A/HRC/17/26 Introduction 1. This is the second thematic report submitted to the Human Rights Council, pursuant to Human Rights Council decision 1/102 and resolution 7/24, by the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Rashida Manjoo, since her appointment in June 2009. Chapter I summarizes the Special Rapporteur’s activities since her last report to the Human Rights Council up until 28 February 2011. Chapter II discusses the topic of multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination in the context of violence against women. I. Activities A. Country visits 2. During the period under review, the Special Rapporteur requested invitations to visit Nepal, Bangladesh and Italy. Earlier requests for country visits were also made to the Governments of Jordan, Somalia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Zimbabwe. 3. The Special Rapporteur visited El Salvador from 17 to 19 March 2010 (addendum 2), Algeria from 1 to 10 November 2010 (addendum 3), Zambia from 6 to 11 December 2010 (addendum 4), and the United States of America from 24 January to 7 February 2011 (addendum 5). In February 2011, she received a positive reply to her request to visit Italy in May 2011. The Special Rapporteur would like to thank these Governments for having responded positively to her requests for a visit and urges those Governments that have not yet done so to provide a favourable response. B. Communications and press releases 4. The communications sent to Governments during the reporting period (addendum 1) concerned a wide array of issues which reflect a pattern of inequality and discrimination related to violence against women, its causes and consequences. These included: arbitrary detention; torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; summary and extrajudicial executions; sexual violence, including rape, sexual abuse and sexual exploitation; and other forms of violence grounded in discrimination against women. 5. The Special Rapporteur issued press statements, either individually or jointly with other mandate holders, on the occasion of the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, on 20 May 2010; the High Level Summit on the Millennium Development Goals, on 17 September 2010; the 16 Days of Activism Against GenderBased Violence, on 6 December 2010; as well as on situations of concern relating to the public execution of two teenage girls in Somalia, on 11 November 2010, and on the human rights violations in Cote d’Ivoire in the context of the presidential elections, on 31 December 2010. C. General Assembly and Commission on the Status of Women 6. On 11 October 2010, the Special Rapporteur delivered an oral statement to the Third Committee of the General Assembly, at its 65th session, in which she gave a presentation on her activities. 4