1.
Welcomes the work of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and
consequences, and takes note of her report on cultural practices in the family that are violent towards women
(E/CN.4/2002/83 and Add.1-3);
2.
Also welcomes the attention given to violence against women by its special mechanisms;
3.
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;
4.
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
of gender-based violence in the family, within the general community and where perpetrated or condoned by the
State, and emphasizes the duty of Governments to refrain from engaging in violence against women and to
exercise due diligence to prevent, investigate and, in accordance with national legislation, punish acts of violence
against women and to take appropriate and effective action concerning acts of violence against women, whether
those acts are perpetrated by the State, by private persons or by armed groups or warring factions, and to provide
access to just and effective remedies and specialized, including medical, assistance to victims;
5.
Affirms that violence against women constitutes a violation of the rights and fundamental
freedoms of women and impairs or nullifies their enjoyment of those rights and freedoms;
6.
Strongly condemns physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family, which
encompasses, but is not limited to, battering, sexual abuse of women and girls in the household, dowry-related
violence, marital rape, female infanticide, female genital mutilation, crimes committed against women in the
name of honour, crimes committed in the name of passion, traditional practices harmful to women, incest, early
and forced marriages, non-spousal violence and violence related to commercial sexual exploitation as well as
economic exploitation;
7.
Stresses that violence against women in the family occurs within the context of de jure and de
facto discrimination against women and the lower status accorded to women in society and is exacerbated by the
obstacles women often face in seeking remedies from the State;
8.
Emphasizes that violence against women has an impact on their physical and mental health,
including their reproductive and sexual health and, in this regard, encourages States to ensure that women have
access to comprehensive and accessible health services and programmes and to health care providers who are
knowledgeable and trained to meet the needs of patients who have been subjected to violence, in order to
minimize the adverse physical and psychological consequences of violence;
9.
Also emphasizes that violence against women and girls, including rape, female genital
mutilation, incest, early and forced marriage, violence related to commercial sexual exploitation as well as
economic exploitation and other forms of sexual violence can increase their vulnerability to the human
immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and aggravate the conditions
fostering the spread of HIV/AIDS;
10.
Recalls the report to the Commission by the Special Rapporteur entitled “A framework for
model legislation on domestic violence” (E/CN.4/1996/53/Add.2), which, inter alia, contained general and
specific recommendations to guide State action with respect to violence against women in the family, and invites
States to continue to give due regard to those recommendations;
11.
Reminds Governments that their obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women must be implemented fully with regard to violence against women,
taking into account general recommendation 19 adopted by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women at its eleventh session, reaffirms the commitment to accelerate the achievement of universal
page 2