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Reparations to women who have been subjected to violence 2010, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- In the aftermath of violent conflict, when "normalcy" is restored, women are subject to new and sometimes higher levels of violence from men whom they know in the family and the community. Internalization of violent mechanisms of conflict resolution, accumulated and unresolved feelings of male impotence and frustration, male anxiety around the empowerment of women who have become politically visible during the conflict or simply the increased vulnerability of women may be some of the reasons that make women the targets of rising levels of violence after official peace or democracy has been declared. Reparations programmes that take place at one given point in time and inevitably look to the past have inherent limitations to address future violations. However, the type of guarantees of non-repetition can ground practical obligations on the part of the State to take into account the foreseeable short- and medium-term legacies of its violent past for women and, more specifically, adopt measures to avoid the exploitation of new forms of vulnerability.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Reparations to women who have been subjected to violence 2010, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- With this scheme in mind and thinking about women as potential beneficiaries of reparations, the first hurdle relates to the fact that much of the violence that women and girls experience predates the conflict and only continues to aggravate the discrimination to which they are subjected in the post-conflict scenario. Even in non-conflict scenarios, acts of violence against women are part of a larger system of gender hierarchy that can only be fully grasped when seen in the broader structural context. Therefore, adequate reparations for women cannot simply be about returning them to where they were before the individual instance of violence, but instead should strive to have a transformative potential. Reparations should aspire, to the extent possible, to subvert, instead of reinforce, pre-existing structural inequality that may be at the root causes of the violence the women experience before, during and after the conflict.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
State responsibility for eliminating violence against women 2013, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- Unfortunately, providing substantive findings and recommendations on interpretation, application and effectiveness of measures has been limited by a number of factors: there was a low response rate of both State and non-State sectors; the low response rate was further impacted by the quality of responses received; the mandate faced challenges due to the lack of resources for substantive and specialized empirical research and analysis; and the information gathered at regional consultations was impacted by resource and knowledge constraints. Furthermore, another barrier is the fact that there is no legally binding instrument under international law, specifically on violence against women, to effectively monitor State responsibility to act with due diligence in their efforts to respond to, prevent and eliminate all forms of violence against women.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
State responsibility for eliminating violence against women 2013, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- The lack of information on monitoring and evaluation processes and outcomes in respect of strategies/plans was the norm in State responses. Concerns by civil society organizations include: the existence of strategies without implementation plans; plans that do not set out the responsibility of different State agencies, benchmarks, timelines and budget allocations; the lack of adequate funding and specialized staffing for the implementation of such strategies and plans; the dependence on donors for funding for the implementation of plans; the lack of public education campaigns to generate information and knowledge about such strategies/plans; the lack of research on the effectiveness of such measures; and the lack of coherence and sustainability. While the Special Rapporteur encountered encouraging examples of joint protocols of action, referral systems and multidisciplinary mobile teams, adequate coordination among State service providers and between them and non-State services continues to be a main challenge. Also, the lack of sensitivity and of a women's rights perspective by these services often results in a lack of substantive protection for women victims.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Violence against women: Twenty years of developments to combat violence against women 2014, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- The engagement of the Security Council with regard to violence against women is reflected in the seven resolutions on women that it adopted between 2000 and 2013. Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) focuses on the incorporation of a gender perspective in conflict resolution by addressing the special needs of women, ensuring that humanitarian law is used to address women's rights and highlighting the critical role of women in peacebuilding. In this resolution, the Security Council recognized that women and children account for the vast majority of those adversely affected by armed conflict; called for specialized training for all peacekeeping personnel on the protection, special needs and human rights of women and children in conflict situations; and urged the Secretary-General to increase women's representation in conflict-resolution efforts. The Council also emphasized the responsibility of States to prosecute those responsible for sexual violence and highlighted the need for data collection.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Violence against women: Twenty years of developments to combat violence against women 2014, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- In subsequent resolutions, the Security Council focused on protecting civilians in general, particularly those who have been displaced; stressed the importance of education for preventing sexual exploitation and trafficking in humans; condemned all acts of sexual exploitation, abuse and trafficking of women and children by military, police and civilian personnel involved in United Nations operations; and recommended a policy of zero-tolerance for such violations. The Council also raised concerns about the obstacles to women's participation in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, including violence, intimidation, and discrimination. It requested the Secretary-General to publish a report on situations of armed conflict in which sexual violence has been widely or systematically employed against civilians, including an analysis of trends in sexual violence and benchmarks for measuring progress towards its elimination.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and violence against women 2011, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- The right to adequate housing is often particularly compromised for refugee women, especially in conflict and post-conflict situations. Women are often left with no other option but to take shelter in temporary camps where rape and other forms of violence are the norm. In these cases, women experience multiple forms of violence - displacement from the home, sub-standard temporary housing, and the high risk of experiencing physical and sexual violence, without any available recourse. Thus in the case of refugee women there is a failure to meet women's basic needs on multiple fronts.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Closing the gap in international human rights law: lessons from three regional human rights systems on legal standards and practices regarding violence against women 2015, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- Institutional mechanisms include both a commission and a court. The mandate of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights includes receiving and investigating individual petitions relating to violations of human rights; observing the general situation of human rights in Member States; conducting in loco visits to countries to conduct an in-depth analysis of the general situation and/or to investigate a specific situation; developing an awareness of human rights among the peoples of the Americas, including through the publication of reports on relevant thematic issues; organizing and holding visits, lectures, seminars and meetings with State and non-State actors; making recommendations to member States; requesting member States, in serious and urgent cases, to adopt precautionary measures, in order to prevent irreparable harm; presenting cases to the Inter-American Court; requesting advisory opinions of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights; and examining inter-State communications. The use of the precautionary measures mechanism has led to the Commission requesting a State party to adopt measures to protect the life and integrity of women's rights defenders in Colombia working with issues pertaining to the armed conflict; to protect the life, integrity, and health of women living in displacement camps in Haiti; to ensure the safety of women's rights defenders in Mexico; and to protect victims of sexual abuse, among other urgent situations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Vision-setting report 2016, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action establishes that women subjected to violence should have access "to just and effective remedies for the harm they have suffered", but they should also have access to "well-funded shelters and relief support", and "appropriate assistance to enable them to find a means of subsistence".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Vision-setting report 2016, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- The mandate holder intends to explore the possibility of formulating a global code of conduct for security officers required to address cases of violence against women and girls, which could possibly be extended to other service providers, such as social workers and health providers.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Vision-setting report 2016, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Women and girls fleeing conflicts and persecution face various forms of gender-based violence and cases of multiple discrimination, particularly when they travel alone. These women and girls are vulnerable at all stages of their journey; in the countries of origin, of transit and of destination.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Adequacy of the international legal framework on violence against women 2017, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- In relation to Convention norms and standards, civil society organizations highlighted that international instruments should focus on further clarifying State obligations to reflect the current complexities of global political and economic systems that had contributed to the perpetuation of gender-based violence against women, as well as acted as a barrier to eliminating gender-based violence against women. The increasing incidence of gender-based violence against women committed by entities such as corporations and non-State military actors, owing to the power imbalance caused by the prevalence of neo-liberal economic policies and increasing armed conflict, should be reflected in instruments of the Convention. Civil society organizations further suggested that the Committee should expand upon the definition of non-State actors and identify the scope of obligations imposed upon them. Extra focus should also be dedicated to spelling out more detailed State obligations concerning laws and policies aimed at eliminating gender-based violence against women. For instance, common references to substantive, evidentiary and procedural laws that represented an obstacle for survivors of violence seeking justice should be outlined. In reflecting national practices, the Committee could also draw upon good practices of States in implementing legal, policy or programmatic approaches and solutions in addressing gender-based violence against women. Finally, civil society organizations agreed that the updating of general recommendation No. 19 by the Committee provided an opportunity for such synergies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reparations to women who have been subjected to violence 2010, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- Academic reflection and civil society activism have certainly contributed to placing the question of gender-sensitive reparations on the national and international agenda. In the last few years, the first monographic volumes addressing reparations for women have been seen. Furthermore, feminist transnational movements working on fighting impunity against gender violence in armed conflict are now leading the debate on women and reparations. The Nairobi Declaration on Women's and Girls' Right to a Remedy and Reparation adopted in 2007 by women's rights advocates and activists and survivors of sexual violence in situations of conflict is the best expression of this transnational growing concern to provide women and girls with adequate reparations. Mobilization concerning reparations at the national level by victims' groups, human rights groups and women's associations has also increased.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Violence against women with disabilities 2012, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Women with disabilities in conflict or post-conflict regions may be at additional risk of violence as members of a targeted race/ethnic, religious or linguistic group and may have greater difficulty in accessing services in the conflict environment. Women with disabilities face additional burdens in refugee camps because the facilities are rarely accessible or designed to meet their specific needs. Serious problems with the physical layout and infrastructure of refugee camps have been noted by some organizations. Such problems mean that services, including toilets, shelters and health facilities will not be accessible to people with disabilities and that no special accommodations are made to ensure accessibility to the food and supplies they need on a daily basis. In addition, because camps and facilities are generally inaccessible, most persons with disabilities are forced to remain in them. Furthermore, justice and post-conflict reconciliation activities generally do not include women with disabilities, nor are such programmes made accessible or inclusive.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Violence against women as a barrier to the effective realization of all human rights 2014, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- Refugees and other non-citizens are often susceptible to violence against women. It is noted that organizational and societal factors, including unhealthy and unsafe housing, unemployment, poverty, restricted access to health care, higher education, participation in civil society and legal protection all contribute to the ill health and vulnerability of migrants and women migrants in particular. Women in these communities are not adequately protected, which can cause them to be more susceptible to violence and less likely to be able to participate adequately in society. Women who are not citizens often feel that they lack protection of the law.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Poverty
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Violence against women: Twenty years of developments to combat violence against women 2014, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Violence against women in conflict situations is covered in greater depth by other international treaties, including the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Additional Protocols thereto, which focus on, inter alia, rape, sexual exploitation and forced pregnancy. The 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court also covers certain aspects of violence against women, including rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization, or any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity, which constitute "crimes against humanity" and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions. CEDAW recently adopted general recommendation No. 30 (2013), which provides further guidance on States parties' obligations with regard to women in conflict prevention, conflict and post-conflict situations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Reparations to women who have been subjected to violence 2010, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- In addition to public apologies, public gestures of recognition often consist of measures to mark the conflict, the violence or the notion of reconstruction that accompanies a reparations and a reconstruction project. Such measures can be the shaping or reshaping of public space, building of monuments and museums, the changing of street names and other public spaces, etc. Little reflection has been given to exploring whether women are duly recognized through such measures or whether they might prefer different forms of representation and commemoration than those traditionally favoured by men.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Adequacy of the international legal framework on violence against women 2017, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- Another key aspect was secondary protection for women and girls after violence had taken place to avoid further violence and secondary victimization. In that regard, there should be accessible shelters and durable housing solutions, especially for indigenous women and women in rural areas. In addition, the reception of refugee and migrant women needed to be in facilities which were safe (where they would not be mixed with men and therefore in danger).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Pathways to, conditions and consequences of incarceration for women 2013, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- In some countries, women are unable to return home on release due to fear that violence may be committed against them. According to one report, female prisoners in Iraq have asked to remain in detention centres following their scheduled release due to fear of honour-related violence. It is argued that in India "the inter changeability of punitive and protective or curative institutions has led to prison cells being regarded as places of safe custody". In Australia, research has shown that women are left homeless, or forced to remain in secure custody, due to fear of payback and retaliation by the community.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
State responsibility for eliminating violence against women 2013, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Information on data and recording systems was provided in some instances, but with no detail on how information is used to track trends and patterns and how it shapes laws, policies and programmes. The lack of monitoring and evaluation systems, which would include data collection and indicators, among others, does make it difficult to assess effectiveness and also the impact of measures and interventions adopted. Even in countries with statistical agencies, the lack of analytical disaggregated data on violence against women is a major source of concern to this mandate and also to relevant treaty bodies. Coherence and sustainability in data collection is essential for the effective development and implementation of laws, policies and programmes. It is also essential to include both quantitative data, to measure prevalence and forms, and qualitative data, to assess the efficacy of measures.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Violence against women: Twenty years of developments to combat violence against women 2014, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- The 2013 conclusions highlight the prevention of and response to all forms of violence against women and girls, including sexual and gender-based violence, in armed conflict and post-conflict situations, including through investigation, prosecution and punishment of perpetrators to end impunity; removal of barriers to women's access to justice; the establishment of complaint and reporting mechanisms; the provision of support to victims and survivors; affordable and accessible health-care services; reintegration measures; and steps to increase women's participation in conflict resolution and peacebuilding processes and post-conflict decision-making.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Reparations to women who have been subjected to violence 2010, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- Women and girls are victimized under authoritarian regimes and during violent conflict in multiple ways. They suffer from operations randomly or strategically targeting and terrorizing the civilian population, but also from summary and extrajudicial executions, imprisonment, torture, rape and sexual mutilations for fighting in resistance movements, engaging in the search for and defence of their loved ones or for coming from communities suspected of collaboration. Women and children represent the majority of the forcefully displaced in internal and international armed conflicts. Women can suffer the consequences of violent actions that target "their" men (husbands, sons, brothers, etc.), for example, when they become the sole breadwinners and protectors of their families. Some forms of violence that women are subject to are similar to those suffered by men; others are more specific to women and girls, subjecting them to systematic patterns of sexual or reproductive violence or to different forms of domestic enslavement. In some settings, certain crimes tend to be perpetrated mostly by State forces while others are used mostly by non-State armed groups or self-defence groups as tools to recruit and instrumentalize women. More importantly, even when women are subjected to the same violations as men, their pre-existing socio-economic and legal status and the cultural meanings surrounding the construction of the male and the female in patriarchal societies may cause different ensuing harms for men and women.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Reparations to women who have been subjected to violence 2010, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- Women are of course addressed in all the human rights and humanitarian law treaties that contemplate a right to a remedy. Unfortunately, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women is not particularly explicit regarding women's right to remedies, reparation or compensation. Article 2 (c) provides only that States parties undertake to ensure the effective protection of women against any act of discrimination through competent national tribunals and other public institutions. This contrasts with article 6 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination which refers to the obligation of States to assure "adequate reparation or satisfaction for any damage suffered as a result of such [racial] discrimination" and article 14 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment which requires that States ensure that the victim of an act of torture obtains redress and has an enforceable right to fair and adequate compensation, including the means for as full rehabilitation as possible.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Continuum of violence against women from the home to the transnational sphere: the challenges of effective redress 2011, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- Defilement, rape, early marriages and survival sex continue to be major problems affecting women asylum-seekers and refugees, both in camps as well as women residing in urban areas. During conflicts, women are often trafficked across borders to provide sexual services to combatants in armed conflict. Armed conflict increases the risk of women and girls being abducted and forced into sexual slavery and/or forced prostitution. Although most conflicts are now internal, women and girls may be transported across international borders to camps of armed groups located in the territory of a neighbouring State. Abuses against women and girls have also been committed by international personnel deployed in United Nations peace operations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Gender-related killings of women 2012, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- Women and girls suffer from operations randomly or strategically targeting and terrorizing the civilian population, but also from summary and extrajudicial executions, imprisonment, torture, rape and sexual mutilations for fighting in resistance movements, for engaging in the search for and defence of their loved ones or for coming from communities suspected of collaboration. Gender inequality becomes more pronounced in conflict and crisis situations, as competing masculine discourses place contradictory demands on women, and conflict is instrumentalized as a pretext to further entrench patriarchal control.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Violence against women: Twenty years of developments to combat violence against women 2014, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- In the same resolution, the Commission requested all Governments to cooperate with and assist the Special Rapporteur in the performance of the tasks and duties mandated and to furnish all information requested. The resolution requested the Secretary-General to provide the mandate holder with all necessary assistance, in particular the staff and resources required to perform all mandated functions, especially in carrying out and following up on missions, and adequate assistance for periodic consultations with CEDAW and all other treaty bodies. It also requested the Secretary-General to ensure that the reports of the Special Rapporteur were brought to the attention of CSW to assist it in its work in the area of violence against women.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Vision-setting report 2016, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- In 2014, the previous mandate holder pointed out that sexual and gender-based violence in conflict situations was regarded as something different and exceptional rather than a continuation of a pattern of discrimination and violence that exacerbated in times of conflict, and recalled that prevention of violence against women must start during times of peace and the women, peace and security agenda should be directly connected to the broader agenda of gender equality and the empowerment of women (see A/HRC/26/38). In its resolution 1888 (2009), the Security Council established the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict. The Special Rapporteur believes that developing cooperation between the two mandates on issues of common interest is important.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Continuum of violence against women from the home to the transnational sphere: the challenges of effective redress 2011, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- Violence perpetrated or condoned by the State may include gender-based violence during conflict, custodial violence, violence against refugees and internally displaced persons as well as against women from indigenous and minority groups.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Existing legal standards and practices regarding violence against women in three regional human rights systems and activities being undertaken by civil society regarding the normative gap in international human rights law 2015, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- Institutional mechanisms include both a commission and a court. The mandate of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights includes receiving and investigating individual petitions relating to violations of human rights; observing the general situation of human rights in member States; conducting in loco visits to countries to conduct an in-depth analysis of the general situation and/or to investigate a specific situation; developing an awareness of human rights among the peoples of the Americas, including through the publication of reports on relevant thematic issues; organizing and holding visits, lectures, seminars and meetings with State and non-State actors; making recommendations to member States; requesting member States, in serious and urgent cases, to adopt precautionary measures, in order to prevent irreparable harm; presenting cases to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights; requesting advisory opinions of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights; and examining inter-State communications. The use of the precautionary measures mechanism has led to the Commission requesting a State party to adopt measures to protect the life and integrity of women's rights defenders in Colombia working with issues pertaining to the armed conflict; to protect the life, integrity and health of women living in displacement camps in Haiti; to ensure the safety of women's rights defenders in Mexico; and to protect victims of sexual abuse, among other urgent situations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Vision-setting report 2016, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- In times of peace, violence is committed in both the public and the private spheres, including in the family, the community, in State institutions and at the transnational level. Such violence is more common where patriarchal gender norms are entrenched, and where social and cultural norms contribute to the acceptance of violence against women and girls, or where there are formal or discriminatory provisions in domestic legislation relating to sex and gender, and no specific measures to address or prevent violence against women. The mandate holder also notes the severe underreporting of sexual violence, and consequently the lack of prosecution of perpetrators. Conflict and post-conflict situations often exacerbate existing forms of discrimination, or generate new forms of violence against women who are already in a vulnerable situation, such as rape by State or non-State actors, maiming, sexual mutilation, abduction, forced marriages to armed fighters (enslavement), torture and other forms of inhuman, cruel or degrading treatment of punishment. The prevention of such violence must be placed within the broader context of the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women. Under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, States are responsible for preventing acts of violence by State actors, and also to exercise due diligence to prevent, investigate and, in accordance with national legislation, punish acts of violence against women perpetrated by non-State actors.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph