INTERNATIONAL: United Nations Committee Decries Rise in Violence Against Women

New York, US - The Vice-Chair of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Ms. Xiaoqaio Zou, has decried the rise in discrimination and violence against women. 'Despite progress in the realization of women's rights across the world, challenges remain. Prime among these are discrimination and violence against women, in particular sexual violence, which are prevalent in many parts of the world and are on the rise,' Zou said.

Presenting a report of CEDAW's activities in the last one year to the UN General Assembly, she said 'these violations of women's rights are based on patriarcha lattitudes,' noting that discriminatory laws, customs and practices had continued to affect the rights of women globally.

'Justification for violence against women stems from distorted views about the roles and responsibilities of men and women in relationships. Many forms of sanctioned violence against women are associated with the community's or the family's demand for sexual chastity and virginity,' the Vice-Chair said.

According to her: 'While the committee is concerned with all forms of discrimination against women, including the right to nationality, education, employment and health, it was particularly alarmed by the increase in violence against women.'

Zou said the committee also examined individual complaints on alleged violations of its convention, which included forced sterilization, trafficking, discrimination in family names and discrimination in the workplace.

She urged all states parties to the convention to implement its recommendations and called on states who are not yet parties to it and its Optional Protocol, to ratify these treaties at the earliest.

PANA reported that Zou is one of 22 experts from around the world who serve on the committee in their individual capacity.

The CEDAW Committee was established in 1992 to monitor implementation of UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979).

The convention is the most comprehensive treaty on women's rights issues, establishing legally binding obligations to end discrimination.

The convention currently has 186 states parties.

Meanwhile, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) said at least one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex, or abused in some other way, usually by an intimate partner or family member.

It said: 'Women continue to be raped and subject to other forms of sexual violence with impunity all over the world. Women and girls are still being sold for sex around the world. Two million girls between the ages of five and 15 are introduced into the commercial sex market each year.