a crime against humanity and/or a war crime, and reiterating that acts of sexual violence in situations of armed
conflict can constitute serious violations or grave breaches of international humanitarian law,
Deeply concerned that some groups of women, such as women belonging to minority groups,
indigenous women, refugee and internally displaced women, migrant women, women living in rural or remote
communities, destitute women, women in institutions or in detention, the girl child, women with disabilities,
elderly women, widows and women in situations of armed conflict are often especially targeted or vulnerable to
violence, as are women who are otherwise discriminated against,
Convinced that racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance reveal themselves in a
differentiated manner for women and girls, and can be among the factors leading to a deterioration in their living
conditions, poverty, violence, multiple forms of discrimination and the limitation or denial of their human rights,
and recognizing the need to integrate a gender perspective into relevant policies, strategies and programmes of
action, including effective implementation of national legislation, against racism, racial discrimination,
xenophobia and related intolerance in order to address multiple forms of discrimination against women,
Expressing its appreciation of the initiatives of the United Nations Development Fund for Women to
combat violence against women at the international, regional and national levels, as well as of the World Report
on Violence and Health launched by the World Health Organization in 2002, particularly its consideration of
gender-based violence,
1.
Welcomes the work of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and
consequences, and takes note of her report, entitled “Developments in the area of violence against women (19942002)” (E/CN.4/2003/75 and Corr.1 and Add.1-2);
2.
Notes with interest the conclusion of the Special Rapporteur that while at the normative level
the needs of women are generally adequately addressed, the challenges lie in ensuring respect for and effective
implementation of existing laws and standards, and urges States to consider the recommendations of the Special
Rapporteur when formulating policies and programmes;
3.
Welcomes the increasing attention given to violence against women at the national, regional
and international levels since the adoption of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women,
and through the treaty bodies as well as special mechanisms of the Commission;
4.
Affirms that the term “violence against women” means 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, and
including domestic violence, crimes committed in the name of honour, crimes committed in the name of passion,
trafficking in women and girls, traditional practices harmful to women, including female genital mutilation, early
and forced marriages, female infanticide, dowry-related violence and deaths, acid attacks and violence related to
commercial sexual exploitation as well as economic exploitation;
5.
Strongly condemns all acts of violence against women and girls and in this regard calls, in
accordance with the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, for the elimination of all forms
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