Rosemary Bechler. She writes about the
effects of the changing nature of warfare, in which "It has
probably become more dangerous to be a woman than a soldier in armed
conflicts".
For the full article, please click
HERE
Peace With Sexual Violence
is Still War: Peacekeepers Must Protect Women
AIDS-Free World, May 2008
Stephen Lewis, the co-Director of AIDS-Free World, delivered remarks
on sexual violence at the May, 2008 Wilton Park Conference: Women
targeted or affected by armed conflict: What role for military peacekeepers?
He asserted that peacekeepers and force commanders alike have to
take sexual violence much more seriously, citing the cases of Liberia
and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
For read the full speech, please click HERE
Women and War
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), May 2008
War and violence today spare no one, but they affect men, women,
boys and girls in different ways. Women and girls in war-torn countries
are faced with unimaginable risks, threats and challenges. War can
mean violence, fear, loss of loved ones, deprivation of livelihood,
sexual violence, abandonment, increased responsibility for family
members, detention, displacement, physical injury, and sometimes
death. It forces women and girls into unfamiliar roles and requires
them to strengthen existing coping skills and develop new ones.
Despite all the hardship women endure in armed conflicts, the image
of women as helpless victims of war is flawed. Women are playing
an increasingly active role in hostilities – whether voluntarily
or involuntarily. Many also play a proactive role post-conflict
in peacebuilding and social reconstruction.
To read the full report on the major risks and challenges that women
and girls face during war, and some of the ICRC's responses, please
click HERE
Enhancing the EU Response
to Women and Armed Conflict with Particular Reference to Development
Policy
European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM),
April 2008
Women’s multiple and diverse roles in conflict are hidden,
poorly understood and, at times, consciously or unconsciously dismissed.
Usually it is women’s role as victims that is given most prominence.
Though, in recent years the international community has become more
responsive to women’s diverse roles as actors on conflict
prevention, resolution and peace-building, there is recognition
that the EU’s response to this reality must be scaled up,
widened and deepened. Local, national or international action that
does not involve and empower women is less likely to be successful
and sustainable in any field, including that which is intended to
bring development or peace. This study is based on the premise that
a more effective international/EU response to women and armed conflict
must incorporate the three inter-related and mutually reinforcing
concepts of gender equality, women’s empowerment and upholding
women’s rights.
To read the full report, including sexual and gender based violence,
please click HERE
Because I am
a Girl: In the Shadow of War
Plan Canada, April 2008
This report reveals why and how girls' rights are being violated
in countries affected by armed conflict. The report highlights that
the impact of conflict on girls goes beyond their experiences as
either combatants or victims of violence to encompass their health,
education, gender roles and relationships.
Statement
against the Amnesty Provision in the Junta's Draft Constitution
Global Justice Center (GJC), The Burma Lawyers' Council
(BLC) and Burma Justice Committee, April 2008
International Poll Finds
Large Majorities in All Countries Favor Equal Rights for Women
World Public Opinion.org, March 2008
According to a new WorldPublicOpinion.org poll of 16 nations from
around the world there is a widespread consensus that it is important
for "women to have full equality of rights" and most say
it is very important. This is true in Muslim countries as well as
Western countries. In nearly all countries most people perceive
that in their lifetime women have gained greater equality. Nonetheless,
large majorities would like their government and the United Nations
to take an active role in preventing discrimination.
To read the report, please click
HERE
Violence Against Women in
Burundi: The UN Confirms Concerns of OMCT and ACAT
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and Burundian Christians’
Association for the Abolition of Torture (ACAT), February 7, 2008
PRESS RELEASE: On 1st February 2008, as its 40th session came to
an end, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW) adopted its concluding observations, having
examined the combined second, third and fourth periodic report of
Burundi regarding the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination
of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
To read the press release, please
click
here
Violence Against Women &
Girls Controlled Freedom
Anuradha Rajan, Women's Feature Service, February 2008
According to this report, rape of women heads the list of fastest
growing crimes in the country. Increased reporting of rape in and
by itself is not a negative phenomenon - it could well be signaling
the fact that women are no longer keeping quiet about sexual assaults
on them. On the other hand, increased reporting could also mean
an increase in the incidence of the crime. In either case, the central
point is that crimes against women are coming to light in increasing
numbers and that in and by itself is a serious issue.
To read the report, please click HERE
Women’s rights in the Philippines Today
Olivia H. Tripon, Philippines Human Rights Project,
January 2008
This report on the human rights situation of 44 million Filipino
women will attempt to show the status of women and judge the Philippine
government’s success in enacting national laws enacted to
protect women, as well as implementing those international instruments
it has ratified towards gender equality and gender justice.
The framework of analysis will be
based on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women (CEDAW), which the Philippines ratified in 1981. In
August 2006, the Philippines reported to the CEDAW Committee and
its Concluding Comments revealed the gaps in the fulfillment of
women’s rights. Alongside CEDAW, the status of Filipino women
will also be marked against the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
and its time-bound benchmarks.
To read the full report, please
click HERE
Eliminating Violence against
Women: Pursuing national & regional efforts - A guide for NGO
study and action
Anita Wenden, NGO Committee on the Status of Women
Following the publication of the UN Secretary–General’s
Study on Violence against Women (October 2006), the Third Committee
of the United Nations General Assembly passed the resolution, Intensification
Of Efforts To Eliminate All Forms Of Violence Against Women, later
adopted as GA resolution 61/143. It urges governments to take action
to eliminate all forms of violence against women in a manner that
is systematic, comprehensive and sustained.
Item 7 of this resolution outlines
areas of policy and action to guide governments in these efforts.
This guide is based on these areas. It is prepared for use by NGOs
to familiarize themselves with decisions made by their government
representatives at the United Nations and to review actions their
governments have taken to implement the resolution.
To read the full guide, please click
HERE
OpenDemocracy blog: Middle
east: the terrorized half of our society
Houzan Mahmoud, December 2007
The undeclared war on women continues to victimize women worldwide
on a daily basis; the Middle East is no exception. Women in our
region are amongst the most oppressed and terrorized in the world.
The Islamic law upheld in many Middle Eastern countries has turned
women into slaves with invisible chains.
To read Houzan's full blog, please
click HERE
Human
Rights for Women fg Human Rights for All: UDHR 60
The Center for Women’s Global Leadership, December
2007
The Center for Women’s Global Leadership is committed
to the realization of human rights for all, with a focus on the
rights of women, and is pleased to announce its participation in
the global 60 th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights: Reclaiming the UDHR Campaign. With the slogan, Every Human
Has Rights, different organizations around the world with the support
of The Elders will lead in highlighting key aspects of the human
rights framework each month and call for a worldwide commitment
to realizing human rights.
Ending
Sexual Violence in Darfur: An Advocacy Agenda
Refugees International, December 2007
Sexual violence defines the conflict in Darfur, but international
efforts to prevent and respond to the issue have been insufficient.
While this report critiques the international response, the primary
obstacles to preventing rape and assisting survivors are the perpetrators
and the Sudanese government officials who actively block the work
of international agencies. From police officers who arrest raped
women to the harassment of humanitarian organizations, the Sudanese
government has shown itself unwilling to treat the issue of sexual
violence seriously. Nevertheless, the international community has
also failed to do everything within its power to meet the needs
of survivors of sexual violence in Darfur. This report summarizes
Refugees International’s work on sexual violence in Darfur
through 2006 and includes recommendations for improvement in the
international community’s response.
Doubly
Traumatised: Lack of access to justice for female victims of sexual
and gender-based violence in northern Uganda
Amnesty International, November 2007
Many women and girls in northern Uganda suffer sexual and gender-based
violence committed by state actors, including official authorities
and military officers, and nonstate actors within the family and
in the community. These women victims of violence in northern Uganda
often face insurmountable difficulties in trying to ensure that
the perpetrators are brought to justice. Many are afraid to report
rape and other forms of violence, not only because of intimidation,
hostility and ridicule from the community, but also due to state
inaction in ensuring redress. As a result, the justice system in
northern Uganda ignores, denies and tacitly condones violence against
women and girls and protects suspected perpetrators. Amnesty International
considers victims’ lack of access to justice as an issue of
serious concern warranting the immediate attention of the Ugandan
government and the international community.
Exported
and Exposed: Abuses against Sri Lankan Domestic Workers in Saudi
Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates
Human Rights Watch, November 2007
The 131-page report documents the serious abuses that domestic
workers face at every step of the migration process. It also shows
how the Sri Lankan government and governments in the Middle East
fail to protect these women. The report is based on 170 interviews
with domestic workers, government officials, and labor recruiters
conducted in Sri Lanka and in the Middle East.
Getting
Reparations Right for Victims of Sexual Violence
Amnesty International, November 2007
All victims and survivors of crimes against humanity, war crimes
and other serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian
laws are entitled to justice and reparations. This report focuses
specifically on reparations for survivors of sexual abuse, which
mainly affects women and girls from rural areas in Sierra Leone.
Amnesty International examines the social and individual effects
of sexual violence, the failure of the government to provide measures
to address its impact, including justice and reparations, and the
need for the government to implement a comprehensive and effective
reparations programme to get reparations right for victims of sexual
violence.
To read the Sierra Leonean Government's
response to the report, please click here
Claiming
Rights, Claiming Justice: A Guidebook on Women Human Rights Defenders
APWLD, September 2007
This guidebook is an important initiative to acknowledge the valuable
contribution of women human rights defenders in the promotion and
protection of human rights, and to empower them further in their
role. It builds on their achievements, including those attained
in the framework of the three-year international campaign on women
human rights defenders.
Women
Facing War
ICRC, August 2007
This ICRC study is an extensive reference document on the impact
of armed conflict on the lives of women. Taking as its premise the
needs of women, e.g. physical safety, access to health care, food
and shelter, in situations of armed conflict, the study explores
the problems faced by women in wartime and the coping mechanisms
they employ. A thorough analysis of international humanitarian law,
and to a lesser extent human rights and refugee law, was carried
out as a means to assess the protection afforded to women through
these bodies of law. The study also includes a review of the ICRC's
operational response to the needs of women as victims of armed conflict.
The
situation of girls in War
UNICEF, August 2007
It is clear also that there are categories of children who are especially
vulnerable in situations of armed conflict, such as girls, refugee
and internally displaced children, and child-headed households.
These children require special advocacy, attention and protection.
The girl child is often the victim of sexual violence and exploitation,
and, increasingly, girl children are being recruited into fighting
forces. In intervention initiatives for war-affected children, such
as community-based reintegration programmes for children associated
with fighting forces, it is girls that are most often being bypassed,
even though they are in greatest need of care and services. We miss
girls in our interventions because many of them are unwilling to
come forward in the first place, to be identified as “bush
wives” or to have their children labelled as “rebel
babies.” Communities often stigmatize and ostracize girls
because of their association with rebel groups and the “taint”
of having been raped.
“My
Heart Is Cut”
Human Rights Watch, August 2007
Pro-government and rebel forces in Côte d’Ivoire have
subjected thousands of women and girls to rape and other brutal
sexual assaults with impunity. This 135-page report details the
widespread nature of sexual violence throughout the five-year military-political
crisis. The report, which is based on interviews with more than
180 victims and witnesses, documents how women and girls have been
subjected to individual and gang rape, sexual slavery, forced incest
and other egregious sexual assaults.
UN
expert on violence against women expresses serious concerns following
visit to Democratic Republic of Congo
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights, 30
June 2007
Prof. Yakin Ertürk, Special Rapporteur of the
United Nations Human Rights Council on violence against women, expressed
grave concern over the continuation of violence against women in
DRC.
Laws without Justice:
An Assessment of Sudanese Laws Affecting Survivors of Rape
Refugees International, 27 June 2007
This Refugees International report outlines a system of Sudanese
laws that exposes rape victims to further abuse, shields perpetrators
from prosecution, limits the ability for survivors to receive medical
services and generally denies any access to justice.The report examines
these laws and makes a series of recommendations on how the laws
can be revised.
Engendering
Persecution: Refugee Women, Gender-based Violence and State Responsibility
in South Asia
Oishik Sircar, WISCOMP Discussion Paper 13 (2007)
This monograph makes a case for the development of "gender
asylum law" in South Asia in order to protect women from myriad
forms of gender-based violence during times of active conflict as
well as times of apparent peace.
For information on how to acquire
this publication, please click
HERE
Maze of Injustice –
The Failure to Protect Indigenous Women from Sexual Violence in
the USA
Amnesty International, April 2007
Native American and Alaska Native women in the United States suffer
disproportionately high levels of rape and sexual violence, yet
the federal government has created substantial barriers to accessing
justice.This report is based on research carried out during 2005
and 2006 by Amnesty International USA in consultation with Native
American and Alaska Native organizations and individuals. The research
draws on Amnesty International’s interviews with survivors
of sexual violence and their families, activists, support workers,
service providers and health workers.
For the full report, please click
HERE
The Shame of War: Sexual
Violence Against Women and Girls in Conflict
IRIN, March 2007
This In-Depth examines the scope, nature and perpetrators of
sexual violence during war. It considers how the international community
is addressing sexual violence against women and girls during and
after conflict. Above all, the aim of the In-Depth and book is to
inform, to shock and to join the voices saying ‘Enough’!
Sexual violence against women and girls does not have to be an inevitable
consequence of war.
For more information and to download
the full report, please click
HERE
Côte d’Ivoire: Targeting women: the Forgotten
Victims of the Conflict
Amnesty International, March 2007
This report is the result of research conducted primarily in
2005 and 2006, including interviews in Côte d’Ivoire
with rape victims and their relatives, local human rights activists,
local and international humanitarian organizations.The report contains
recommendations addressed to the Ivorian government as well as the
New Forces, asking them to prevent and eradicate sexual violence
committed by their forces and supporters and put an end to impunity
by bringing those responsible to justice. The report also calls
on all the parties, as well as the international community, to address
the urgent needs of rape victims, in particular, access to adequate
medical care.
For the full report, please click
HERE
Sexual Violence: Weapon
of War, Impediment to Peace
Forced Migration Review, Issue 27, January 2007
This special issue of the Forced Migration Review includes
features exploring the challenges and opportunities for combating
sexual violence in conflict, post-conflict and development recovery
contexts. Produced in collaboration with UNFPA, this special issue
builds on the momentum created by the international symposium on
'Sexual violence in conflict and beyond' held in Brussels in June
2006, convened by UNFPA, the European Commission and the Government
of Belgium. Articles focus on key issues and challenges, highlight
examples of good practice, and present practice-oriented recommendations
for uptake by policy makers and funders.
For more information click HERE
To read the full issue click HERE
Action on Gender Based Violence and HIV/AIDS: Bringing Together
Research, Policy, Programming and Advocacy
Center for Women's Global Leadership, January 2007
In response to the human rights and public health crises posed by
both the HIV pandemic and the unabating levels of gender-based violence
(GBV), policy makers, activists and programmers at international,
regional and national levels have in recent years bolstered attention
to the conceptual and methodological intersections of work in these
areas. A small group of organizations and experts working at the
intersection of GBV and HIV came together to share lessons learned
from working from a variety of entry points, including human rights,
gender, feminism, sexuality, and sexual rights, at global, national
and local levels, using various methods and within different country
contexts. This brief report summarizes discussions, outcomes, and
recommendations from the consultation.
For the full report , please click HERE
The girl child
and armed conflict: Recognizing and addressing grave violations
of girls’ human rights
UN Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) in collaboration
with UNICEF, September 2006
During armed conflict, girls are subject to widespread
and, at times, systematic forms of human rights violations that
have mental, emotional, spiritual, physical and material repercussions.
These violations include illegal detention with or without family
members, abduction and forced removal from families and homes, disappearances,
torture and other inhuman treatment, amputation and mutilation,
forced recruitment into fighting forces and groups, slavery, sexual
exploitation, increased exposure to HIV/AIDS, and a wide range of
physical and sexual violations, including rape, enforced pregnancy,
forced prostitution, forced marriage and forced child-bearing.There
is urgent need for better documentation, monitoring and reporting
on the extreme suffering that armed conflict inflicts on girls,
as well as on the many roles girls play during conflict and its
aftermath.
For the full report, please click HERE
The
Protracted Campaign for Women's Human Rights in Africa
An interview with Faiza Jama Mohamed, Africa Regional Director,
Equality Now, about the ongoing campaign for full ratification of
the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People's Rights,
on the Rights of Women in Africa (ACHPR). October 27, 2006
For the complete interview, please
click HERE
Sexual
Violence in Conflict: Making Data Work for Change
Geneva Centre for the Democratic Contro of Armed Forces & Alliance
for Direct Action against Rape in Conflicts and Crises, Geneva,
August 2006
Although anecdotal reports indicate the scale and gravity of sexual
violence in conflicts and crises, donors and humanitarian groups
consistently call for better documentation of sexual violence in
conflict. In 2006, the Alliance for Direct Action Against Rape in
Conflicts and Crises (AllianceDARC) was formed to bring concerted
action to the issue of sexual violence in conflict-affected settings.
As a founding member of AllianceDARC, the Geneva Centre for the
Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) has initiated a project
to compile and analyse available data on sexual violence in conflict,
build consensus around best practices for data collection and analysis,
as well as to publish and publicise existing data, for improved
advocacy.
To download the entire paper, please click
HERE
Brussels
Call to Action to Address Sexual Violence in Conflict and Beyond
International Symposium on Sexual Violence in Conflict and Beyond,
Brussels, 21-23 June 2006
At the conclusion of this symposium, delegates issued a call for
urgent and long-term action against sexual violence in all its forms,
in conflict and beyond.
"We are deeply concerned that the response to sexual violence
in conflict and beyond is grossly inadequate when compared to the
scope of the phenomenon and agree with the report of the independent
experts on women, war and peace, that the standards of protection
for women affected by conflict are glaring in their inadequacy,
as is the international response. We recognize the urgency of addressing
sexual and gender-based violence as a priority."
To read the rest of the statement, please click HERE
Statement:
Sri Lankan Combatants Rape Women to Terrorize
Mannar
Women for Human rights and Democracy, Sri Lanka, June 18, 2006
Mannar has now become the battle ground between the Sri
Lankan Navy and the Sea Tigers. Women here are afraid of being raped
by the armed forces in retaliation for any attacks. This note from
Mannar Women for Human Rights and Democracy adds that this has happened
many times in the past and things could only get worse, since the
forces are now officially allowed to wear face masks in order to
protect their identity as happened, for instance, at the Pesalai
church on June 17th.
The
Annual Report of the International Helsinki Federation for Human
Rights (IHF)
IHF annual report on Human Rights Violations, June
2006
The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) is
an international, nongovernmental organization constituted by national
Helsinki Committees and Cooperating Organizations in the participating
States of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE). The Annual Report of the International Helsinki Federation
for Human Rights (IHF) is a report about human rights developments
in Helsinki signatory states.
Sexual
Violence Against Women and Girls in War and Its Aftermath: Realities,
Responses, and Required Resources
United Nations Populations Fund Briefing Paper, June 2006
Prepared as a briefing paper for the Symposium on Sexual Violence
in Conflict and Beyond, this document examines the nature and scope
of violence against war-affected women and children, provides an
overview of existing programmes and resources to combat it, and
ends with an assessment of progress to date and challenges.
A
New Manual: ''Documenting women's rights violations by non-state
actors''
WLUML,
By Jan Bauer and Anissa Hélie, May 2006
This manual, specifically addressed to groups and individuals not
well versed in legal matters, provides tools to human rights activists
and defenders who investigate violence perpetrated against women
by non-state actors. Its goal is to offer guidance with regard to
the legal definitions and human rights protection mechanisms that
may help them compel States to fulfil their obligation to protect.
It presents concrete examples of particular forms of violence committed
against women by non-state actors and models of strategies that
have been used effectively, particularly in Muslim communities.
Business
as Usual: Violence against Women in the Globalized Economy of the
Americas
An Amnesty International Canada Briefing Paper, May
2006
The Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and
Eradication of Violence against Women celebrated its 10th anniversary
in 2004, as did the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination
of Violence against Women a year earlier. Yet throughout the countries
of the Americas, longstanding and pervasive violence against women
and violations of women’s human rights remain widespread,
jeopardizing the welfare and safety of vast numbers of women.
Violence
against girls in Africa during armed conflicts and crises
International Committee of the Red Cross, 11-12 May 2006
The following paper address the issue of violence against girls
in Africa during armed conflicts and crises. It draws attention
to the many different ways in which girls experience such situations
and briefly presents some of the activities carried out by the ICRC
to protect and assist them.
GBV in Conflict-Affected Settings: A Series from ARC International
ARC International's latest publication series addresses
the critical global issue of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Conflict-Affected
Settings. The publication series was designed specifically to help
communities and humanitarian workers to assess the situation in
their particular setting and to determine the needs and next steps
to implementing comprehensive and multi-sectoral programs to address
GBV. A special emphasis has been given to the provision of legal
aid, as that is a sector often neglected.
Part
1: Gender-Based Violence Legal Aid: A Participatory Toolkit
The participatory toolkit includes a GBV Legal Aid Matrix and participatory
exercises to aid in the design of programs to address GBV.
Part
2:Community Safety Initiative Gender-Based Violence Program
This book offers an overview of ARC International’s Community
Safety Initiative (CSI) GBV program in Guinea, West Africa. The
goal of the program is to prevent and respond to GBV among Albadaria
refugees by increasing their safety and awareness.
Part
3:Legal Aspects of Violence Against Refugee Women in Kissidougou
Town and Albadariah Camps
This book covers a survey that was conducted in Guinea to assess
knowledge, attitudes and practices around GBV, particularly as they
relate to legal assistance and protection under Guinean laws, in
the Albadariah camps and Kissidougou, Guinea.
Part
4:An Overview of the Fern Holland Legal Aid Clinic
ARC International’s initial Legal Aid Clinic was established
in N’Zerekore, Guinea in March of 2003 to provide free legal
services for survivors of GBV.
Displaced
Women and Girls At Risk: Risk Factors, Protection Solutions and
Resource Tools
Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children,
February 2006
There is a growing understanding among practitioners and
policy makers that the experiences of women and girls vary significantly
from that of men during flight, in exile and once peace has been
brokered or populations return home. Less, however, is understood
about the many forms of
violence and risks to women’s safety and wellbeing during
various phases of displacement, and how to address them.
Beyond
Firewood: Fuel Alternatives and Protection Strategies for Displaced
Women and Girls
Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children,
March 2006
In the report, Beyond Firewood: Fuel Alternatives and Protection
Strategies for Displaced Women and Girls, the Women’s Commission
outlines alternative fuel options, firewood collection techniques
and other protection strategies that should be used in displaced
and refugee situations worldwide.To be effective,
however, all strategies aimed at reducing the threat to women and
girls should be accompanied by the development of income-generation
activities. Women and girls must be able to earn a living in ways
other than collecting or selling firewood.
Forgotten
Casualties of War: Girls in Armed Conflict
Save the Children, April 28, 2005
Save the Children is today calling on world leaders to better protect
the large numbers of vulnerable and innocent girls whose lives are
destroyed every year by conflict, with the launch a new report ‘"Forgotten
Casualties of War: Girls in Armed Conflict". The report identifies
a ‘"hidden army" of girls, some as young as eight,
who are abducted against their will to live life in the army. The
roles of the girls vary from being actual soldiers through to serving
as porters, cleaners and cooks. Almost all are forced to serve as
sex slaves or ‘"wives".
WLB Statement on the International Day for the Elimination
of Violence Against Women
Women's League of Burma, November 25, 2005
In order to end violence against women and girls, governments
in other countries are taking necessary measures from the
community to the state level, amending domestic legislation to protect
the rights of women and girls, and to empower women. However, in
Burma, the Burmese military regime, namely SPDC, has continued
committing systematic violence against women and girls. SPDC
(State Peace and Development Council) is neglecting the education,
health, and social welfare of the people while abusing national
revenue to hold onto power and prolong military rule in Burma.
Women in Armed Opposition
Groups in Africa and the Promotion of International Humanitarian
Law and Human Rights
Geneva Call and the Program for the Study of International
Organizations, Addis Ababa, 23-26 November 2005
The objective of the 2005 Addis Ababa workshop was to identify ways
of strengthening the understanding and observance of international
humanitarian law and human rights law within the African armed groups
and their political wings. At the same time, the workshop sought
to contribute to African and international organizations’
understanding of and ability to work with armed opposition groups
to promote and uphold international humanitarian and human rights
norms. Four topics were discussed during the workshop: humanitarian
law, human rights law, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration
(DDR) and transition into governance roles. This report presents
information and analyses that came out of these four thematic working
groups.
For the full report, please click
HERE
Gender and
International Justice:Reparations for Crimes against Women in Conflict
and Post-conflict Contexts
Peace Research Center, Bulletin
InfoCIP No.7, November 2005
The Centro de Investigación para la Paz (The
Peace Research Center, CIP-FUHEM) is a research and education institute
which analyzes international issues from a multidisciplinary perspective.
It deals with armed conflicts, their causes and the actors involved,
prevention and rehabilitation processes, and the effects of globalization
on development. This Bulletin focuses on the key aspects of justice
and reparations facing women during armed the conflicts of Colombia
and Sri Lanka
Women and Peacebuilding in Africa
Centre for Conflict Resolution, United Nations Development Fund
for Women, 27-28 October 2005
The Centre for Conflict Resolution (CCR) in Cape Town, South Africa,
and the United Nations (UN) Development Fund for Women’s (UNIFEM)
Southern and Central African Regional Offices cohosted a policy
advisory group meeting on “The Impact of United Nations Security
Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security in Africa”,
on 27 and 28 October 2005. The intention of this seminar was to
review the progress of the implementation of the resolution in Africa
in the five years since its adoption by the United Nations in 2000.
Women In An Insecure World
Marie Vlachovà and Lea Biason (eds), Geneva Centre for
the Democratic Control of Armed Forces, September 2005
“Women in an Insecure World” takes stock of the scope
and magnitude of violence experienced by women in daily life, during
armed conflict and in post-conflict situations. It aims to increase
awareness among governments, donors, policy makers, academics, experts
and civil society about the pervasive forms of violence against
women.
It also highlights the active role of women in peacemaking and post-conflict
reconstruction. For what makes women's role in combating violence
indispensable is not the omnipresence and magnitude of their victimisation,
but the fact that women demonstrate the capacity to overcome the
trauma of violent acts, to survive and help in the survival of others,
and to contribute actively to defending and building peace. The
book provides analytical data and statistics, legal documents and
policy recommendations, complemented by feature stories and illustrations.
Over 60 different authors, representing the major international
organisations, governments, NGOs and Think Tanks dealing with gender
issues, have contributed to this book.
For full report go to: http://www.dcaf.ch/women/pb_women_ex_sum.pdf
'DON'T
FORGET US': THE EDUCATION AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE PROTECTION NEEDS
OF ADOLESCENT GIRLS From Darfur In Chad
H. Heninger, M. McKenna, Women's Commission for Refugee
Women and Children, July 2005
This document examines the conditions in a number of refugee camps
for people from Darfur in Chad, focusing on education needs and
protection from gender-based violence for adolescent girls.
Women, Terror, Religion, Democracy: An Interactive Dialogue
Club de Madrid, The International Summit on Terrorism and Democracy,
Panel transcript, Madrid, Spain, 9 March 2005
Panellists included A. El Bindari Hammad, Mahnaz Afkhami, Huda Imam,
Morena Herrera Argueta, John Raines. Michael Conroy, Program Officer,
Rockefeller Brothers Foundation, served as the moderator. All members
of the panel stressed the harms of widespread gender-based violence.
But there was less agreement on the extent to which this violence
should be incorporated under the term “terror”. Participants
generally stressed that religion has been used to legitimize terrorist
activity as well as violence against women, but that it was also
a resource for justice. An audience member pointed to the valuable
work of women activists reinterpreting religious texts to emphasize
women’s positive role in Muslim cultures. It was also stressed
that fundamentalism was not limited to Muslim culture and society,
but is present in other religious communities. Democracy, all agreed,
means more than elections. It means implementing a set of resources
conducive to the empowerment of those who do not have a voice. It
means a bottom-up, sharing, endogenous, community-building process.
Democracy needs to address disparities of all kinds, including those
resulting from uneven distribution of wealth and what was termed
the fundamentalism of the market.
So
does it mean that we have the rights? Protecting the human rights
of women and girls trafficked for forced prostitution in Kosovo
Amnesty International, 2004
Since the deployment in July 1999 of an international peacekeeping
force (KFOR) and the establishment of the United Nations Interim
Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) civilian administration,
Kosovo(6) has become a major destination country for women and girls
trafficked into forced prostitution.
Women's Rights are Not Negotiable:
African Regional NGO Report on the Review and Assessment of the
Beijing Platform for Action
WiLDAF (Ed) on behalf of the NGO Forum, October 2004
Rapport
synthèse des ONG d’Afrique de l’Ouest sur la
mise en oeuvre de la plateforme d’action de Beijing
WiLDAF/FeDDAF Afrique de l’Ouest représentant les ONG
d’Afrique de l’Ouest , Lomé,
Togo, Août 2004
Lives
Blown Apart: Crimes Against Women in Times of Conflict
Amnesty International, December 2004
This report attempts to explore some of the underlying reasons for
violence against women. Evidence gathered by Amnesty International
in recent years supports the view that conflict reinforces and exacerbates
existing patterns of discrimination and violence against women.
The violence women suffer in conflict is an extreme manifestation
of the discrimination and abuse women face in peacetime, and the
unequal power relations between men and women in most societies.
In peacetime, such attitudes contribute to the widespread acceptance
of domestic violence, rape and other forms of sexual abuse against
women. When political tensions and increasing militarization spill
over into outright conflict, these habitual attitudes and abuses
take on new dimensions and distinctive patterns, and all forms of
violence increase, including rape and other forms of sexual violence
against women.
Mexico:
Indigenous women and military injustice
Amnesty International, November 2004
Rights
and Security for Women
Oxfam-Netherlands (Novib), 2004
“I
have no joy, no peace of mind": Medical, Psychosocial and Economic
Consequences of Sexual Violence in Eastern DRC
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)-Holland, March 2004
This report by MSF aims to bring greater attention to the terrible
medical, psychosocial, and socio-economic consequences of sexual
violence in Eastern DRC. It is based on medical data and testimonies
collected in MSF’s project in Baraka, which is but one location
in Eastern Congo that has been scarred by this terrible feature
of the war. With the establishment of Transitional Government in
July 2003, major advances have been achieved in the peace process
in the DRC, and in many places there has thankfully been a stop
to fighting and a decrease in attacks on civilians. The legacy of
war and the extent to which sexual violence has occurred, is only
just beginning to become apparent. While the number of new cases
of sexual violence may have decreased, the phenomenon is ongoing
and the scars on people’s lives remain extremely deep.
Seeking
Accountability on Women's Human Rights: Women Debate the UN Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs)
Women's International Coalition for Economic Justice (WICEJ),
January 2004
WICEJ launched this publication at the World Social Forum in Mumbai,
India, in January 2004 and at the UN Commission on the Status of
Women (CSW) in New York in March 2004. There is much discussion
among women’s organizations about the MDGs—on whether
and how to engage. From internet conversations and articles to national
and international meetings, women are exploring whether the MDGs
are useful tools for advancing their agenda of gender equality,
economic justice and peace. To order a hard copy, contact: info@wicej.org
Women
and war: implementation of the ICRC pledge to the 27th International
Conference
Dr. Jakob Kellenberger, President of the ICRC,
28th International Conference of the Red Cross
and Red Crescent, 4 December 2003
Violence
Against Women in War Network
2003
Climate of Fear : Sexual
Violence and Abduction of Women and Girls in Baghdad
Human Rights Watch, July 2003
At a time when insecurity is on the rise in Baghdad, women and girls
in Baghdad told Human Rights Watch that the insecurity and fear
of sexual violence or abduction is keeping them in their homes,
out of schools, and away from work and looking for employment. The
failure of the occupying power to protect women and girls from violence,
and redress it when it occurs, has both immediate and long-term
negative implications for the safety of women and girls and for
their participation in post-war life in Iraq.
Standpoint, Viewpoint: Guidelines
for Regional Consultations with the United Nations Special Rapporteur
on Violence Against Women
Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development, 2003
The guidelines are structured to provide a brief overview of the
role of the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, the
reasons for conducting consultations, its impact, as well as its
limitations. order this publication
On
the Integration of the Human Rights of Women and the Gender Perspective
and on its sub-item a: Violence Against Women
Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD), UN
Commission on Human Rights, 59th Session, April 2003
On
the Integration of the Human Rights of Women and the Gender Perspective
and on its sub-item a: Violence Against Women
International Human Rights Law Group (IHRLG), UN Commission
on Human Rights, 59th Session, April 2003
On the Integration of the Human Rights
of Women and the Gender Perspective and on its sub-item a: Violence
Against Women
Center on Housing Rights and Evictions
(COHRE), UN Commission on
Human Rights, 59th Session, April 2003
A
Cautionary Tale from Kosovar Women to Women in Post-War Iraq
Igo Rogova, Kosova Women's Network, April 2003
Women
Facing War
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), March 2003
The ICRC made an independent examination on the situation of war-affected
women and their activities. It draws drawing lessons from both past
and current experiences, focusing on subjects such as personal safety,
sexual violence, displacement, access to health care, food and shelter,
and on less talked-of matters like the problem of missing relatives
and its impact on survivors. The ICRC study identifies and analyses
women's needs; examines international humanitarian law, human rights
law and refugee law, and assesses the extent to which they meet
the above-mentioned needs, and presents a list of recommendations.
Informe
Sobre Violencia Sociopolitica Contra Mujeres, Jovenes y Ninas en
Colombia
Mesa de Trabajo Mujer y Conflicto Armado, Tercer Informe, Bogota,
el febrero de 2003
If
Not Now, When? Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Refugee, Internally
Displaced and Post-Conflict Settings: A Global Overview
Jeanne Ward, The Reproductive Health for Refugees Consortium,
2002
The overall objective of this report is to provide a baseline narrative
account of some of the major issues, programming efforts and gaps
in programming related to the prevention of and response to gender-
based violence (GBV) among conflict-affected populations worldwide.
Other outcomes of the initiative, including an extensive web-based
bibliography of GBV resources at www.rhrc.org/resources/gbv/bib
and a RHRC field manual for GBV assessment, program design, and
evaluation, are meant to supplement the findings of this report
with practical and field-friendly tools, as well as educational
and training materials. The report is composed of twelve country
profile: three each for Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America.
Women's Human Rights
World Report 2002
Human Rights Watch, 2002
This report features a section on women in conflict and as refugees
as well as human rights development, women's status in the family,
labor rights, trafficking in women, violence against women, and
the role of women in the international community.
Women's
Rights Violations During the Conflict in the Democratic Republic
of the Congo from August 2, 1998 to September 30, 2001
en francais
Lisette Banza Mbombo and Christian Hemedi Bayolo, International
Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development
This Report documents the horrors endured by war-affected women
during a three-year period of an ongoing war in the Democratic Republic
of Congo (DRC). The report is divided into two parts. The first
offers a commentary on the situation of Congolese women in the context
of the current armed conflict, and lays out the conditions for their
effective participation in the ongoing peace process. The second
part consists of appendices presenting the views of Congolese women
on the suffering they have experienced, followed by a series of
tables listing specific cases illustrative of the acts of violence
committed. The two authors call for the establishment by the United
Nations of independent commissions of inquiry to "determine
the full magnitude of the violence, and identify all those responsible,
regardless of their status (political, military, civilian, official,
non-official, national or foreign)... considering the gravity of
the facts presented in this paper."
Gender-Based
Violence: Emerging Issues in Programs Serving Displaced Populations
Beth Vann, Reproductive Health for Refugees Consortium, September
2002
A Comparative Study of Women
Trafficked in the Migration Process
Coalition Against Trafficking of Women, 2002
This study addresses the patterns, profiles and health consequences
of sexual exploitation in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand,
Venezuela and the United States. order
this study
Sexual
Violence within the Sierra Leone Conflict
Human Rights Watch (HRW), 2001
This posting contains a statement from HRW on the use of sexual
violence in the conflict in Sierra Leone. Although the statement
faults rebels' systematic use of sexual violence, it also critiques
the government and the UN force for making 'very little effort ...
to protect women and girls from attack by rebel groups', and for
not providing sufficient safeguards against abuses by pro-government
forces as well.
Broken Bodies, Shattered Minds:
Torture and Ill-Treatment of Women
Amnesty International, 8 March 2001
This report highlights the fact that torture of women is a daily
reality, rooted in pervasive discrimination that continues to deny
women full equality with men and that legitimizes violence against
women. This report is one of a series of publications issued by
Amnesty International as part of its worldwide campaign against
torture. order
this publication
Annotated
Guide to the UN Trafficking Protocol
The Annotated Guide combines the Convention Against Transnational
Organized Crime, the Trafficking Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and
Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, and
the Interpretative Notes (Travaux Preparatoires) to the Trafficking
Protocol into one document. The annotations provide guidance on
all of the important sections of the complete Trafficking Protocol.
Violence Against Women: A Report
World Organization Against Torture (OMCT), 2001
In 1998 OMCT initiated a study to investigate violence against women.
The purpose of this study was to compare the responses of United
Nations human rights bodies and mechanisms set up to deal with violence
against women to the reality of national situations where serious
violations of women's human rights take place.
The first part of this report looks at the international human rights
system. It seeks to provide an understanding of the international
human rights framework and its weaknesses in addressing adequately
violence against women. The second part of the report discusses,
from a de jure et de facto point of view , violence against women
in 78 countries around the world . This section is based on the
results of a questionnaire addressing domestic, community and state
level issues which was sent to the 240 plus organisation members
of the SOS Torture network, as well as to organisations active in
the field of women rights.
Violence contre les femmes: un rapport
Organisation mondiale contre la torture (OMCT), 2001
En 1998, l'OMCT a entrepris une étude destinée à
enquêter sur la violence contre les femmes. Le but de cette
étude était de confronter les réponses des
organes des Nations Unies chargés de surveiller l'application
des traités et des mécanismes traitant de la violence
contre les femmes à la réalité de situations
nationales où se produisent de graves atteintes aux droits
des femmes.
La première partie de ce rapport, qui porte sur le droit
international relatif aux droits de l'homme, a pour objectif de
permettre une compréhension de la structure internationale
des droits de l'homme, ainsi que de ses faiblesses, lorsqu'il s'agit
d'apporter des réponses adéquates au problème
de la violence contre les femmes. La seconde partie de ce rapport
expose, de jure et de facto , la violence contre les femmes dans
78 pays du monde . Cette partie est basée sur les résultats
d'un questionnaire portant sur la violence à l'égard
des femmes sur les plans domestique, sociétal et étatique,
qui été envoyé au 240 ONG membres du réseau
SOS-Torture, ainsi qu'à des organisations actives dans le
domaine des droits des femmes.
Investigating
Women's Human Rights Violations In Armed Conflicts
Amnesty International Publications and The International Centre
for Human Rights and Democratic Development, Manual, 2001
Th[is] manual provides a step-by-step description of a gender- sensitive
approach to research and suggests ways of addressing the specific
challenges faced by women’s rights workers. The booklets each
focus on the monitoring and documenting of specific categories of
women’s rights violations. They help the reader prepare for
fact-finding missions, provide guidelines for the collection and
analysis of evidence, and include a checklist for conducting interviews.
Rape as a Weapon of War and a Tool of Political Repression
Human Rights Watch (HRW), Global
Report on Women's Human Rights, 1996
Widely committed and seldom denounced, rape and sexual assault of
women in situations of conflict have been viewed more as the spoils
of war than as illegitimate acts that violate humanitarian law.
As a consequence, women, whether combatants or civilians, have been
targeted for rape while their attackers go without punishment. Not
until the international outcry rose in response to reports of mass
rape in the former Yugoslavia did the international community confront
rape as a war crime and begin to take steps to punish those responsible
for such abuse. Rape, nonetheless, has long been mischaracterized
and dismissed by military and political leaders—those in a
position to stop it—as a private crime, a sexual act, the ignoble
act of the occasional soldier; worse still, it has been accepted
precisely because it is so commonplace.
UN Document
Statement by the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights on the occasion of the 8th Session
of the Human Rights Council Meeting on Human Rights of Women
Ms. Louise Arbour, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva,
5 June 2008
To view the statement, please click HERE
Project on a Mechanism to Address Laws
That Discriminate Against Women
Commissioned by Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
–Women’s Rights and Gender Unit, March 2008
The aim of the project was to examine the advisability of creating
a new mechanism to address laws that discriminate against women.
The terms of reference specified two key objectives. The first was
to overview existing UN mechanisms to ascertain the extent to which
they addressed the issue of discriminatory laws. This involved interviewing
UN human rights and agency officials working in both Geneva and
New York and also reviewing the reports and jurisprudence of human
rights committees and special procedure mechanisms. The second was
to try to get national data on laws that discriminate against women.
This was to be done by means of a questionnaire. On the basis of
the data gathered, the consultant was required to advise on whether
a special mechanism addressing discriminatory laws was needed.
To view the report, please click HERE
Indicators to measure violence against
women
UNDAW, UNECE, UNSD, october 2007
Report prepared for a UN Expert Group Meeting (which assists the
Commission on the Status of Women) outlines a number of possible
indicators of violence against women, so as to aid states in creating
evidence-based policy.
The report intends to develop indicators which can measure the "scope,
prevalence, and incidence" of violence against women. The importance
of such indicators is that they can assess whether a policy addressing
violence against women is deteriorating or improving the number
of occurences of violence against women in that state.
The report covers a full discussion of indicators of violence against
women, including: an overview of what indicators are, an overview
of current initiatives and indicators used by various states, the
numerous options for developing indicators to measure violence against
women, and recommendations for a best indicator policy.
To read the full report, please click HERE
Women Building Peace and Preventing Sexual
Violence in Conflict-Affected Contexts
UNIFEM, October 2007
UNIFEM is directly tackling the challenge of implementing SCR
1325 at the community level in order to build women’s’
engagement in peace-building and public decision-making, and to
protect women and children in communities around the world. This
paper is a background review of community-based peace-building initiatives.
It is intended to inform UNIFEM’s program “Supporting
Women’s Engagement in Peace-Building and Preventing Sexual
Violence in Conflict: Community-Led Approaches.” The paper
examines the barriers women face, and highlights examples of women’s
successful engagement in peace-building that were selected on the
basis of being simple yet innovative and explicitly community-based.
To view the report, please click
here
New CD-Rom Documents 25
Years of Work in Eliminating Discrimination Against Women
A new CD-ROM issued by the United Nations Division for the Advancement
of Women provides easy access to 25 years of work of the Committee
on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.
For more information, please click
HERE
Final statement from the
Regional Conference on Men as Partners to End Violence Against Women
(EVAW)
This Conference, organized by the Ministry of Social Development
and Human Security, Royal Thai Government, the UNIFEM East and Southeast
Asia Regional Office, Bangkok and the UNIFEM National Committees
of Australia and Singapore, was held on 3-4 September 2007, in Bangkok
Thailand.
To read the final statement of the
Conference please click HERE
Universal Human Rights Index
of United Nations Documents
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Official Document
System of the United Nations
The Universal Human Rights Index (Index) is designed primarily to
facilitate access to human rights documents issued by the UN human
rights treaty bodies and the special procedures of the Human Rights
Council. The Index offers instant access to objective and comprehensive
UN information on human rights situations around the world. The
information compiled in the Index will enable users to gain an international
perspective on national and regional human rights developments,
as well as an overview on cooperation between States and international
institutions.
To access the index, please click
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In-depth
study on all forms of violence against women, Report of the Secretary-General
United Nations General Assembly, October 2006
The study, which was called for by the General Assembly in December
2003, examines many forms and manifestations of violence against
women in a wide range of settings, including the family, the community,
State custody and institutions, armed conflict and refugee and situations
involving internally displaced persons (IDPs).
For full study, please click HERE
Women
and Peacebuilding in Africa
Centre for Conflict Resolution, United Nations Development Fund
for Women, 27-28 October 2005
The Centre for Conflict Resolution (CCR) in Cape Town, South Africa,
and the United Nations (UN) Development Fund for Women’s (UNIFEM)
Southern and Central African Regional Offices cohosted a policy
advisory group meeting on “The Impact of United Nations Security
Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security in Africa”,
on 27 and 28 October 2005. The intention of this seminar was to
review the progress of the implementation of the resolution in Africa
in the five years since its adoption by the United Nations in 2000.
Galvanizing Action to Combat Violence Against Women:
Consultative workshop concerning the UN Secretary-General’s
in-depth study on all forms of violence against women
Division for the Advancement of Women, New York, 6–7
September 2005
Violence
Against Women: Interim Report to the General Assembly
Secretary-General Kofi Annan, New York, 10 August 2005
United
Nations SG Message on the International Day for the Elimination
of Violence Against Women
Secretary-General Kofi Annan, New York, 25 November 2004
OCHA
on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict
Under-Secretary General Jan Egeland,
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN
Open Meeting of the Security Council, 9 December 2003
Secretary-General's
Bulletin on special measures for protection from sexual exploitation
and sexual abuse
9 October 2003
Integration
of the Human Rights of Women and the Gender Perspective: Violence
Against Women
Commission on Human Rights, Resolution, E/CN.4/2003/L.52,
14 April 2003
Statement
of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women
Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women,
Item 12a: Violence Against Women, 9 April 2003
Statement of the Special Rapporteur
on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions
Asma Jahangir, Item 11b: Civil and Political Rights, Including the
Questions of Disappearances and Summary Executions, 8 April 2003
Report
of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women
Radhika Coomaraswamy,
Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, 6
January 2003
Integration
of the Human Rights of Women and the Gender Perspective: Violence
Against Women in Colombia
Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Rapporteur on Violence Against
Women, 11 March 2002
This report contains the findings of the Special Rapporteur on violence
against women following her visit to Colombia on official mission
in November 2001, during which she met with members of the Women's
International League for Peace and Freedom-Colombia section, to
investigate, assess and report on the impact of the conflict on
the human rights of women. The role of violence against women as
a part of the internal armed conflict in Colombia has been overshadowed
by the numerous other problems facing the country. The Special Rapporteur
documents the impact of internal conflict on women the widespread
and systematic nature gender-based violence and the various forms
of it that are suffered. Rarely is there direct confrontation between
the different armed groups, rather these armed groups attempt to
settle their scores by attacking civilians suspected of supporting
the other side. Although men are the most common victims of summary
executions and massacres, violence against women, particularly sexual
violence by armed groups, has become a common practice within the
context of a slowly degrading conflict and a lack of respect for
international humanitarian law.
Resolution
Working Towards the Elimination of Crimes Against Women Committed
in the Name of Honour
General Assembly, A/RES/55/66, 31 January 2001
Government
Statements and Reports
WHO
Ethical and Safety Recommendations for Researching, Documenting
and Monitoring Sexual Violence in Emergencies
UN WHO, July 2007
Blueprint of the Council
of Europe Campaign to Combat Violence against Women, including Domestic
Violence
Task Force to Combat Violence against Women, including
domestic violence, Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 21 June
2006
Protection of women against violence in the family or domestic unit
should be placed at the highest political level in all Council of
Europe member states, and should consequently be allocated the necessary
financial resources. All member states should be committed to preventing
this type of violence, to protect its victims and provide adequate
services, legal redress and compensation as well as to prosecute,
punish and provide treatment to the perpetrators. In addition, member
states should raise awareness of this problem with all available
means, in particular through the media and educational curricula.
For more information, please click
HERE
Final
Declaration of the African Parliamentary Conference on Violence
against Women, Abandoning Female Genital Mutilation: The Role of
parliaments
The National Assembly of Senegal and the African Parliamentary Union,
in cooperation with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
Dakar, Senegal, 4 - 5 December 2005
Every year, 3 million girls and women are subjected to female genital
mutilation and cutting (FGMC). FGMC is an act of violence against
women that must be combated by a number of actors, including parliaments.
This regional Conference made it possible for parliamentarians from
African countries to exchange views, and helped build a better understanding
of the role Parliaments should play in fighting FGMC. Specifically,
the conference emphasized the means available to eradicate this
practice not only through laws, but also through societal changes
and action at the local level.
Putrajaya Declaration and Programme of Action on the Advancement
of Women in Member Countries of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Putrajaya, Malaysia, 10 May 2005
We, the Ministers and other Heads of Delegation from Member Countries
of NAM met in Putrajaya, Malaysia, from 9-10 May 2005, to discuss
issues faced by women in the era of globalization recognize that
the participation of women and the integration of their perspectives,
in all sectors and at all levels, are essential to their empowerment
and to the achievement of gender equality and equity...We commit
ourselves to:...Develop mechanisms that affirm and and promote the
role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and
in peacebuilding and stresses the importance of their full and equal
participation in all efforts to maintain and promote peace and security
and the need to increase their role in decision-making with regard
to conflict prevention and resolution and the rebuilding of post-conflict
societies;...
Governmental
statements at the Security Council Open Debate on women, peace and
security, with an emphasis on gender-based violence
UN headquarters, New York, 28 October 2004
The
Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement and their Pertinence
to Governments in the ECOWAS Region
ECOWAS/IOM Workshop on International Migration in West Africa,
30 September 2002
Erin D. Mooney, Deputy Director, The Brookings-SAIS Project
on Internal Displacement
The Principles on internal dispacement were developed by the
Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Internally
Displaced Persons, working in close collaboration with a team of
experts in international law and in consultation with a wide range
of international agencies and NGOs, regional organizations and experts
in internal displacement worldwide. The process occurred over a
four-year period. It culminated in 1998 when the Representative
presented the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement to the
UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva.
Beijing
Platform for Action: Violence Against Women
1995
Books, Journals
and Articles
Violence and Gender in the
Globalized World -
The Intimate and the Extimate
Sanja Bahun-Radunovic, University of Essex, UK and V.G. Julie
Rajan, Rutgers University, USA, August 2008
Violence and Gender in the Globalized World expands the present
discourse on gender and violence, discovering new ways to address
the complexities encountered in academic research on the topic.
Through the introduction of a variety of uncommonly discussed geopolitical
sites and dynamics, the book redefines the critical picture of gender
violence in the age of globalization, adopting diverse methodological
approaches and various disciplinary praxes in its investigation
of the question of violence against women across the globe. With
an international team of contributors comprising both scholars and
activists, this volume bridges the gap between academic and activist
perspectives on gender violence. As such, it will be of interest
to anyone conducting research in the areas of gender and sexuality,
human rights, cultural studies, political science, history, postcolonialism
and colonialism, sociology, anthropology, philosophy and religion.
For more information, please click HERE
Culture of misogyny,
illegal occupation, fuel sexual violence in military
Helen Benedict, published on AWID, August 2008
An alarming number of women soldiers are being sexually abused by
their comrades-in-arms, both at war and at home. This fact has received
a fair amount of attention lately from researchers and the press
— and deservedly so. This article is adapted from The
Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq, to be
published by Beacon Press in April 2009.
Gender-Based Violence
Oxfam, September 2007.
This book brings together some of the most interesting and innovative
work being done to tackle gender-based violence in various sectors,
world regions, and socio-political contexts. Articles cover a wide
range of manifestations of gender-based violence, including femicide,
or the murder of women because they are women, domestic and sexual
violence, female genital mutilation or cutting, the sexual exploitation
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PeaceWomen 