Dear Members of End-violence,
During the past few weeks we examined strategies for creating safe
environments for women and girls. Working Group members shared cases and
lessons from many countries, including Mexico, Venezuela, Australia,
Uganda, Tanzania and the USA, among others. Members also discussed
approaches for teaching self-defense skills to women and girls, described
exemplary action toolkits, and considered the need to create safe
environments in the private and public spheres in which all women live and
work, not only "unsafe streets". Next week we will post a summary of this
rich discussion.
As we approach International Women's Day, March 8, we are reminded of
government commitments to eliminate violence against women and girls. At
the 4th World Conference on Women (Beijing 1995), governments supported
the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action and promised to
implement more systemic policies to end violence against women. They
renewed that commitment during the Beijing +5 process. Many governments
have also signed the Convention on the Eliminaton of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
But words are not enough. Governments need to take action -- to adopt
policies, support programmes, and provide leadership -- to end violence
against women.
During the coming two weeks we would like to focus on INTERNATIONAL
OBLIGATIONS OF GOVERNMENTS to end violence against women (VAW). In
particular, we would like to hear whether and how your government is
living up to the commitments made in Beijing. We also hope to learn what
NGOs are doing to encourage governments to take action.
Some of the main commitments that governments made in Beijing include:
- REVIEW AND REVISE LEGISLATION to ensure that all women and girls are
protected against all forms of violence and are provided recourse to
justice;
- continue to UNDERTAKE RESEARCH to develop a better understanding of the
root causes of all forms of violence against women;
- PROMOTE A HOLISTIC APPROACH to respond to all forms of violence and
abuse against girls and women of all ages;
- take measures to address the root factors that encourage TRAFFICKING IN
WOMEN AND GIRLS for prostitution and other forms of commercialised sex,
forced marriages and forced labour;
- consider setting up or strengthening a NATIONAL COORDINATING
MECHANISM, with the participation of civil society, including non-governmental
organisations, to encourage exchange of information related to violence
against women.
At the bottom of this message you will find the paragraphs of the Beijing
+5 final document, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations,
that relate to gender-based violence.
KEY QUESTIONS
1. Do you believe that your government has fulfilled its international
obligations to end VAW?
2. If so, what steps has the government taken?
- passed and implemented laws to end VAW?
- conducted research into the causes of VAW?
- supported health and other programmes to protect women from
violence?
- taken steps to prevent trafficking?
3. How successful have the government's actions been? Why?
4. Does your country have a national coordinating mechanism to share
information regarding VAW? For example, is there a national rapporteur on
gender-violence or a special government department or ministry?
5. What steps are NGOs taking to encourage -- or pressure -- governments to
fulfill their international commitments to end VAW?
6. How successful have the NGOs been? What are the obstacles? How have
they overcome them?
Our deep thanks to all Working Group members who have provided your input
thus far. We look forward to hearing from all Working Group members about
your own experiences.
Warm regards,
End-Violence Moderators
-------------
General Assembly Official Records
Twenty-third special session
Supplement No. 3 (A/S-23/10/Rev.1)
69. (a) As a matter of priority, review and revise legislation, were
appropriate, with a view to introducing effective legislation, including
on violence against women, and take other necessary measures to ensure
that all women and girls are protected against all forms of physical,
psychological and sexual violence, and are provided recourse to justice;
(b) Prosecute the perpetrators of all forms of violence against women and
girls and sentence them appropriately, and introduce actions aimed at
helping and motivating perpetrators to break the cycle of violence and
take measures to provide avenues for redress to victims;
(c) Treat all forms of violence against women and girls of all ages as a
criminal offence punishable by law, including violence based on all forms
of discrimination;
(d) Establish legislation and/or strengthen appropriate mechanisms to
handle criminal matters relating to all forms of domestic violence,
including marital rape and sexual abuse of women and girls, and ensure
that such cases are brought to justice swiftly;
(e) Develop, adopt and fully implement laws and other measures, as
appropriate, such as policies and educational programmes, to eradicate
harmful customary or traditional practices, including female genital
mutilation, early and forced marriage and so-called honour crimes, which
are violations of the human rights of women and girls and obstacles to the
full enjoyment by women of their human rights and fundamental freedoms,
and to intensify efforts, in cooperation with local women's groups, to
raise collective and individual awareness on how these harmful traditional
or customary practices violate women's human rights;
(f) Continue to undertake research to develop a better understanding of
the root causes of all forms of violence against women in order to design
programmes and take measures towards eliminating those forms of violence;
(g) Take measures to address through policies and programmes, racism and
racially motivated violence against women and girls;
(h) Take concrete steps, as a priority and with their full and voluntary
participation, to address the impact of violence on indigenous women in
order to implement appropriate, effective programmes and services to
eliminate all forms of violence;
(i) Promote women's and girls' mental well-being, integrate mental health
services into primary health-care systems, develop gender-sensitive
supportive programmes and train health workers to recognize gender-based
violence and provide care for girls and women of all ages who have
experienced any form of violence;
(j) Adopt and promote a holistic approach to respond to all forms of
violence and abuse against girls and women of all ages, including girls
and women with disabilities, as well as vulnerable and marginalized women
and girls in order to address their diverse needs, including education,
provision of appropriate health care and services and basic social
services;
(k) Approve and promote a holistic approach to combat violence against
women during all their life cycle and circumstances.
70. (a) Take appropriate measures to address the root factors, including
external factors, that encourage trafficking in women and girls for
prostitution and other forms of commercialized sex, forced marriages and
forced labour in order to eliminate trafficking in women, including by
strengthening existing legislations with a view to providing better
protection of the rights of women and girls and to punishing the
perpetrators, through both criminal and civil measures;
(b) Devise, enforce and strengthen effective measures to combat and
eliminate all forms of trafficking in women and girls through a
comprehensive anti-trafficking strategy consisting of, inter alia,
legislative measures, prevention campaigns, information exchange,
assistance and protection for and reintegration of the victims and
prosecution of all the offenders involved, including intermediaries;
(c) Consider preventing, within the legal framework and in accordance with
national policies, victims of trafficking, in particular women and girls,
from being prosecuted for their illegal entry or residence, taking into
account that they are victims of exploitation;
(d) Consider setting up or strengthening a national coordinating
mechanism, for example, a national rapporteur or an inter-agency body,
with the participation of civil society, including non-governmental
organizations, to encourage the exchange of information and to report on
data, root causes, factors and trends in violence against women, in
particular trafficking;
(e) Provide protection and support to women and their respective families
and develop and strengthen policies to support family security.
***End-violence is sponsored by UNIFEM and receives generous support from
ICAP***
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