Documents by United Nations Bodies and Agencies

UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls, (2000)

This report discusses the domestic abuse of women and girls on a global scale, noting that despite advancement of women's human rights and a growing understanding of domestic violence, significant portions of the female population continue to suffer gender-based maltreatment on an international scale. The report argues that recognition of domestic violence as a criminal offence and ending impunity are necessary to end the violence. The report begins with an overview on domestic violence and a description of the scope and magnitude of the problem. Causes and consequences of domestic violence are then analyzed. It ends with a series of recommendations and strategies. [Descriptors: Violence Against Women, International]

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UN Division for the Advancement of Women, Good Practices in Combating and Eliminating Violence Against Women, (2005)

This report summarizes the results of an expert group meeting on good practices in ending violence against women that took place in Vienna, Austria in May 2005. The report begins with a background on violence against women and a discussion on its definition. Using examples, the remainder of the report focuses on good and promising practices in law, provision of services and prevention. The report emphasizes that what are considered good practices are not necessarily universal and depend on the context of their implementation. In its conclusion, the report identifies remaining challenges including the involvement of men in the campaign to end violence against women. [Descriptors: Violence Against Women, International]

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UNIFEM, Not a Minute More: Ending Violence Against Women, (2003)

Noting the pandemic of violence against women and the silence of governments and the general public, this report demands action. It examines achievements and challenges, and assesses past practices in order to identify future strategies. It argues that while there have been moderate successes, "too many governments have made commitments, established legal frameworks and created policies and action plans to end violence, yet have not lived up to these commitments". It indicates that structural, legal, budgetary and attitudinal changes are necessary to improve the security and basic human dignity of the world's women. Recommendations are also included. [Descriptors: Violence Against Women, International]

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Ward, Jeanne, Marsh, Mendy, United Nations Population Fund, Sexual Violence against Women and Girls in War and Its Aftermath: Realities, Responses, and Required Resources, (2006)

This briefing paper was prepared for the Symposium on Sexual Violence in Conflict and Beyond that took place in Brussels, Belgium in June 2006. Part I discusses the nature and scope of sexual violence against women and children in situations of armed conflict. Part II describes international actions that have been taken to combat gender-based violence against women. Here, the authors advocate a multi-sectoral approach, which "calls for holistic inter-organizational and inter-agency efforts, across the health, social services, legal and security sectors". Part III assesses progress in this area, arguing that states and the international community as a whole have failed to prioritize violence against women as a major health and human rights issue. The report concludes by highlighting the importance of ending impunity for perpetrators of violence. [Descriptors: Armed Conflict, Violence Against Women, International]

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United Nations Population Fund, State of World Population 2005: The Promise of Equality: Gender Equity, Reproductive Health and the MDGs, (2005)

Chapter 7 of this report discusses gender-based violence, noting that "gender-based violence is perhaps the most widespread and socially tolerated of human rights violations". It begins with an overview of violence against women and girls, highlighting that domestic violence is the most common form of gender-based violence. The report then examines the scope and the various forms of gender-based violence. Gender-based violence is also discussed against the backdrop of UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) related to gender equality and the empowerment of women, infant and maternal health and mortality, and combating HIV/AIDS. The role of international campaigns and the involvement of men in the fight against gender-based violence are also discussed. [Descriptors: Violence Against Women, International]

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World Health Organization, Violence Against Women, (2000)

This fact sheet by the World Health Organization discusses violence against women as a health and human rights issue. It is based on the definition of violence against women set out in the UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women: "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life". A public health approach to the prevention of violence against women and the impact on health care systems and society are also discussed. [Descriptors: Violence Against Women, International]

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Organization of American States, Violence in the Americas - A Regional Analysis Including a Review of the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence Against Women, Inter-American Commission of Women, Final Report, July 2001

This comprehensive report scrutinizes the effectiveness of strategies currently being employed by Organization of American States (OAS) members in the domestic implementation of the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women. The report focuses on national policies, social, economic and institutional barriers, and the relative impact of measures taken. Specific areas covered by the report include institutional violence against women; confronting legal, social and cultural conditions that perpetuate violence against women; legislative and administrative frameworks; the obligation of due diligence; access to justice and specialized services for victims: protection of particularly vulnerable groups; trafficking; research and evaluation methods; and international cooperation. The report concludes by stating that while the existence of the Convention has contributed to a growing recognition of the seriousness of the problem, little documented impact on women's conditions has materialized. As a result, the report warns that the legitimate need for patience and perseverance should not be utilized as a guise for complacency. [Descriptors: Key Treaties and Texts, Violence Against Women, International - Latin America, International - North America]

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Government Bodies

Funk, Anette, Lang, James L., Ending Violence against Women and Girls - Protecting Human Rights: Good Practices for Development Cooperation, (2005)

This report by a German governmental organization, GTZ, discusses the relationship between violence against women and development, noting that the former impedes the latter and places heavy social and economic burdens on society as a whole. It argues that "the root causes of violence against women are dominant gender norms and the unequal power balance between men and women" and seeks to develop a set of good practices to end this structural inequity. It begins by analyzing violence against women and the harmful impact on development. Violence against women is also discussed in relation to international human rights law and UN Millennium Development Goals. The report ends by using the activities of GTZ to illustrate potential strategies to end gender-based violence against women. [Descriptors: Violence Against Women, International]

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Information from Non-Governmental Organizations

Amnesty International, Broken Bodies, Shattered Minds: Torture and Ill-treatment of Women, (2001)

This report discusses whether violence committed against women in private and public settings constitutes torture. Noting governmental indifference to the maltreatment of women, the report demands for states to be held accountable for violence against women when they have failed to provide effective protection. It notes that gender-based violence is compounded by the many forms of discrimination that women face: "for all the gains that women around the world have made in asserting their rights, women worldwide still earn less than men, own less property than men, and have less access to education, employment and health care&. Violence against women feeds off this discrimination and serves to reinforce it". Personal experiences of victims of gender-based violence and recommendations for governments are also included. [Descriptors: Violence Against Women, International]

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Sircar, Oishik, Engendering Persecution: Refugee law, International Protection and Violence Against Women in South Asia, WISCOMP (Women in Security, Conflict Management and Peace). Discussion Paper.

This paper makes a case for including gender-based persecution as a legal ground for seeking protection under international refugee law.

Amnesty International, It's In Our Hands: Stop Violence Against Women, (2004)

This report discusses violence against women, describing this phenomenon as "the greatest human rights scandal of our times". Chapter 1 uses a human rights framework to provide an overview of violence against women and international campaigns to end it. Chapter 2 discusses the relationship between sexuality, violence, and human and sexual rights. The impact of cultural and community values on women's rights and violence against women is discussed in chapter 3. Chapter 4 looks at three factors that fuel and reinforce this violence. Violence against women in conflict situations is discussed in chapter 5. Following chapters look at international laws and standards that establish women's right to be free from violence, states' obligations to protect this right and the impunity of perpetrators. Alternative legal routes and outlets for change are also explored. [Descriptors: Violence Against Women, International]

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Martin, Sarah, Refugees International, Must Boys be Boys? Ending Sexual Exploitation & Abuse in UN Peacekeeping Missions, (2005)

This report discusses the sexual exploitation and abuse committed against women and girls by UN officers during peacekeeping missions. Criticizing the "boys will be boys" approach to sexual exploitation and abuse, this report calls for the political will and action necessary to support the implementation of zero tolerance policies. It begins by introducing the problem and situating gender-based violence in various UN peacekeeping missions. The report also describes how the hyper-masculine culture of UN peacekeeping missions and a tradition of silence encourage the "boys will be boys" attitude. The rest of the report focuses on solutions, strategies and recommendations made by Refugees International to change this approach. [Descriptors: Armed Conflict, Violence Against Women, International]

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De Bruyn, Maria, Ipas, Violence, Pregnancy and Abortion: Issues of Women's Rights and Public Health, (2003)

This report discusses the relationship between violence against women, and sexual and reproductive health issues. It begins by providing a background to the problem of gender-based violence related to pregnancy and abortion, including a discussion on international human rights law and the impunity of perpetrators. The links between violence, pregnancy and abortion are then discussed. The last portion of the report focuses on solutions based on a health promotion approach that can be implemented to address this problem at the local, national and international levels. Personal accounts are included to illustrate the extent of human rights violations experienced by women around the world. [Descriptors: Violence Against Women, International]

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Human Rights Watch, What Will It Take? Stopping Violence Against Women, (2000)

In this document, Human Rights Watch observes that five years after the Beijing Conference, few advances have been made in the area of combating violence against women. Referring to reports on Jordan, Pakistan, Peru, Russia, South Africa, and the United States, HRW demonstrates that states continue to fail their human rights commitments with regard to violence against women. HRW recommends that states should take the following minimum steps: 1) repeal and revise all laws that discriminate against women and deny them access to justice; 2) eliminate police mistreatment of and bias against female victims of violence; 3) ensure that the medico-legal system provides women with appropriate diagnosis and treatment; 4) provide protection from violence; 5) ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice; and 6) eliminate judicial bias against women. [Descriptors: Violence Against Women, International]

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International Conventions and Declarations

United Nations General Assembly, Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, G.A. Res. 48/104, 1993.

The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (DEVAW) focuses specifically on the problem of gender-based violence against women and girls. In Article 1, it sets out the definition of violence against women as "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life". Subsequent articles outline women's human rights and fundamental freedoms, and state parties' obligations to uphold these rights and eliminate violence against women and girls. [Descriptors: Violence Against Women, International]

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Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence Against Women , 33 I.L.M. 1534 (1994), entered into force March 5, 1995.

This is the first and only multilateral human rights treaty that focuses exclusively on violence against women. It was adopted in 1994. The Convention sets out the definition and scope of application, the rights protected, the duties of States, and the Inter-American mechanisms of protection. The Convention affirms "that violence against women pervades every sector of society regardless of class, race or ethnic group, income, culture, level of education, age or religion and strikes at its very foundations." The Convention provides a broad definition of violence, which includes acts that occur in the private or public sphere. The Convention recognizes that women may be particularly vulnerable to violence due to their race or ethnic background. Article 6 provides that the right to be free from violence includes the right to be free from all forms of discrimination. [Descriptors: Race and Gender, Key Texts, Violence Against Women, International - Latin America, International - North America]

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Other

Steinitz, Maya, The Role of International Law in the Struggle Against Sex-Based and Gender-Based Violence Against Refugee Women, (2001)

This report examines how international law can be used to protect refugee women's rights in situations of sexual and gender-based violence. The first section of the report provides an introduction to international law and international judicial bodies. The second part of the report discusses the many forms of violence against women and the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women. The report then focuses on the security of refugee women in particular and how international law can protect their rights. While the report is introductory in nature, it also includes an extensive list of other resources that may be useful for more in-depth research. [Descriptors: Migration - Refugees and Immigration, Violence Against Women, International]

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