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Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- The promotion of gender equality is also a critical aspect to be included in disability-inclusive policies. Men and women with disabilities face different forms of exclusion and discrimination throughout their life cycle and expectations relating to their role within the family, school, workplace and the community also differ greatly and vary widely across countries. While many States have adopted legal frameworks to guarantee equality of rights between women and men, as well as national gender action plans, only a few have taken concrete action to address the specific needs of women and girls with disabilities, to enhance their participation and to dismantle the barriers they face.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Men
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Representative organizations of persons with disabilities should promote the participation of women and girls with disabilities, as well as that of persons with disabilities from all population groups, as active members, in a spirit of pluralism and inclusiveness. While representative organizations of persons with disabilities may have different agendas and different engagement at various levels of government, this multiplicity of interests and strategies should not lead to the exclusion of specific groups of persons with disabilities. Only by embracing its diversity will the disability movement find its strength.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in political and public life with a focus on political transition 2013, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- Women and girls belonging to minority communities, rural and indigenous women, migrant women, refugee women and those seeking asylum, and poor women face discriminatory practices in the implementation of laws on nationality and citizenship. They face prejudicial attitudes as well as structural obstacles which limit access to formal registration of births, marriage, residence and other citizenship documents as well as to relevant information on their rights as citizens. Women who are de facto heads of households, including those who have been abandoned by their husbands, whose divorce is not legally registered, or whose husbands have been forcibly disappeared and do not have death certificates for their husbands , are denied recognition of their status in official documents. Without such access, women from these communities become disproportionately vulnerable in exercising their full and equal rights as citizens.
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in economic and social life with a focus on economic crisis 2014, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- Domestic workers caring for children, the disabled and ageing people, are a highly vulnerable category of employees, often in the informal sector. About 83 per cent are women or girls, and many are migrant workers. Domestic workers often encounter deplorable working conditions; labour exploitation; extortionate recruitment fees resulting in debt; confiscation of passports; long, unregulated hours of work; lack of privacy; exposure to physical and sexual abuse; and separation from their own families and children. The ILO Domestic Workers Convention (No. 189) calls for States to guarantee decent work for domestic workers, and thus several countries have introduced new protections.
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in cultural and family life, with a focus on the family as a cultural space 2015, para. 73a (iii)
- Paragraph text
- [The Working Group recommends that States:] Establish a national legal framework recognizing gender equality in cultural and family life, in accordance with regional and international standards: (iii) Develop national strategies to eradicate cultural practices that discriminate against women and girls, as well as gender stereotypes, through awareness-raising campaigns, educational and informational programmes and stakeholder mobilization. Engage men, as appropriate, in prevention and protection efforts in respect of gender-based discrimination and violence;
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in cultural and family life, with a focus on the family as a cultural space 2015, para. 73d (i)
- Paragraph text
- [According to general recommendation No. 29 of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the family is a social and legal construct and, in various countries, a religious construct. It also is an economic construct. The Working Group recommends that States:] Take measures to ensure that families allow girls to access education on an equal basis with boys, by raising awareness in the community and providing families with financial incentives to allow girls to finish their studies;
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Families
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in cultural and family life, with a focus on the family as a cultural space 2015, para. 73d (iii)
- Paragraph text
- [According to general recommendation No. 29 of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the family is a social and legal construct and, in various countries, a religious construct. It also is an economic construct. The Working Group recommends that States:] Ensure that women, on an equal footing with men, and girls, on an equal footing with boys, have the right to at least half the family property and inheritance in the event of divorce or widowhood. Facilitate the invalidation of any waiver of these rights obtained from a woman as a result of pressure from her family or community;
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Families
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in the area of health and safety, with a focus on the instrumentalization of women's bodies 2016, para. 98
- Paragraph text
- In the context of women's and girls' health and safety, equality means the provision of differential services, treatment and medicines in accordance with their specific biological needs, throughout their life cycle. In many countries there is discriminatory exclusion and neglect of women in providing the highest attainable standard of health for women. Discrimination is particularly evident regarding women's right to reproductive and sexual health. It is exacerbated in the case of women members of marginalized groups. Discrimination against women and girls leading to the violation of their right to health and safety denies their right to human dignity.
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in the area of health and safety, with a focus on the instrumentalization of women's bodies 2016, para. 100
- Paragraph text
- Women's access to health services in many countries is not autonomous, affordable and effective, elements which are essential for States to respect, protect and fulfil women's and girls' rights to life, health, privacy, equality and human dignity. A major barrier is lack of affordability as a result of exclusion from insurance for treatments specifically needed by women and girls or exclusion of groups of women such as migrants. Non-affordability severely discriminates against women living in poverty. Barriers also include restrictive legislative requirements, biased and stigmatized provision of services and conscientious objection to providing services.
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in the area of health and safety, with a focus on the instrumentalization of women's bodies 2016, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- Many girls are exposed to a wide variety of practices which are harmful to their health and well-being, such as female genital mutilation, discrimination in food allocation resulting in malnutrition and discrimination in access to professional health care. Furthermore, early marriage and adolescent pregnancy have a long-lasting impact on girls' physical integrity and mental health. Pregnancy and childbirth are together the second leading cause of death among 15- to 19-year-old girls globally, putting them at the highest risk of dying or suffering serious lifelong injuries as a result of pregnancy. For example, up to 65 per cent of women with obstetric fistula, which is a severely disabling condition and often results in social exclusion, develop this condition as adolescents.
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 5
- Paragraph text
- Resource constraints, however, remain a major barrier to the realization of the right to education. Prospects for achieving the targets of millennium development goals 2 (Ensuring that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling) and 3 (Eliminating gender disparity in all levels of education no later than 2015) are bleak on account of a dearth of resources. The assessment prepared for the 2010 High-level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals underlined the need for scaling up budgets and providing enhanced resources to accelerate progress in meeting those targets. The Education for All Global Monitoring Reports in recent years have consistently pointed to insufficient funding for education. More recently, public expenditure cuts as a consequence of the global financial crisis have threatened to decrease support to the education sector, possibly jeopardizing recent advances. For instance, 7 of 18 low-income countries reduced spending on education in 2009; those countries alone had 3.7 million children out of school.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Normative action for quality education 2012, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- States’ obligations to ensure quality education for girls is further expounded in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which establishes women's right to education, both as entitlement and as empowerment. State parties thus have an obligation to ensure, on the basis of equality of men and women, access to education at all levels and in all its forms, including “access to the same curricula, the same examinations, teaching staff with qualifications of the same standard and school premises and equipment of the same quality” (art. 10 (b)).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Report on the Post-2015 Education Agenda 2013, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- The right to education for women and girls should be driven by a rights-based approach. That is essential for putting an end to multiple forms of discrimination from which women and girls suffer. A rights-based approach implies that educating women and girls should, a priori, be viewed as a human rights imperative, rather than being undertaken solely because of potential benefits to their children or to society. "Greater equity, including between men and women and among other groups, is not only essential in itself, but also important for promoting human development. One of the most powerful instruments for this purpose is education".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Assessment of the educational attainment of students 2014, para. 90
- Paragraph text
- In relation to assessing progression from primary to secondary education, the Special Rapporteur recommends that: States comply fully with their core obligation of providing free, compulsory primary education of good quality to every child, boys and girls alike. Completion of good quality primary education should be a predominant concern in the national assessment of basic education, with no automatic progression from primary to secondary education. This can only be verified through assessments prior to progression to secondary education, with recognized qualification" at the end of primary education cycle. Public authorities should ensure the maintenance of quality standards throughout the cycle of basic education in a sustained manner.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Women’s right and the right to food 2013, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- In addition to expanding their economic opportunities in later life, higher enrolment rates for girls delay marriage and can thus lower the number of children a woman has, therefore enabling more women to seek employment with higher incomes. Low levels of education and early marriage create a vicious cycle in which women have many children and thus reduced opportunities for improving their education and seeking employment outside the home. Higher levels of education means women can take control over their fertility and be able to make informed decisions in terms of their sexual health and family planning, resulting in fewer children and improved economic opportunities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Women’s right and the right to food 2013, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- Certain investments can significantly reduce the burden that household chores impose on women. In rural areas, such measures include the provision of water services and afforestation projects to reduce the time spent fetching water and fuelwood. In both rural and urban areas, measures would include the establishment or strengthening of child-care services and care for the elderly or persons with illness/disability. By reducing the time poverty of women, their economic opportunities would expand, since it would be easier for them to seek employment outside the household; access incomes and increase their economic independence, which, in turn, would strengthen their bargaining position within the household. In order for such opportunities to be seized, access to education for girls and life-long training must be improved and societal perceptions of gender roles which discriminate against women must be changed. Improved education and employment prospects are mutually reinforcing, as the demand for education (investment in human capital) will increase in proportion to increase in the demand for a qualified female workforce.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Girls in the criminal justice system are at particular risk of experiencing torture and ill-treatment. The majority have prior histories of abuse and violence that serve as primary predictors of their entry into the juvenile justice system. Girls' particular physical and mental health needs often go unrecognized and incarceration itself tends to exacerbate trauma, with girls suffering disproportionately from depression and anxiety and exhibiting a higher risk of self-harm or suicide than boys or adults. Many States lack facilities for separating girls from adults or boys, which significantly increases the risks of violence, including sexual violence. The employment of male guards in girls' facilities significantly increases the risk of abuse, while girls held in remote, segregated facilities are isolated and have limited contact with their families.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Families
- Girls
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- Adequate and effective complaint and oversight mechanisms are critical sources of protection for at-risk groups that experience abuses in detention. All too often proper safeguards are absent or lacking in independence and impartiality, while fear of reprisals and the stigma associated with reporting sexual violence and other humiliating practices discourage women, girls, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons from reporting. In many cases, the vulnerability and isolation of women and girls is compounded by limited access to legal representation, inability to pay fees or bail as a result of poverty, dependence on male relatives for financial support and fewer family visits.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Poverty
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- Women and girls tend to be at risk of honour violence or killing for engaging in sexual relations outside of marriage, choosing partners without their family's approval or behaving in other ways that are considered immoral; Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons are also targeted (A/HRC/29/23). Honour killings have been documented in South-East Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East and affect 5,000-12,000 women each year. States' failure to prevent honour-based violence contravenes their obligations to combat and prevent torture and ill-treatment. This includes failure to grant asylum to persons facing the risk of honour violence in their countries of origin.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Integrating a gender perspective in the right to food 2016, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- Girls and women suffer from discrimination in relation to their right to food at all stages in life. In many countries, females receive less food than their male partners, due to a lower social status. In extreme cases, a preference for male children may lead to female infanticide, including by deprivation of food. Some mothers stop breastfeeding girls prematurely in order to try and get pregnant with a male, which could increase risks of infection and other risks if impure water is used with formula. Similar discrimination applies to older women who tend to be less literate than older men, in many parts of the world; this limits women's employability, participation and voice in community development activities and makes them less likely to be able to provide for themselves.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Older persons
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Integrating a gender perspective in the right to food 2016, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- Furthermore, girls and adolescent women induced by tradition or forced into child marriage and adolescent pregnancy, suffer the consequences of a high work burden and deprivation of their child rights, including their right to adequate nutrition and education. They are required to perform heavy amounts of domestic work, and are responsible for raising children while still children themselves. Adolescent pregnancy is a typical outcome of child marriage and complications during pregnancy and childbirth are the second cause of death for 15-19 year-old girls globally.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Food & Nutrition
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Integrating a gender perspective in the right to food 2016, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development also acknowledges the critical importance of advancing gender equality and empowering women and girls to realize sustainable development. Many of the climate-related SDGs include gender-specific targets, including those related to ownership and control over land and access to new technology (SDG1), women small-scale food producers (SDG2), and water and sanitation (SDG6). These goals provide a mandate for advancing gender equality and women's empowerment across all areas of climate change action.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Integrating a gender perspective in the right to food 2016, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- One area of concern is disaster management because climate change is likely to impact the number and severity of extreme weather events. Researches show that in societies where men and women should be impacted indiscriminately in disasters women and girls, as a result of gender based inequalities, are up to 14 times more likely to die in the event of a disaster. This is especially true of elderly women, those with disabilities, pregnant and nursing women, and those with small children, who may have lack of, or limited mobility and resources, and therefore remain most at risk in cases of emergency.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- Many adolescents, in particular girls and those identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, are deterred from approaching health professionals in anticipation of a judgemental attitude that results from social norms or laws that stigmatize or criminalize their sexual behaviour. Rights to sexual and reproductive health for many adolescents are further compromised by violence, including sexual and institutional violence, coercion into unwanted sex or marriage, and patriarchal and heteronormative practices and values. This reinforces harmful gender stereotypes and unequal power relations that make it difficult for many adolescent girls to refuse sex or insist on safe and responsible sex practices.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- Adolescents with disabilities are frequently subjected to forced medical treatment, including sterilization, abortion and contraception, which can constitute torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. Girls with disabilities in particular experience alarmingly disproportionate levels of physical and sexual violence, frequently without any means of redress or access to justice. Many health-care providers hold inaccurate, stereotypical views about individuals with disabilities, including assumptions that they are asexual, which serves to deny them access to sexual and reproductive health information, services and goods, as well as comprehensive sexuality education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- AIDS is the second most common cause of death among adolescents globally. Worldwide, adolescents in key population groups, including gay and bisexual boys, transgender adolescents, adolescents who exchange sex for money, goods or favours and adolescents who inject drugs, are also at a higher risk of HIV infection. Adolescent girls in high-HIV burden countries are particularly vulnerable, making up 75 per cent of new infections in Africa in 2013, with gender inequality, harmful traditional practices and punitive age of consent laws identified as drivers of the epidemic. These sectors and groups face a disproportionately high risk of experiencing stigma, discrimination, violence, rejection by families, criminalization and other human rights violations when seeking sexual and reproductive health services, including denial of access to health-care services, such as HIV testing, counselling and treatment.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Boys
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Sports and healthy lifestyles as contributing factors to the right to health 2016, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- Moreover, sex segregation policies have led to multiple rights violations in sport. Sex segregation has historically been justified on the basis of safety and fairness, rooted in assumptions of male physical superiority. Various legal decisions have noted that this is a generalization and have granted individual girls and women the right to compete in male sporting competitions - although not vice versa. Although it is important to preserve spaces for girls and women to confidently participate in sport, this should not result in exclusion of others, such as transgender people.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Rights of indigenous women and girls 2015, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- To contribute to addressing any continuing gaps in monitoring and implementing the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Issues, the Special Rapporteur dedicates the present report to the issue of indigenous women and girl's rights. While recognizing the great diversity in the experiences of indigenous women, she will take a global approach, focusing on common themes and patterns experienced by indigenous women across regions. The Special Rapporteur will highlight examples of specific rights violations and issues from different countries, which are illustrative but not exhaustive. In analysing the situation of indigenous women, she will consider both the gendered forms of violations against indigenous women and the gendered effects of human rights abuses that target indigenous communities as a whole. In that way, the Special Rapporteur hopes that the forms of oppression, discrimination and violence that indigenous women face -because they are women and because they are indigenous - can be better understood.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Rights of indigenous women and girls 2015, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- When examining the rights of indigenous women and girls, it is vital to consider the unique historical experiences of indigenous communities. Many forms of violence and abuse against indigenous women and girls have a strong intergenerational element. Violations of the broad right to self-determination of indigenous peoples are historically and currently endemic. Those have included gross and sustained assaults on the cultural integrity of indigenous peoples; denigration and non-recognition of customary laws and governance systems; failure to develop frameworks that allow indigenous peoples appropriate levels of self-governance; and practices that strip indigenous peoples of autonomy over land and natural resources. Those patterns of violations are vividly exemplified by colonization, but have also been perpetuated by post-colonial power structures and State practices. Those violations of the right to self-determination have been highly detrimental to the advancement of the rights of indigenous women and girls in a number of ways.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Rights of indigenous women and girls 2015, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- As discussed by the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences in her 2007 thematic report, culture-based identity politics can be used to justify violence against women in the name of traditional practices and/or values. Practices commonly carried out in the name of tradition, such as female gender mutilation and child marriage, impact some but not all indigenous communities. The fact that those traditional practices cut across religious, geographical and ethnic characteristics demonstrate that there are multidimensional causal factors and that no one factor attributed to the identity of women makes them vulnerable. Violations suffered by indigenous women and girls must be viewed within the context of the broad spectrum of violations experienced and their specific vulnerabilities as members of indigenous communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Enjoyment of the rights to health and adequate housing by migrants 2010, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Article 12 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women guarantees the right to access health-care services, including family planning services, on a basis of equality of men and women. This provision is particularly pertinent, as migrant women and girls face specific challenges in the field of health. They may be subject to sex- and gender-based discrimination, such as mandatory HIV/AIDS, pregnancy or other testing without their consent, as well as sexual and physical abuse by agents and escorts during transit. In host States, many female migrants are employed in relatively low-skilled jobs within the manufacturing, domestic service or entertainment sectors, often without legal status and little access to health services. They are often subject to exploitation and/or physical and sexual violence by their employers or clients. They may be particularly vulnerable to HIV and have few alternative employment opportunities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Regional study: management of the European Union external border and the impact on the human rights of migrants 2013, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- However, the Special Rapporteur notes that this focus on migrants who undertake irregular border crossings has significant relevance, as this is where the most egregious human rights abuses appear to take place. Of the utmost concern are the deaths of irregular migrants attempting to cross into the European Union. Other concerns are the mistreatment of migrants at the border, including practices which infringe their liberty and security, and detention regimes on both sides of the border that fail to adequately respect minimum human rights standards. Furthermore, even before crossing the border to the European Union, whether by sea or by land, migrants are often exposed to serious risks of abuse and exploitation en route, including by smugglers. This is particularly true for women and girls who wait in transit countries and who may be exposed to sexually based violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Human rights of migrants in the post-2015 development agenda 2014, para. 69c
- Paragraph text
- [Indicators should include the proportion of:] Migrant girls having access to and completing primary and secondary education and demonstrating relevant learning outcomes, by migration status.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Priorities for the work of the Independent Expert and the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities 2012, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- Sex- and minority-based discrimination in hiring, promotion and pay also create significant barriers for minority women. Increasingly informal labour markets - a result of globalization - have brought more women into paid work, but often with low pay, excluded from basic labour protection and employed under poor working conditions. This renders the conditions under which minority women - and all too often young girls - earn incomes that may be insecure, difficult, harmful or even dangerous. Their workload can be made heavier by the lack of such basic amenities as clean water and sanitation, the availability of child-care support and protection against domestic and social violence. Minority girls and women in difficult circumstances are often forced to find survival opportunities outside their communities and home, and can easily fall victim to trafficking, exploitation and illegal migration within or outside their own country, which makes them even more vulnerable.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Minorities in the criminal justice system 2015, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- Multiple forms of discrimination which may further curtail access to justice can also arise from within the minority community. Minority women may face multiple stigmas in relation to their ethnic or religious background, their sex, and the nature of the crime of which they were the victim. In India, for instance, Dalit women subjected to violence reportedly face unnecessary delays and pressure to drop charges, which are linked to a combination of their gender and minority status. In some countries of Eastern and Central Europe and Central Asia, parental attitudes can limit minority children's access to justice: girls in particular are expected to remain silent about problematic family situations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
The importance of social protection measures in achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2010, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- The fact that structural discrimination against women prevails in most societies and the consequent limited influence of women in decision-making processes must be taken into account in all stages of programmes. Gender stereotypes frequently attribute to women the responsibility of caregiving, particularly for children and older persons. While such activities contribute significantly to household and community well-being and development, they often go unrecognized by States and societies. Domestic responsibilities are usually not remunerated, and they often prevent women from gaining access to the formal labour market and limit the opportunities for women and girls to participate in capacity-building activities, including education and training.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Older persons
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Unpaid care work and women's human rights 2013, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- In 1995, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action highlighted the importance of tackling the unequal distribution of paid and unpaid work between men and women, as an essential step towards achieving gender equality. Unfortunately, very little progress has been made since that time. The neglect of unpaid care in policy persists, at great cost to caregivers themselves. Across the world, millions of women still find that poverty is their reward for a lifetime spent caring, and unpaid care provision by women and girls is still treated as an infinite, cost-free resource that fills the gaps when public services are not available or accessible. This report calls for a fundamental shift in this status quo, as part of States' fundamental human rights obligations. Without further delay, public policies should position care as a social and collective responsibility and treat unpaid caregivers and those they care for as rights holders.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Effective Implementation of the OPSC 2010, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- Despite their clear definitions, concepts often overlap. There are many links between the sale of children, trafficking in children, forced labour, child prostitution, sex tourism and child pornography. The exploitation of children for economic purposes often goes hand in hand with their exploitation for sexual purposes. The development of sex tourism almost invariably entails the development of child prostitution and child pornography (some abusers film their victims). In conflict zones, the recruitment of children for armed conflict is very often accompanied by the sexual exploitation of children, especially girls.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Rights of indigenous women and girls 2015, para. 62b
- Paragraph text
- [Gaps and weaknesses in some human rights and development monitoring mechanisms include:] Failure to discuss the role that intersecting forms of vulnerability and discrimination plays in violations of the rights of indigenous women and girls;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Servile marriage 2012, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- A UNICEF study on early marriage indicates that girls under the age of 15 years are five times more likely to die during delivery as a result of haemorrhage, sepsis, preeclampsia or eclampsia and obstructed labour than women between the ages of 20 and 24 years.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Comprehensive, rights-based and child-centred care, recovery and reintegration programmes 2015, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- Research shows that girls account for the majority of documented victims of sexual exploitation. However, the fact that boys are also victims cannot be disregarded. Similarly, children who identify as transgender are extremely vulnerable to sexual exploitation. In the United States of America, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex youth are disproportionately represented in runaway and homeless youth programmes and child welfare systems and 42 per cent of them have been sexually exploited. A 2006 study in Cambodia found that 80 per cent of interviewed victims of street-based sexual exploitation were male. In Taiwan Province of China, the number of boys being prostituted discovered through social networking sites peaked in 2008. In Ethiopia, a study revealed that male children are specifically targeted for prostitution on the basis of the belief that anal intercourse is less likely to transmit HIV/AIDS. A recent study in the United Kingdom found that one third of children accessing specialist sexual exploitation services were male.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Comprehensive, rights-based and child-centred care, recovery and reintegration programmes 2015, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- A number of risk factors increase children's vulnerability and place them at higher risk of being sold and trafficked to meet the demand for sex with children. They include being female, aged between 12 and 18, belonging to an ethnic minority, living in a rural area, lacking education, having a disability, inadequate family protection, living in extreme poverty and having migrated. The general trends and patterns of sale, trafficking and sexual exploitation of children include increased control of trafficking routes and destinations by criminal organizations, which benefit from increased migration movements; the enhanced role of new technologies in marketing children for sexual exploitation, including through new forms of exploitation such as the online streaming of sexual exploitation (A/HRC/28/56, paras. 42-43); the normalization of prostitution as a legitimate business in tourism and entertainment; and the wide-scale migration of women and girls for domestic and entertainment work.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Comprehensive, rights-based and child-centred care, recovery and reintegration programmes 2015, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- Gender-based discrimination and inequalities also play a large role in the propagation of sexual exploitation of children, in particular girls and children who identify as transgender. Sexual exploitation of girls is often rooted in patriarchal structures that promote male sexual domination and do not condemn the commercialization of girls and women. Culturally imposed feminine gender stereotypes also contribute to sexual exploitation of women and girls by placing them in the role of serving males, negating their ability to make decisions regarding their own sexual and reproductive life and making them prime targets for sexual violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Sale of children for the purpose of forced labour 2016, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- The sale of children for the purpose of forced labour in domestic work is a widespread phenomenon. Domestic work can amount to a form of forced labour, depending on the nature of the employment relationship, which can make children heavily dependent on their employer. That type of employment relationship leads to ambiguous informal arrangements and a lack of clear contractual conditions, which paves the way for dependency, abuse and harmful working conditions. Among child domestic workers, live-in workers are the most exploited. Over 17 million children are engaged in domestic work, of which almost two thirds are estimated to be in child labour, either because they are below the legal minimum working age or working in conditions which represent the worst forms of child labour. Most of them are girls.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Manifestations and causes of domestic servitude 2010, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur is particularly concerned about the high number of children in domestic work (see section 2c). Children are often sought for domestic work as they are seen as cheaper, less demanding and easier to control than adults. There are large numbers of child domestic workers in all continents, with the highest number probably residing in Asia. For example, ILO reports that 175,000 children under 18 are employed in domestic service in Central America, more than 688,000 in Indonesia, 53,942 children under 15 in South Africa and 38,000 children between 5 and 7 in Guatemala. Girls constitute the vast majority of child domestic workers (90 per cent according to some estimates). According to ILO, more girls under 16 years are in domestic service than in any other category of child labour.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Manifestations and causes of domestic servitude 2010, para. 92
- Paragraph text
- Although the victims are largely invisible, domestic servitude constitutes a global human rights concern. Every region in the world is affected. Domestic servitude takes many shape and forms, ranging from slavery as understood by the 1926 Slavery Convention to slavery-like practices, such as bonded domestic labour and child domestic labour. Millions of women and girls, pursuing the opportunities that domestic work provides, while providing a valuable contribution to society, are at risk because their rights, equal human dignity and autonomy are not adequately protected.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Manifestations and causes of domestic servitude 2010, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Feminized poverty pushes women and girls into domestic work and makes them easy to exploit. Women, who often carry the burden of providing for children, suffer disproportionally from cuts to welfare programmes and essential public services in a situation of economic crisis and budget cuts. In many countries, the collapse of entire agricultural sectors, often linked to inequitable terms of trade, has driven also women and girls into rural-urban or international migrations. With the supply of cheap, desperate labour outstripping demand, power relationships are often so grossly unequal that the degree of exploitation endured by domestic workers depends on the employer's will.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Servile marriage 2012, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- In its resolution 66/140, the General Assembly reiterated its call for an end to harmful traditional or customary practices, such as early and forced marriage, and called upon States to take appropriate measures to address the root factors of child and forced marriages, including by undertaking educational activities to raise awareness regarding the negative aspects of such practices. It urged all States to enact and strictly enforce laws to ensure that marriage was entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses, and, in addition, to enact and strictly enforce laws concerning the minimum legal age of consent and the minimum age for marriage and raise the minimum age for marriage where necessary, and to develop and implement comprehensive policies, plans of action and programmes for the survival, protection, development and advancement of the girl child in order to promote and protect the full enjoyment of her human rights and to ensure equal opportunities for girls, including by making such plans an integral part of her total development process.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Servile marriage 2012, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- The General Assembly also urged States to ensure that efforts to enact and implement legislation to end child and forced marriages engaged all stakeholders and agents of change and to ensure that the information on the legislation against the practice was well known and generated social support for the enforcement of such laws and legislation. States were urged to support community workshops and discussion sessions to enable communities to collectively explore ways to prevent and address child and forced marriages, provide information through stakeholders credible to the community, such as medical personnel and local, community and religious leaders, regarding the harm associated with those marriages, give greater voice to girls and ensure consistence of message throughout the entire community, and encourage the much-needed strong engagement of men and boys.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Servile marriage 2012, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- The General Assembly called upon States to support and implement, including with dedicated resources, multisectoral policies and programmes that ended the practice of child and forced marriages and to ensure the provision of viable alternatives and institutional support, especially educational opportunities for girls, with an emphasis on keeping girls in school through post-primary education, including those who were already married or pregnant, ensuring physical access to education, including by establishing safe residential facilities, increasing financial incentives to families, promoting the empowerment of girls, improving educational quality and ensuring safe and hygienic conditions in schools.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Girls
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Children deprived of their liberty from the perspective of the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 2015, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- Girls deprived of their liberty are at a heightened risk of sexual violence, sexual exploitation and underage pregnancies while in detention. The risk of sexual abuse is greater when male guards supervise girls in detention. Girls deprived of their liberty have different needs not only to those of adults but also of boys. Girls in detention are often not only children but also carers, either as mothers or as siblings, and have specific health, hygiene and sanitary needs. Across the globe, girls are rarely kept separately from women in pretrial and post-conviction settings (see A/HRC/16/52/Add.3, para. 54). Similarly, the Special Rapporteur notes that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex children are at a heightened risk.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
The first decade of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children 2014, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- That definition affirmed that trafficking is much wider in scope than previously envisaged: that it can take place for a wide range of end purposes, including, but not limited to, sexual exploitation; that it can involve as victims men and boys, as well as women and girls; and that it can take place across borders or within a country, including the victim's own. The Special Rapporteur has embraced this understanding of trafficking, affirming in her first report the scope of the mandate to include trafficking in children for sexual purposes, child labour, adoption and participation in armed conflict; trafficking in men for forced labour, organized crime and other exploitation; trafficking in women and girls for forced marriage, sexual exploitation and forced labour; and trafficking in persons for the removal of organs (A/HRC/10/16, para. 16).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Children trafficked into forced military service perform a variety of combatant and supportive roles. Many children, typically boys, are forcibly recruited or kidnapped for use by armed militias in ongoing conflicts. Children are also used as suicide bombers and human shields. For instance in Iraq, ISIL and other extremist groups traffic boys and young men, including members of the Yazidi minority, into armed conflict, radicalize them to commit terrorist acts using deception, death threats or the offer of money and women as rewards. Others are compelled to work as porters, cooks, guards and messengers or are forced to commit crimes, such as looting and physical and sexual violence. Boys and girls in these situations are often sexually abused and may also be forced to take drugs.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- In addition, the nature and forms of trafficking in persons associated with conflict are highly gendered. For example, abduction into military forces affects males and females differently. Men and boys are typically forced into soldiering while women and girls are generally forced into support roles, and they typically face much greater risk of sexual assault as either a primary purpose or an additional manifestation of their exploitation. As previously noted, sexual enslavement, a practice exacerbated by situations of conflict, is highly gendered in that it disproportionately affects women and girls. Other forms of trafficking-related exploitation particular to or especially prevalent in conflict, including forced and temporary marriage, are highly gendered in their motivation and impact, which underscores the importance of a gender analysis in all trafficking prevention efforts and responses.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2016
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
Continuum of violence against women from the home to the transnational sphere: the challenges of effective redress 2011, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- Currently, the United Nations discourse regarding violence against women hinges on three principles: first, violence against women and girls is addressed as a matter of equality and non-discrimination between women and men; second, multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination are recognized as increasing the risk that some women will experience targeted, compounded or structural discrimination; and third, the interdependence of human rights is reflected in efforts such as those that seek to address the causes of violence against women related to the civil, cultural, economic, political and social spheres.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and violence against women 2011, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- For example, the ability to obtain a high quality education is exponentially difficult for poor, rural and/or disabled people. Furthermore, the world's women and girls continue to receive inadequate education when compared to the men and boys from their communities. Due to inadequate education, employment and financial security are more difficult for women and girls to attain. According to UNESCO, "of the "796 million adults worldwide (15 years and older) who reported not being able to read and write in 2008… two-thirds of them (64%) were women." Being illiterate isolates women, exacerbates poverty, and creates a context ripe for violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and violence against women 2011, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- Pregnancy and childbearing are part of the material reality of women and girls which requires a gendered analysis. This entails explicitly accounting for the fact that maternal mortality and morbidity are manifestations of rights violations for which there are no parallel violations directly experienced by men. The general risk of maternal mortality and morbidity faced by all women is significantly altered by factors such as quality, affordable and accessible maternal health care. The absence of this type of health care contributes to deaths that are preventable and that occur at disproportionately higher rates for pregnant women and adolescent girls who live in the poorest regions of the world.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and violence against women 2011, para. 92
- Paragraph text
- Women also have the right to freely participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits. International law has recognized a woman and girl child's right to benefit from artistic and literary endeavours, and to pursue interests in science or other forms of creative expression. Additionally, all women have a right to fully participate in the cultural life of their communities and States. Any group or individual that denies a woman or girl child the right to cultural expression is denying her right to participate fully in a meaningful cultural life. Similarly, if any act of abuse is perpetrated against a woman or girl child in the name of culture, this individual or group is perverting the basic fundamental right to culture as found in international law, and is perpetuating a static and narrow conception of culture.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Gender-related killings of women 2012, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- The intersection of different layers of discrimination based on race, ethnic identity, sex, class, education and political views further disenfranchises indigenous and aboriginal women, reproducing a multi-level oppression that culminates in violence. In cases of killings of aboriginal and indigenous women, the main failings by the authorities are the failure of police to protect aboriginal women and girls from violence and to investigate promptly and thoroughly when they are missing or murdered, and the disadvantaged social and economic conditions in which aboriginal women and girls live, which make them vulnerable to such violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Gender-related killings of women 2012, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- The killings can be active or direct, with defined perpetrators, but they can also be passive or indirect. The direct category includes: killings as a result of intimate-partner violence; sorcery/witchcraft-related killings; honour-related killings; armed conflict-related killings; dowry-related killings; gender identity- and sexual orientation-related killings; and ethnic- and indigenous identity-related killings. The indirect category includes: deaths due to poorly conducted or clandestine abortions; maternal mortality; deaths from harmful practices; deaths linked to human trafficking, drug dealing, organized crime and gang-related activities; the death of girls or women from simple neglect, through starvation or ill-treatment; and deliberate acts or omissions by the State.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Gender-related killings of women 2012, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- Honour killings take many forms, including direct murder; stoning; women and young girls being forced to commit suicide after public denunciations of their behaviour; and women being disfigured by acid burns, leading to death. Honour crimes are also linked to other forms of family violence, and are usually committed by male family members as a means of controlling women's sexual choices and limiting their freedom of movement. Punishment usually has a collective dimension, with the family as a whole believing it to be injured by a woman's actual or perceived behaviour, and is often public in character. The visibility of the issue and the punishment also serves a social objective, namely, influencing the conduct of other women.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Girls
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Gender-related killings of women 2012, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- In the case of India, international attention has been drawn to the vast divergence in the country's natural gender ratio, with estimates that in 2003 100 million women were "missing" from its population. It is estimated that one million selective female foetal abortions occur annually in India. There is no official statistical data available on female infanticide, but in the state of Kerala, it is estimated that about 25,000 female newborns are killed every year. The preadolescent mortality rate of girls under 5 years old was 21 per cent higher than for boys of the same age in India. Violence, as well as nutritional and deliberate medical neglect by girls' parents, was cited as the main causes of death.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Infants
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Gender-related killings of women 2012, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- Female infanticide in China goes back as far 2000 B.C. Girls were the main victims of infanticide, especially so in times of poverty and famine. A study suggested that the estimated number of missing girls in the twentieth century in China between 1900 and 2000 is 35.59 million, representing 4.65 per cent of its population. An analysis of the most recent data from China shows that while the sex ratio at birth is more skewed in rural areas, the ratios in large cities increased in 2005 compared to 2000. These findings suggest that son preference is still a strong influence, and is increasingly being acted upon by those living in cities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Pathways to, conditions and consequences of incarceration for women 2013, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- A recent study uncovered cases of rape of female political prisoners in the Islamic Republic of Iran throughout the 1980s, including the rape of young virgin girls before execution, forced marriages and other forms of sexual violence, some of which continues today. In July 2011, a female prisoner committed suicide after violent beatings, including with electronic batons. The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran states that a prisoner alleged that prison guards tortured her by subjecting her to sleep and toilet deprivation, keeping her in a standing position for hours, burning her with cigarettes, exposing her to extreme temperatures for extended periods of time and punching, kicking and striking her with batons (A/67/369, para. 27).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Pathways to, conditions and consequences of incarceration for women 2013, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- Psychological violence, including solitary confinement of women and girls, can be another form of abuse, particularly when applied for an extended period of time or used as punishment, during pretrial detention. It is argued that in prison settings, solitary confinement is sometimes used as a way to separate girls from the adult population, but is also often used punitively against women and girls. In contrast, solitary confinement is used primarily for safety reasons with male prisoners. There is a perception that there may also be a correlation between solitary confinement and high suicide rates and attempted suicide among women prisoners.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Violence against women as a barrier to the effective realization of all human rights 2014, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- Violence against women impairs and nullifies the right of women and girls to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. Gender-based violence, such as intimate partner violence, sexual violence, female genital mutilation or other harmful traditional practices, forced and child marriage or cohabitation, gender-related killings, trafficking, infanticide and deliberate neglect of girls, have a severe impact on women's and girls' physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health. As stated by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, violence against women puts women's health and lives at risk. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights notes that the right to health includes both freedoms and entitlements, including the right to control one's health and body, inclusive of sexual and reproductive freedom, and the right to be free from interference, such as the right to be free from non-consensual medical treatment and experimentation (E/C.12/2000/4, para. 8).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
State responsibility for eliminating violence against women 2013, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- In his 2006 study (A/61/122/Add.1 and Corr.1), the Secretary-General recalled that violence against women is a form of discrimination and a violation of human rights. He endorsed the principle of State responsibility to act with due diligence in the context of violence against women. In addition, resolutions on violence against women emanating from the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly have called upon States to exercise due diligence to prevent and investigate acts of violence against women and girls and punish the perpetrators. These resolutions broadly call upon the State to put in place civil and criminal measures to address offender accountability, to ensure victim safety and, importantly, to provide redress and justice measures that victims can access effectively. States are also urged to adopt laws, policies and programmes that recognize the consequences of multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination which lead to increased vulnerability for some categories of women.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Violence against women: Twenty years of developments to combat violence against women 2014, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- Numerous human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, refer to the issue of violence against women, in broad terms, and in some instances the girl child. This section will focus on the issue with regard to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Modalities for the establishment of femicides/gender-related killings watch 2016, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- The implementation of the 2030 Agenda provides a new opportunity to accelerate progress in achieving gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls and the elimination of violence against women through, among other things, improving the collection of data on violence against women in general and femicide in particular. The collection of reliable and comparable data is needed to prevent such violence. Data requirements to effectively monitor the Goals for women and girls will be substantial and significant investments and capacity-building will have to be made to fill the data gaps that have been identified.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
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. 67
- Paragraph text
- Closing the normative gap requires the international legalization of women's right to be free of all forms of violence, whether public or private. An international human rights law that explicitly articulates legal obligations in the protection of dignity, freedom, safety, security and equality rights for women will result in legal obligations, thereby providing for international scrutiny and accountability through a dedicated monitoring body. This will lead to positive consequences in domestic human rights practices in respect of protection, prevention and accountability for all manifestations of violence against women and girls.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Integrating non-discrimination and equality into the post-2015 development agenda for water, sanitation and hygiene 2012, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- In her country missions, the Special Rapporteur has noted that specific groups are excluded from access to water and sanitation, often reflecting patterns of discrimination, marginalization and limited political will to ensure substantive equality. These groups can be identified along ethnicity and socioeconomic divides. In some countries, indigenous peoples living on reserves do not have access to water or sanitation services. Dalits often suffer discrimination in accessing water and sanitation, while Roma are most disadvantaged in many European countries. Moreover, the Special Rapporteur's attention has repeatedly been drawn to vast gender inequalities and multiple discrimination, or the compounded impact of various grounds of discrimination on the same individual or group. For instance, women and girls are overwhelmingly tasked with collecting water and are physically and sexually threatened when they fetch water. Persons with disabilities are also disproportionately represented among those who lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Different levels and types of services and the human rights to water and sanitation 2015, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Hygiene facilities and services must be culturally acceptable. Personal hygiene is a highly sensitive issue across regions and cultures. Differing perspectives on the acceptability of hygiene practices must be taken into account regarding the design, positioning and conditions of use for sanitation, hand-washing and menstrual hygiene facilities. Facilities should accommodate hygiene practices in specific cultures, such as anal and genital cleansing, and women's toilets must accommodate menstruation hygiene management needs, particularly with respect to privacy. Menstruation is taboo in many countries, which makes menstrual hygiene a major concern for the health and well-being of women, and particularly of girls, who may not have sufficient knowledge about managing menstruation to be able to develop good practices. Education is necessary at schools, for boys as well as girls, to start to address the social taboos associated with menstruation and menstrual hygiene.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Different levels and types of services and the human rights to water and sanitation 2015, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- Achieving equality does not mean that everyone should be treated identically. With respect to water, sanitation and hygiene, human rights requires that everyone has equal access to services; but this does not mean that everyone must enjoy the same type of service, such as flush toilets, as these are not appropriate in all circumstances and contexts. Also some individuals or groups have specific needs such as menstrual hygiene for women and girls. However, States may need to adopt affirmative measures, giving preference to certain groups and individuals in order to redress past discrimination. Social, cultural, economic and political inequalities perpetuate social exclusion, and this needs to be carefully considered in the development of water, sanitation and hygiene service delivery options (see E/C.12/2002/11, para. 17).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Common violations of the human rights to water and sanitation 2014, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- Many cultures have certain prescriptions for women's and girls' behaviour during menstruation which may amount to harmful traditional and cultural practices, violating not only the right to sanitation but, more broadly, women's and girls' human rights and gender equality. In Nepal, the Supreme Court issued an order to eliminate the practice of chaupadi, which forces menstruating women and girls to sleep in isolation from the rest of the family, in a hut or shed, with risks to their health and security. The Court declared that the practice was discriminatory and violated women's rights. It ordered the Government to conduct a study on the impact of the practice, to create awareness and to take measures to eliminate the tradition.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Gender equality in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2016, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- The fact that in many instances women and girls risk being harassed when they relieve themselves in the open or in public facilities is partly due to the structural and systematic use of stereotypes and stigma. The promotion of awareness-raising campaigns, targeted education programmes and discussion groups, among other measures, to transform both men's and women's perceptions of gender roles is therefore encouraged. Gender-based violence must be prevented and investigated, and those responsible must be prosecuted, in order to break patterns of societal acceptance of exclusion and violence based on gender norms. Recognizing that young people may grow up to be change makers, curricula in all schools should challenge gender stereotypes and encourage critical thinking.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Gender equality in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2016, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- People who do not conform to a fixed idea of gender may experience violence and abuse when using gender-segregated sanitation facilities. Gender non-conforming people face harassment in or avoid gender-segregated public toilets altogether out of fear. For example, transgender girls who use the boys' toilets and transgender boys who use the girls' toilet in schools are highly vulnerable to bullying, harassment and assault by other students. Research from India indicates that transgender persons face difficulties in finding rental housing and are often forced to live in remote slum areas, where access to water and sanitation facilities is poor.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Gender equality in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2016, para. 8
- Paragraph text
- Gender equality refers to the equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities between genders taking into consideration the different interests, needs and priorities and recognizing the diversity of different groups of women and men. Gender equality means that everyone must be able to enjoy the rights to water and sanitation equally. In order to attain substantive equality, therefore, it is necessary to address the specific gendered circumstances that act as barriers to the realization of those rights for women and girls in practice. States must assess existing legislation, policies and strategies, and find out to what extent the enjoyment of the rights to water and sanitation between men and women are equally guaranteed. On the basis of that review, remedies should be provided and gender-responsive strategies should be developed that guide policymaking and the corresponding allocation of budgets. Temporary affirmative measures will in many cases be necessary.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Gender equality in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2016, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- In humanitarian situations, including in times of conflict or natural disaster, when water and sanitation sources are at a minimum, the specific needs of women and girls are often not taken into account. It is vital to better understand and share experiences about the kinds of responses that can be deployed across the diverse range of emergencies, including the most adequate and effective adaptations and interventions. It further requires an integrated approach and ongoing coordination among all sectors concerned. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and gender non-conforming people face additional challenges in areas affected by disaster. A recent United Nations assessment found that, in Europe, women and girls who are refugees are vulnerable to violence and lack services that specifically meet their needs, such as private bathing and sanitation facilities. Some women have reported having stopped eating or drinking to avoid going to the toilet where they felt unsafe. The reaction of Governments and others to these situations is considered inadequate and there is an emphasis on the urgent need to scale up such response efforts.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Compendium of good practices in the elimination of discrimination against women 2017, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- Community education programmes are a key component of the implementation strategy. In this case, a robust pilot project on public legal education included community training on the decision and the related girls’ rights and police obligations; awareness-raising events including drama/theatre and panel discussions; rights-training for children; a smartphone application giving details on the steps to take in rape investigations; and public awareness materials, including billboards, radio and television programmes, social media outreach and short videos on the Internet. These measures have been replicated in other parts of the country.
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Compendium of good practices in the elimination of discrimination against women 2017, para. 71
- Paragraph text
- While the ongoing efforts of project partners have ensured sustained impacts, the context of endemic sexualized violence against girls and women continues to be an issue. Those regions of the country that face heightened security issues present challenges, and it remains to be demonstrated whether there can be shifts in public sentiment regarding rape of women. A highly active civil society ensures that courts continue to be used to push for progress on the implementation of girls’ rights and on State responsibility for protecting children against sexual violence. However, it is unclear whether civil society organizations bear a disproportionate burden vis-à-vis the State, and whether the enabling context for such organizations will be maintained. Challenges include ensuring ongoing sources of funding for the project and decreasing reliance on overseas funding.
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 2
- Paragraph text
- In her thematic reports, the Special Rapporteur has underscored the importance of ensuring a gender perspective in all interventions related to persons with disabilities, stressing the significant additional barriers that women and girls with disabilities encounter that can prevent them from the full enjoyment of their rights. As international and national efforts on the rights of persons with disabilities have too often failed to take into account a gender perspective, it is urgent that the multifaceted discrimination, marginalization and compounded human rights violations that women and girls with disabilities face in most societies be addressed (see A/HRC/28/58, para. 19 (d)).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 3
- Paragraph text
- The present report focuses on the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities. The term “girls with disabilities” refers to women with disabilities below the age of 18 years, whereas the term “young women with disabilities” refers to women between 15 and 24 years of age. The Special Rapporteur stresses that those women face significant challenges in making autonomous decisions with regard to their reproductive and sexual health, and are regularly exposed to violence, abuse and harmful practices, including forced sterilization, forced abortion and forced contraception. She recalls that States have an obligation to invest in the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities, and to end all forms of violence against them.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 4
- Paragraph text
- In preparing her report, the Special Rapporteur analysed 47 responses to a questionnaire sent to Member States, national human rights institutions and civil society organizations, including representative organizations of persons with disabilities, as well as the outcome of consultations conducted with girls and young women with disabilities in three countries, whose main trends are reflected in the text. She also organized an expert consultation in New York in June 2017 with representatives of United Nations agencies, women’s organizations and organizations of persons with disabilities. The Special Rapporteur would like to thank Plan International, who supported the research efforts for the study, which was undertaken under the coordination of her office.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- Disability is more prevalent among women than men. Women with disabilities account for almost one fifth of the world’s female population. There are no reliable and representative global data on children with disabilities. Estimates suggest that there are between 93 and 150 million children with disabilities worldwide, but numbers could be higher. Furthermore, there are very few statistics available on girls with disabilities at national and international levels, as generally data are not disaggregated by gender, age and disability. That scarcity of data has contributed to making the pressing human rights issues that affect children with disabilities, and girls in particular, invisible.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- The forced sterilization of girls and young women with disabilities represents a widespread human rights violation across the globe. Girls and young women with disabilities are disproportionately subjected to forced and involuntary sterilization for different reasons, including eugenics, menstrual management and pregnancy prevention. Women with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities, as well as those placed in institutions, are particularly vulnerable to forced sterilization. Despite the limited data on current practices, studies show that the sterilization of women and girls with disabilities continues to be prevalent, and up to three times higher than the rate for the general population.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- Other medical procedures or interventions that are often performed without the free and informed consent of girls and young women with disabilities include forced contraception and forced abortion. Contraception is often used to control menstruation at the request of health professionals or parents. Moreover, while the contraceptive needs of girls and young women with disabilities are the same as those without disabilities, they receive contraception more often by way of injection or through intrauterine devices rather than orally, as it is less burdensome for families and service providers. In addition, girls and young women with disabilities are frequently pressured to end their pregnancies owing to negative stereotypes about their parenting skills and eugenics-based concerns about giving birth to a child with disabilities. During official country visits, the Special Rapporteur has received information about compulsory regular gynaecological checks and the use of forced abortion in institutions as a way to contain the institution’s population.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- Girls and young women with disabilities are disproportionately affected by different forms of gender-based violence, including physical, sexual, psychological and emotional abuse; bullying; coercion; arbitrary deprivation of liberty; institutionalization; female infanticide; trafficking; neglect; domestic violence; and harmful practices such as child and forced marriage, female genital mutilation, forced sterilization and invasive and irreversible involuntary treatments (see A/HRC/20/5, paras. 12-27). Many of those forms of violence are a consequence of the intersection between disability and gender, and might happen while a girl or young woman with disabilities performs daily hygiene, receives treatment or is overmedicated. Gender-based violence occurs at home, in institutions, in schools, in health centres and in other public and private facilities, and perpetrators are frequently relatives, caregivers and professionals on whom the girl or young woman may depend.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- States need to take all appropriate legislative, administrative and other measures necessary to ensure the provision of procedural and age-appropriate accommodations for girls and young women with disabilities, which is essential to enabling their effective direct and indirect participation, including as witnesses, in all legal proceedings, from investigative and other preliminary stages to court hearings. All protection services must be age-, gender- and disability-sensitive. For instance, the Kenya Association for the Intellectually Handicapped provides training to law enforcement officials, health personnel and service providers on the provision of reasonable and procedural accommodations to persons with intellectual disabilities and on respect for their personal autonomy.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- States have an obligation to prevent, investigate, prosecute and try all acts of violence, including sexual violence, and to protect the rights and interests of the victims. National human rights institutions and civil society organizations can play a key role in carrying out inquiries and investigations on exploitation, violence or abuse against girls and young women with disabilities, and in assisting all women with disabilities in accessing legal remedies. For instance, the National Union of Women with Disabilities of Uganda trained 32 women with disabilities as paralegals with knowledge about the rights of women and girls with disabilities related to sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender-based violence. The paralegals offer peer-to-peer support with regard to reporting violations and conducting the necessary follow-up to ensure justice is achieved. States should consider reparations and redress mechanisms for girls and young women with disabilities who have been subjected to harmful practices, such as forced sterilization and forced abortion, particularly within institutions (see CEDAW/C/JPN/CO/7-8, paras. 24-25).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- States must ensure the full accessibility of all sexual and reproductive health and rights information and services. All public and private facilities and services open or provided to the public, including gynaecological and obstetric services, must take into account all aspects of accessibility for women with disabilities, including accessibility with regard to infrastructure, equipment and information and communications. Transport to reach those services must be accessible, as otherwise girls and young women with disabilities will continue to be obstructed from enjoying and exercising their sexual and reproductive health rights in practice.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Vulnerabilities of children to sale, trafficking and other forms of exploitation in situations of conflict and humanitarian crisis 2017, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- Threats faced by boys and girls do not end when they leave their home countries. As they travel onward, often paying their way through dangerous routes by using exploitative smuggling and trafficking networks, children are subject to further violence, abuse and exploitation, including at borders owing to pushbacks and interceptions by border control officials. Unaccompanied children and those separated from their families face heightened risks, both along the route and upon arrival in transit countries.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Families
- Girls
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Vulnerabilities of children to sale, trafficking and other forms of exploitation in situations of conflict and humanitarian crisis 2017, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- Children may be compelled to work to sustain themselves or provide for their families’ basic needs, especially where parents cannot work legally or simply cannot find work, legally or illegally. Iraqi and Syrian refugee children in Lebanon, for example, work in textile factories, construction or the food service industry, or as agricultural labour or street vendors in conditions amounting to forced labour. According to UNICEF, in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, shopkeepers, farmers and manufacturers hire Syrian refugee children because they can pay them a lower wage. Children, especially girls, are seen as less likely to be targeted by the police or prosecuted for illegal work than adults, making families more likely to send them to work. These types of child labour, which often mask other forms of exploitation, such as trafficking for forced labour, have dire consequences on children.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Vulnerabilities of children to sale, trafficking and other forms of exploitation in situations of conflict and humanitarian crisis 2017, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- Finally, the practice of “temporary” child or forced marriages is one of the dangerous coping mechanisms that girls face while in refugee camps in transit countries. Confronted with the economic burdens brought on by protracted displacement and limited or inexistent work opportunities, some refugee and migrant parents, and often children themselves, turn to those measures because they feel that they are the only option for safeguarding a child’s future or supporting a family’s immediate needs. For example, Syrian refugee girls are often forcibly married by their parents, who view such arrangements as a way of securing their daughters’ safety and ensuring the family’s livelihood through the dowry. Once married, those girls are likely to end up in a situation of sexual and domestic exploitation by a spouse whom they have followed abroad. The use of child and forced marriages to traffic girls into prostitution in another country is also common.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Vulnerabilities of children to sale, trafficking and other forms of exploitation in situations of conflict and humanitarian crisis 2017, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- In many conflict-affected countries, girls become victims of sexual exploitation, including forced marriage, sexual slavery, prostitution and forced pregnancy. The egregious pattern of girls abducted from their homes or schools in conflict-affected settings by extremist groups has also emerged. In Iraq, for example, girls from ethnic and religious minority groups such as the Yazidis continue to be subjected to sexual violence by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). There are also reports of trafficking in and sale of children by ISIL. In Somalia, there is a pattern of forced marriage of girls to militants from groups such as Al-Shabaab and Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama‘a and soldiers of the National Army.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Vulnerabilities of children to sale, trafficking and other forms of exploitation in situations of conflict and humanitarian crisis 2017, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- In addition to being a means for advancing their criminal endeavours, the sexual exploitation of children is further used by violent extremist groups to generate revenue, as part of the shadow economy of conflict and terrorism, through trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, sexual slavery and the extortion of ransoms from desperate families. In some circumstances, girls are themselves treated as the “wages of war”, being gifted as a form of in-kind compensation or payment to fighters, who are then entitled to resell or exploit them as they wish. Such strategies are also believed to be a way of recruiting, rewarding and retaining fighters.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Vulnerabilities of children to sale, trafficking and other forms of exploitation in situations of conflict and humanitarian crisis 2017, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- In humanitarian crises, the pre-existing vulnerabilities of girls that are rooted in discriminatory traditions and customs persist and lead to negative coping mechanisms. Children seeking to survive are often compelled to exchange sexual services, and girls are even forced to marry for food, shelter, protection or safe passage. According to the Secretary-General, approximately 90 per cent of women and girls affected by conflict in north-east Nigeria do not have access to basic services. As a result, they are forced to exchange sex for food and other essential supplies, and the child or forced marriages of girls to older men are on the rise, as a supposed protection mechanism and source of income for desperate families.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Development and people of African descent 2015, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group recognizes that women and girls of African descent face multiple, aggravated or intersecting forms of discrimination based on sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, social origin, property, birth, disability or other status. Such discrimination manifests itself in high rates of illiteracy, unemployment, lack of access to health services, quality education, landownership, drinking water and sanitation, and gender-based violence.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- States should reach out directly to women and girls with disabilities, especially when cultural and social backgrounds make it unsafe for them to participate in open consultations. States must also establish adequate measures to guarantee that the perspectives of women and girls with disabilities are fully taken into account and that they will not suffer any reprisals for expressing their viewpoints and concerns, especially in relation to sexual and reproductive rights, gender-based violence and sexual violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in cultural and family life, with a focus on the family as a cultural space 2015, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- Culture and religion are often invoked to justify discrimination and violent practices against women and girls. Women have often been viewed as objects rather than as equal participants with men in the creation and manifestation of cultural principles. Indeed, when culture and religion are invoked to justify different forms of discrimination against women, women are seen not as victims or survivors of such discrimination, but as persons who "violate" cultural rules and norms.
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in cultural and family life, with a focus on the family as a cultural space 2015, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the Committee on the Rights of the Child have noted that harmful practices affecting women and girls are deeply rooted in social attitudes according to which women and girls are regarded as inferior to men and boys based on stereotyped roles. They highlight the gender dimension to violence and indicate that sex- and gender-based attitudes and stereotypes, power imbalances, inequalities and discrimination perpetuate the widespread existence of practices that often involve violence or coercion. They maintain that the nature and prevalence of these practices vary according to region and culture. These practices cause serious harm to every aspect of the lives of the women and girls who fall victim to them and include incest, female genital mutilation, early and/or forced marriage, so-called "honour crimes", dowry-related violence, neglect of girls, extreme dietary restrictions, virginity tests, servitude, stoning, violent initiation rites, widowhood practices and female infanticide. The obligations set out in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child form the basis for the elaboration of a global strategy to eliminate harmful practices, which should be well defined, rights-based, have local relevance and comprise legal, economic and social support measures combined with proportional political engagement and State responsibility at all levels.
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in economic and social life with a focus on economic crisis 2014, para. 98
- Paragraph text
- Women's poverty and quality of life in older age derives from the culmination of the earlier phases in their life cycle and bears their imprint: stereotyping in education and girlhood; precarious jobs; informal labour; the costs of caring; interrupted career patterns; and the motherhood penalty in labour force participation. Hence women's situation in retirement can be regarded as a litmus test for the quality of women's economic and social life.
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Women’s right and the right to food 2013, para. 25a
- Paragraph text
- [Three concerns have emerged:] The approach adopted by CCT programmes may reinforce gender stereotyped roles as women are prioritized as "mothers" and "caregivers", rather than empowered as equal to men. Women are relied upon to ensure that the household invests in children, leading some authors to claim that child-centered policies such as those illustrated by CCT programmes tend to sideline "the equality claims of adult women and attention to their needs [...] in favor of those of children, including girls."
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 70f
- Paragraph text
- [With regard to women, girls, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in detention, the Special Rapporteur calls on all States to:] Provide for non-custodial means of protection, such as shelters and other community-based alternatives, and guarantee that the placement of women in detention centres for protection - only where necessary and expressly requested by the woman in question - will be temporary, subject to supervision and competent authorities and never continued against their will;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Priorities of the new mandate holder 2014, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- While the profit motive drives the demand for forced labour and other contemporary forms of slavery, it is underpinned by "push" factors such as increasing household vulnerability to income shocks, which push more households below the absolute poverty line; lack of education and illiteracy; as well as loss of work and deprivation of land, which force increased informal-sector work, migration and trafficking. The disproportionate impact of those factors on women and girls, who constitute more than half of the victims of forced labour, has been widely documented.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Movement
- Poverty
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- Women, girls, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons are at particular risk of torture and ill-treatment when deprived of liberty, both within criminal justice systems and other, non-penal settings. Structural and systemic shortcomings within criminal justice systems have a particularly negative impact on marginalized groups. Measures to protect and promote the rights and address the specific needs of female and lesbian, gay, bisexual and, transgender prisoners are required and cannot not be regarded as discriminatory.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Integrating a gender perspective in the right to food 2016, para. 3
- Paragraph text
- Notwithstanding the legal framework designed to protect them, women experience poverty and hunger at disproportionate levels. Institutionalized gender discrimination and violence still impose barriers that prevent women from enjoying their economic, social and cultural rights and specifically the right to adequate food and nutrition, and the status of women and girls has not substantially improved, despite recurrent calls for the inclusion of a gender perspective to development programs and to social policies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Gender
- Health
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Looking forward: addressing new challenges and consolidating gains 2011, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- Ongoing efforts in the context of Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008 )and 1888 (2009), which seek, inter alia, to strengthen women's participation in decision-making and their agency in conflict prevention, early recovery and governance, as well as in ending conflict related sexual violence and impunity, are important in the context of internal displacement. Equally relevant to the situation of women and girls in internal displacement situations are a number of other instruments, including the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the fundamental guarantees provided for in international humanitarian law. Despite these frameworks, the international community has paid insufficient attention to the particular human rights situation and solutions for women and girls in the specific context of internal displacement. The Special Rapporteur proposes to devote particular attention to exploring the gender dimensions of internal displacement, including by strengthening links with the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the Committee on the Rights of the Child and other relevant bodies and organizations, in order to address the specific human rights violations and discriminatory practices which impact on women and girls at every stage of the displacement process, and by examining alternative solutions and prevention strategies which would be especially effective for them.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Internally displaced women: progress, challenges and the way ahead 2013, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur makes the following recommendations:] Humanitarian and development organizations: Ensure meaningful participation of IDW and girls in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of laws, policies, programmes and activities that affect their lives at all stages of displacement, through ongoing and direct engagement in identifying priorities and devising and implementing responses to them;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Sale of children for the purpose of forced labour 2016, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- Due to the control their employers exercise over them, children sold for the purpose of forced labour are particularly vulnerable to violence and abuse. For example, child labour in domestic work makes children vulnerable to sexual violence and abuse, as well as beatings and degrading treatment. Children, in particular girls, involved in forced labour in manufacturing, such as the garment industry, are often victims of sexual violence. In armed conflict, systematic sexual violence and enslavement is often a daily reality for girls (see A/HRC/32/CRP.2).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Manifestations and causes of domestic servitude 2010, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- While this is most obvious with regard to the enduring patterns of domestic slavery, most domestic workers will be confronted one way or another with discrimination. During the course of her missions to Ecuador (A/HRC/15/20/Add.3) and Brazil (A/HRC/15/20/Add.4), the Special Rapporteur noted that girls of Afro-descent were far more likely to end up in domestic servitude than more light-skinned Brazilians. A study found that 69 per cent of children in domestic work in Brazil classified themselves as "black", compared to 31 per cent who considered themselves "white".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Servile marriage 2012, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- In its general recommendation No. 24, the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women specifically recommends that States parties enact and effectively enforce laws that prohibit the marriage of girls. In its general recommendation No. 21, the Committee recognizes that forced marriage may exist as a result of cultural or religious beliefs, but maintains that a woman's right to choose a spouse and enter freely into marriage is central to her life and to her dignity and equality as a human being and that this must be protected and enforced by law.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Continuum of violence against women from the home to the transnational sphere: the challenges of effective redress 2011, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- Prevention must be at the centre of States' and other stakeholders' efforts to eradicate violence against women. Prevention must address the underlying causes of violence by addressing States' fundamental human rights obligations of protecting, respecting and fulfilling all human rights of all women and girls. While strategies need to respond to local specificities, they must all target the tacit social acceptance surrounding violence against women that contributes to its prevalence and be directed towards the empowerment and equal status of women in society.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Reparations to women who have been subjected to violence 2010, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- The administrative arena also enables a proactive approach to reaching victims and may provide a satisfactory platform for focusing on information about victims including their number, socio-economic profile, age, gender breakdown, family structures, the violations they have suffered or an account of the effects of the violations on their lives. This information is all relevant to understanding the structural component of the violations, the share of State responsibility by either action or omission and the gender-specific impact of the violence on women's and girls' lives.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Gender-related killings of women 2012, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- The term femicide has been used in the context of killings of women in the private and public spheres. In some European contexts, such killings are described as "crimes of passion". In South Asia the term femicide has been adopted to encompass cultural practices in the region such as female infanticide, preadolescent mortality of girls and dowry-related deaths. The phenomena of so-called "honour killings" in the Middle East are rarely specifically labelled as acts of femicide, but some scholars have highlighted the femicidal nature of such acts and the impunity that accompanies such killings.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Modalities for the establishment of femicides/gender-related killings watch 2016, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur also recalls General Assembly resolutions 68/191 and 70/176 on taking action against gender-related killing of women and girls. In the latter resolution, the Assembly encouraged Member States to collect, disaggregate, analyse and report data on the gender-related killing of women and girls and to ensure that appropriate punishments for perpetrators of the gender-related killing of women and girls are in place and are proportionate to the gravity of the offence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
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. 63
- Paragraph text
- The limitations of the international system, including the lack of a legally binding specific instrument on violence against women, serves to weaken the aspiration of the Human Rights Council that regional arrangements should reinforce universal human rights standards, as contained in international human rights instruments (see Council resolution 12/15). The current norms and standards within the United Nations system emanate from soft law developments and are of persuasive value, but are not legally binding. The normative gap under international human rights law raises crucial questions about the State responsibility to act with due diligence and the responsibility of the State as the ultimate duty bearer to protect women and girls from violence, its causes and consequences. In her 2014 reports to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/26/38) and to the General Assembly (A/69/368), the Special Rapporteur recommended that the international community examine the normative gaps within the existing international binding legal frameworks, and address more specifically the legal gaps in protection, prevention and accountability in respect of violence against women. Given the systemic, widespread and pervasive nature of this human rights violation, which is experienced largely by women because they are women, a different set of normative and practical measures to respond to, prevent and ultimately eliminate such violence is crucial.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
The first decade of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children 2014, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- Both mandate holders have embraced this comprehensive understanding of trafficking, which includes trafficking in children for sexual purposes, child labour, adoption and participation in armed conflict; trafficking in men for forced labour and other exploitation; trafficking in women and girls for forced marriage, sexual exploitation and forced labour; and trafficking in persons for removal of organs.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Modalities for the establishment of femicides/gender-related killings watch 2016, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- Target 5.1, on ending all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere, is also extremely relevant for violence against women in the light of the intrinsic connection between it and structural discrimination and inequality.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- 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
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- States must recognize the existing layers of identities within the disability community in order to adequately address the inequalities and intersectional discrimination experienced by girls and young women with disabilities. States should consider developing and implementing policies and practices targeting the most marginalized groups of girls and young women with disabilities (e.g., those with multiple or severe impairments and deaf-blind girls and young women) in order to accelerate or achieve de facto equality.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Vulnerabilities of children to sale, trafficking and other forms of exploitation in situations of conflict and humanitarian crisis 2017, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- Moreover, in transit countries such as Libya, migrant girls are often exposed to sexual violence by parties to the conflict, as well as by smugglers, traffickers and other criminal groups. They face threats and sexual violence when held, sometimes for months, in detention centres and in poor conditions, and are also abducted and sexually abused by groups pledging allegiance to ISIL.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Vulnerabilities of children to sale, trafficking and other forms of exploitation in situations of conflict and humanitarian crisis 2017, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- For the girls involved, these coping mechanisms have dangerous short- and long-term implications that put them at increased risk of physical and emotional abuse. Such mechanisms also reduce the likelihood that a girl will complete schooling, a reality that can have negative repercussions throughout a girl’s life, including earlier childbearing, worse health outcomes and lower income.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in economic and social life with a focus on economic crisis 2014, para. 116
- Paragraph text
- [The Working Group recommends that States:] Adopt good practices to combat non-attendance by girls, such as providing financial resources to parents to keep their girls in school, preventing violence against girls in schools, providing proper sanitary facilities and making provision for pregnant girls and school-age mothers;
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 70d
- Paragraph text
- [With regard to women, girls, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in detention, the Special Rapporteur calls on all States to:] Review laws, criminal procedures and judicial practices to ensure that they take full account of women's backgrounds, including histories of prior abuse, mental health problems and substance abuse, and parental and other caretaker responsibilities in the allocation of sentences and sentence planning;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Rights of indigenous women and girls 2015, para. 80b
- Paragraph text
- [Recommendations to Member States] [With regard to monitoring and accountability, Member States should:] Invest in research and data collection systems to collect data disaggregated by gender, ethnicity or race, religion, language and territory or geographical area. Such data collection and research should include information on human rights violations, with particular focus on the situation of women and girls;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Enjoyment of the rights to health and adequate housing by migrants 2010, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- States should provide appropriate training to civil servants working in the area of migration and health and sensitize them on the issues of discrimination against migrants, particularly with respect to migrant women and girls and children. States must ensure that migrants are not denied access to health care due to uncertainty among public service providers, such as nurses and doctors, about what the law allows them to do for migrants.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in the area of health and safety, with a focus on the instrumentalization of women's bodies 2016, para. 78
- Paragraph text
- Criminalization of behaviour that is attributed only to women is discriminatory per se and generates and perpetuates stigma. The threat of criminal punishment restricts women's access to sexual and reproductive health-care services and information and acts as a deterrent to health-care professionals, thus barring women's and girls' access to health-care services.
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Violence against indigenous women and girls; rights of indigenous peoples in relation to extractive industries 2012, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- In this connection, the Special Rapporteur would like to mention three specific ways in which indigenous self-determination may be enhanced in the context of combating violence against women and girls. While the following points are, of course, not exhaustive, they provide some reflections on the measures needed by States and indigenous peoples themselves to address concerns in this regard.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- Social protection is a fundamental tool for achieving the proposed targets and goals, as mentioned in proposed goal 1 (End poverty in all its forms everywhere), 5 (Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls) and 10 (Reduce inequality within and among countries). In relation to persons with disabilities, goal 1 should be addressed in the short term by mainstreaming disability in all social protection and poverty reduction programmes - a task that remains a global challenge. Social protection should further be used as an important instrument for pursuing other proposed goals in the context of disability, including those of ensuring healthy lives and well-being, guaranteeing inclusive, equitable quality education, promoting lifelong learning and opportunities for all, and promoting full and productive employment and decent work for all. The Addis Ababa Action Agenda highlights the importance of financing sustainable and nationally appropriate social protection systems with a focus on persons with disabilities, among others.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- Support is a normal part of community life, with families serving as the first source of support for everyone. For many persons with disabilities, family support serves as a bridge to access other assistance needed to fully enjoy their human rights. However, when no other options are available and families are the sole source of support, the autonomy of persons with disabilities and their family members is reduced. Those being supported have no choice or control over the assistance they require to pursue their life plans, and questions of overprotection and conflict of interest commonly arise. Families - especially the poorest - are also under significant pressure as unpaid familial support also affects social relationships, income levels and the general well-being of the household. Women and girls are disproportionately affected, as in practice they are the main providers of support within the household, reducing their freedom and choices to pursue their own life plans.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in cultural and family life, with a focus on the family as a cultural space 2015, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- The State must act as an agent of change as regards women's place in cultural and family life, by fostering and creating a culture free of all forms of discrimination against women. A transformative approach to women and girls' status in the family is crucial. There needs to be awareness that, in the past, a patriarchal concept of family pervaded all secular, religious, customary and indigenous laws and institutions and that some States and groups are now trying, in a retrograde manner, to subject women to the most oppressive forms of patriarchy, particularly in the context of religious fanaticism. It should also be understood that the transition towards equality between women and men, and girls and boys, in the culture and in the family is a prerequisite for a decent society.
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Families
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in the area of health and safety, with a focus on the instrumentalization of women's bodies 2016, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- Menstruation is surrounded by stigma, resulting in the ostracism of and discrimination against women and girls. In some cultures menstruating women and girls are considered to be contaminated and impure and restrictions and interdictions during menstruation are imposed on them. Women and girls may continue to harbour internalized stigma and are embarrassed to discuss menstruation even where there are no restrictions. They live with a lack of privacy for cleaning and washing, a fear of staining and smelling and a lack of hygiene in school toilets or separate sanitation facilities.
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in the area of health and safety, with a focus on the instrumentalization of women's bodies 2016, para. 105d (i)
- Paragraph text
- [The Working Group recommends that States:] Adopt a holistic approach towards women's health and safety by looking at their full life cycle from childhood to old age as interconnected phases with distinct considerations and needs, and in this regard: Take effective measures to prevent child marriage and adolescent pregnancies and provide girls with comprehensive education based on scientific evidence on matters of health, including sexuality;
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in the area of health and safety, with a focus on the instrumentalization of women's bodies 2016, para. 108i
- Paragraph text
- [The Working Group recommends that States:] Provide age-appropriate, comprehensive and inclusive sexuality education based on scientific evidence and human rights, for girls and boys, as part of the mandatory school programmes. Sexuality education should give particular attention to gender equality, sexuality, relationships, gender identity, including non-conforming gender identities, and responsible parenthood and sexual behaviour to prevent early pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections;
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- The current update is divided into six sections reflecting the content and core recommendations of resolution 64/290. Each section provides an indication of remaining challenges in the promotion of education in emergencies, and progress made in the past three years. The first section focuses on the recommendation for increasing political and financial support to education in emergencies. The second section addresses the recommendation to better protect schools from attacks and to ensure accountability. The third section addresses the recommendation to better prepare education systems for situations of natural disaster. The fourth section addresses the recommendation that attention be given to the specific needs of girls and other marginalized groups. The fifth section focuses on the recommendation to ensure quality education in emergencies. The sixth section is dedicated to the need for improving the collection of data on education in emergencies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Report on the Post-2015 Education Agenda 2013, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- That the importance of education is not only a right in itself, but also is essential for the enjoyment of all other rights must be recognized in the post-2015 development agenda. As already mentioned, poverty cannot be eradicated without education. The key role of education should be clearly recognized for the empowerment of women and girls. Unemployed youth and adults require additional education and training to develop skills and find decent work. Education can promote values necessary for creating democratic, stable and peaceful societies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Report on the Post-2015 Education Agenda 2013, para. 121
- Paragraph text
- Similarly, a universal goal related to women's empowerment should be closely linked to education as a fundamental right, with special measures in favour of women and girls in vulnerable and marginalized situations. Educating women and girls should, a priori, be viewed as a human rights imperative, rather than being undertaken solely because of potential benefits to their children or to society. States must develop "legislative developments" and adopt specific laws for women's empowerment through education within the framework of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Protecting education against commercialization 2015, para. 106
- Paragraph text
- The questioning of the privatization of education in Ghana by both the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (see CEDAW/C/GHA/Q/6-7) and the Committee on the Rights of the Child (see CRC/C/GHA/Q/3-5) is a welcome development. In October 2014, the Committee on the Rights of the Child asked Ghana to provide detailed information on the reasons behind the increase in private education, which limits access to quality education for children who cannot afford private school tuitions (ibid.). The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has asked the Government of Uganda to provide information on the impact of the growth of private education on the right to education of girls and children living in poverty (see E/C.12/UGA/Q/1).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Women’s right and the right to food 2013, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- In addition, it is not unusual for the remuneration in this "periphery" segment to be calculated on a piece-rate basis, based on how much of the task has been accomplished. This mode of calculation of the wage is advantageous to the employer; it generally means that the employer does not provide benefits or social security in addition to the wage earned, and it is a method of calculating wages that is self-enforcing and requires much less supervision. Yet, though the most efficient women sometimes benefit, this mode of calculation of wages may be unfavourable to women in the heavier tasks, where the pay is calculated on the basis of male productivity standards. In addition, it encourages workers, especially women, to have their children work with them as "helpers", in order to perform the task faster. The result is that about 70 per cent of child labour in the world is in agriculture, representing approximately 132 million girls and boys aged 5-14 (A/HRC/13/33, para. 10).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Women’s right and the right to food 2013, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- Improving access to education for girls requires that the incentives structures for families be changed, and that social and cultural norms that lead parents to interrupt the schooling of girls earlier than that of boys be challenged. Many poor households are unable to send girls to school because of the costs, both direct and indirect (school fees or other costs related to attending school, such as uniforms and books), of doing so; because of opportunity costs (girls who go to school are not available to work within the household); because of the commute involved, when the family lives at a far distance from the nearest school, and associated security concerns. The absence of separate sanitation facilities for girls in schools can also be a major obstacle.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Families
- Girls
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Women’s right and the right to food 2013, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- Various programmes have proven to be effective in removing some of these obstacles. Bangladesh launched the Female Secondary School Assistance Project (FSSAP) in 1993; ten years later, as it entered its second phase, the project covered one quarter of rural Bangladesh and now benefits almost one million girls across the country in more than 6,000 schools. FSSAP provides a stipend to girls who agree to delay marriage until they complete secondary education, for a total cost to the programme of about US$121 per year per person; and it has improved sanitation facilities in schools. It has spectacularly succeeded in improving girls' school attendance rates.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- Adequate redress requires States to investigate, prosecute and punish perpetrators and inform the public of results. States must ensure that judicial procedures and rules of evidence are gender responsive; that equal weight is afforded to the testimony of women, girls, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons; and that the introduction of discriminatory evidence and the harassment of victims and witnesses are strictly prohibited. The standards established by international courts should serve as an example for domestic courts to follow, for instance by implementing institutional gender-balance requirements and prohibiting the admission of evidence regarding the victims' prior sexual conduct in cases of sexual, domestic and other gender-based violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Integrating a gender perspective in the right to food 2016, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- In rural areas, women and girls spend the majority of their time engaged in subsistence farming and in the collection of water and fuel. As a result of flooding, droughts, fires and mudslides, these tasks become more difficult. Water shortages and depletion of forests require women and girls to walk longer distances to collect water and wood. In Senegal and Mozambique, women spend 17.5 and 15.3 hours respectively each week collecting water. In Nepal, girls spend an average of five hours per week on this task. In rural Africa and India, 30 percent of women's daily energy intake is spent in carrying water. Depletion of land and water resources may place additional burdens on women's labour and health as they struggle to make their livelihoods in a changing environment.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Criminalisation of sexual and reproductive health 2011, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- States that implement and enforce criminal or other laws to restrict access to sexual and reproductive health information actively reduce access to information and therefore do not meet their obligation to respect the right to health. As a consequence of such laws and the stigma they generate, third parties, such as teachers, publishers, or booksellers may also deny women and girls access to necessary sexual and reproductive health materials. The obligation of States to fulfil the right to health requires that they develop strategies to ensure that comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education and information is provided to everyone, especially women and young girls.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The realization of the right to health of older persons 2011, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Older women are often more disadvantaged because they may suffer from a combination of both gender and age discrimination. Ageing women make up a significant proportion of the world's population, with the majority of older women living in developing countries. A number of life-course events adversely affect the health of women in older age, including discrimination against infant girls in the provision of food and care, barriers to education, low incomes and poorer access to decent work, care-giving responsibilities as mothers and wives, domestic violence (during childhood, adulthood and elder abuse), widowhood, and cultural traditions and attitudes towards health care. Lower incomes, disruptions to work due to family responsibilities, and discrimination in access to the labour force during women's working life mean that women often have less retirement savings and are therefore more financially vulnerable in older age.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Older persons
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Right to health in early childhood - Right to survival and development 2015, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- Inequalities and discrimination obstruct equitable healthy development and educational attainment among young children from marginalized groups, including persons living in poverty, minority and indigenous groups, the girl child, persons with disabilities, persons in underserved areas such as rural populations, refugees, internally displaced children and children living in areas affected by conflict. Inequalities and discrimination ultimately contribute to health and other inequalities later in life and to the intergenerational transmission of disadvantage.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Persons with disabilities
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Report of the SR on the right to health and Agenda 2030 2016, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- Universal health coverage cannot be achieved without meeting the core requirements of availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality under the right to health. Among other things, services must be safely and geographically accessible without discrimination. The right to health requires that essential services include those for populations with specialized needs, such as sexual and reproductive health services adapted to the needs of women, girls, including those with disabilities, and transgender persons. Health services and access to underlying determinants must also be economically accessible. Even where there is widespread access to health services, the right to health demands that they be of sufficient quality, including in good working condition and medically and scientifically appropriate.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- Although opportunities for adolescents in many parts of the world have improved in recent years, the second decade of life is associated with exposure to increasing risks to the right to health, including violence, abuse, sexual or economic exploitation, trafficking, harmful traditional practices, migration, radicalization, recruitment into gangs or militias, self-harm, substance use and dependence and obesity. Gender inequalities become more significant as, for example, girls become exposed to child marriage, sexual violence and lower levels of enrolment in secondary education. The world in which adolescents live poses profound challenges, including poverty and inequality, climate change and environmental degradation, urbanization and migration, radical changes in employment potential, aging societies, rising health-care costs and escalating humanitarian and security crises.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Gender
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Sports and healthy lifestyles as contributing factors to the right to health 2016, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- Many rights violations stem from a "winning at all costs" mentality that is tolerated or actively encouraged by States, particularly in competitive sporting contexts. A certain level of "healthy" sporting competition can foster participation, encourage individuals to strive for excellence, empower women and girls, and in many instances, increase individual enjoyment. However, appropriate safeguards should be implemented to ensure the protection of all amateur and professional athletes. As a broad, overarching principle, States should create an inclusive sporting environment wherein an optimal level of competitiveness is reached, and those participating in sports are protected from the harmful effects of overly competitive environments.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Women and their right to adequate housing 2012, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- Women's right to adequate housing is often denied or ignored within the broader context of family and marriage law. Equality in matters of inheritance is often denied for women and girls on the basis of custom and tradition, whether within the context of the death of a spouse, parent or other relative. This has important ramifications, as inheritance is a primary means by which wealth and resources are transferred within societies, as well as within families. To be excluded from the process of inheritance reinforces women's lack of autonomy and equality, and jeopardizes in a very direct way their right to adequate housing.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Women and their right to adequate housing 2012, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- Women's right to equality in matters of inheritance is also relevant within the context of Sharia law, the application of which particularly affects women in the Middle East and North Africa. While Sharia law generally supports women's rights to acquire, hold, use, administer and dispose of property, women and girls receive a lesser share than their male counterparts when it comes to matters of inheritance (generally half of what a male in the same position would be entitled to receive). Customary practices and traditional structures can also contribute to further aggravating the situation. A prime example is that women are often forced, due to social pressures, to renounce their already reduced share of the inheritance in favour of male members of the family. In order to discourage this practice, in the occupied Palestinian territory, the Deputy Supreme Judge of Palestine of the Head of the Upper Council of Sharia Jurisdictions issued a notice in 2011 in which he instructed relevant authorities to apply certain conditions before legalizing a woman's renunciation of her inheritance share, including that at least four months pass after a person's death before a renunciation of inheritance can be registered. The notice also instructs the relevant authorities to verify the real value of the inheritance share, relying on an official report by three experts authorized by the municipality or local council. This new protocol is aimed at helping women to retain their inheritance shares and protecting women from losses as a result of reduced valuations of those shares.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Ongoing obstacles to the full realization of indigenous peoples’ rights; vision for the mandate 2014, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- [Clearly, existing and future economic investment and trade agreements and treaties, as well as conventions on the environment and on culture, have a direct impact on the economic, social, environmental and cultural rights of indigenous peoples. There are numerous issues that merit thematic attention. Nevertheless, in order to maximize the impact of her investigations, the Special Rapporteur intends to focus her efforts over the next three years of her mandate on issues surrounding economic, social, cultural and environmental rights of indigenous peoples, which could include, but are not limited to, the following:] Economic and social rights and other human rights issues regarding indigenous women and children in various settings, such as migration, trafficking of women and girls, violent conflicts, the informal economy, child labour, etc.;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Rights of indigenous women and girls 2015, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- All the provisions of the Declaration apply equally to indigenous women and indigenous men. Article 22 (2) specifically provides that States shall take measures, in conjunction with indigenous peoples, to ensure that indigenous women and children enjoy the full protection and guarantees against all forms of violence and discrimination. In the outcome document of the high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly known as the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which focused on indigenous women, the participating Heads of State and Government, ministers and representatives of Member States invited the Human Rights Council to consider examining the causes and consequences of violence against indigenous women and girls, in consultation with the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples and other special procedures mandate holders.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Rights of indigenous women and girls 2015, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- A grave gender-specific health concern is the issue of indigenous women's sexual and reproductive health. Indigenous women face many barriers to sexual and reproductive rights, such as a lack of culturally appropriate sexual and reproductive health advice, geographical access to facilities and lack of supplies, such as contraceptives, poor quality care and, in some cases, legislation banning abortion services, even in cases of pregnancy following rape. That leads to higher-than-average maternal mortality rates; disproportionate representation of indigenous girls in teenage pregnancy indexes; low voluntary contraceptive usage; and high rates of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Rights of indigenous women and girls 2015, para. 60c
- Paragraph text
- [Compelled by economic need, armed conflict and denial of self-determination and land rights in the context of major economic development projects, many indigenous peoples migrate from their home communities in rural areas to urban centres. Indigenous women and girls who leave their communities are highly vulnerable to trafficking, which can lead to multiple violations of their human rights, including severe economic and sexual exploitation and sexual violence. There are also cases of indigenous women being targeted by organized traffickers within their own communities. Reports of trafficking of indigenous women and children include the following:] Trafficking of indigenous women for the purpose of exploitation has been reported in Mexico;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Rights of indigenous women and girls 2015, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- The issue of violence against women is indivisibly linked to the categories of rights discussed above. In fact, the endemic violations of collective, civil and political, and economic, social and cultural rights can be seen as constituting a form of structural violence against indigenous women and girls. Structural violence results in women being victimized by the realities of the circumstances of their everyday life and routinely excluded from the rights and resources otherwise guaranteed to citizens. Structural violence is interlinked and mutually reinforcing with other forms of violence, as discussed below.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Rights of indigenous women and girls 2015, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- The effects of those gaps and weaknesses in monitoring are compounded by systemic weaknesses in national data collection systems in relation to understanding indigenous peoples. There is the lack of disaggregated population data, which includes statistics on indigenous women within these groups. In addition, specific information on human rights violations, including those perpetrated against women, is rarely available. That has impeded understanding and comparison of situations of indigenous women and girls, as well as the development of clear accountability structures. Deficiencies in understanding and accountability are powerful barriers to effective strategies for combatting violations of indigenous women's rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Rights of indigenous women and girls 2015, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- The Native Women's Association of Canada and Amnesty International document and report cases of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls in Canada. Those reports have been submitted to the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, as well as to the previous and current Special Rapporteurs on the rights of indigenous peoples. Statistics from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, in 2014, indicate that indigenous women are four times more likely to be murdered than non-indigenous women. The report also states that 1,017 indigenous women and girls were murdered between 1980 and 2012. The bodies mentioned above have put forward several recommendations, including the following: (a) a national action plan to end violence against indigenous women, which addresses the root causes of violence and identifies holistic, culturally-appropriate ways to prevent violence and support those affected by violence; (b) a national public inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women, focusing on exposing the nature of that form of violence and on ensuring Government and police accountability for an effective and coordinated response; and (c) regular, comprehensive data collection on violence against indigenous women in official crime statistics. Unfortunately, the long-awaited national public inquiry has not yet taken place. As recommended by the previous Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the Canadian Government should undertake a full, independent inquiry into the cases of missing and murdered aboriginal women and girls.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Looking forward: addressing new challenges and consolidating gains 2011, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- The Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement explicitly call on States to provide protection for women and girls, including by safeguarding them from gender-specific violence and by ensuring their rights to equal access to services and participation in assistance programs. Yet, we know that abuses against displaced women and girls continue to be perpetrated with impunity in many parts of the world, and that many do not have adequate access to key rights and services, or to adequate physical, legal or social protection. While efforts have been made to strengthen legal protection for displaced women who are survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, more needs to be done both at this level, as well as in terms of concrete assistance so that these women and their families can rebuild their lives and durable solutions be found together with them. Assistance without durable solutions will never be sufficient to improve their situation and their vulnerability to further abuse and human rights violations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Achieving durable solutions for internally displaced persons in urban settings 2014, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Flight to urban areas following conflict or disaster in another part of the country is also a common feature of internal displacement today. Urban areas may promise more safety than rural areas as a result of the anonymity and invisibility that one can acquire there. For example, there are girls in Abidjan who were victims of sexual violence in places of displacement in rural areas or who became pregnant during displacement and moved to the city. A primary reason for flight to urban areas is family links, but the hope of finding alternative livelihoods is also a factor that influences the flight of internally displaced persons, who often lose their original livelihoods through displacement. Similarly, education opportunities and better services, such as special health care, regularly lead to flight to urban areas and peripheries. Urban areas may therefore allow internally displaced persons to better maintain their coping mechanisms and resilience, albeit at low levels.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Governance structures for internal displacement 2015, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- A durable solution cannot be said to have been achieved if internally displaced persons cannot enjoy physical safety and security and cannot benefit from the effective protection of national and local authorities, including protection from the threats that triggered the initial displacement or that may cause renewed displacement. It is essential that national and local authorities pay specific attention to the protection of internally displaced persons, maintain monitoring mechanisms to ensure that internally displaced persons are not victims of further violations in their place of return, local integration or resettlement and ensure accountability by receiving complaints and addressing them. The specific protection needs of internally displaced women and girls should be given dedicated attention and it may be useful to appoint trained gender focal points in different sectors of the police and other law enforcement bodies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Human rights of internally displaced persons in the context of the Post-2015 development agenda 2015, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- The Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals released its proposal on sustainable development goals in August 2014. The proposed goals are: (1) End poverty in all its forms everywhere; (2) End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture; (3) Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages; (4) Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all; (5) Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls; (6) Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all; (7) Ensure access to affordable, reliable and sustainable and modern energy for all; (8) Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all; (9) Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation; (10) Reduce inequality within and among countries; (11) Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable; (12) Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns; (13) Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts; (14) Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development; (15) Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss; (16) Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels; (17) Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- The independent expert led an electronic global discussion organized by UNICEF to highlight the issues in the special education edition of the State of the World's Minorities and Indigenous Peoples 2009 and the Forum on Minority Issues, with a view to highlighting the issues around minority girls' right to education. Specifically, the e-discussion examined the multiple barriers faced by minority girls in accessing education, evaluated the legal and policy responses to the above question, discussed good practices from the regional and country level and developed recommendations in line with the educational needs and priorities of minority and indigenous girls.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Priorities for the work of the Independent Expert and the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities 2012, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- Negative and stereotypical portrayals of minority girls and women - for example as uneducated, powerless, oppressed or unhygienic - largely influence their treatment in wider society and contribute to the perpetuation of discrimination. Minority women following different cultural, traditional and religious practices can easily face segregation or exclusion from various social services. If they only speak their minority language, they experience difficulties and discrimination even in basic life situations. Minority women may also face barriers to freedom of cultural expression and have limited access to social and cultural forums when compared with minority men.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Priorities for the work of the Independent Expert and the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities 2012, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- Two side-events on issues related to the rights of minority women and girls were organized in the margins of the fourth session of the Forum. The first side event on 29 November, organized by OHCHR, focused on empowering minority women to claim their rights within their communities as well as organizational and institutional bodies and mechanisms that can be effective in empowering and building the capacity of minority women. Panellists included Mercedes Barquet (Mexico), member of the Working Group on Discrimination against Women in Law and in Practice; Atieno Junnipher Kere (Kenya), Women In Fishing Industry Programme; Renu Sijapati (Nepal), Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO); Beata Bislim Olahova (Slovakia), Roma Education Fund; and Leonardo Reales Martinez (Colombia), AFROLATINOS and ECODESARROLLO.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Priorities for the work of the Independent Expert and the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities 2012, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- Women belonging to minorities frequently experience unique challenges and multiple or intersecting forms of discrimination emanating from their status as members of minorities and as women or girls. This may make minority women and girls particularly vulnerable to human rights violations and the denial of their rights in both public and private life. In conformity with the requirements of her mandate, the independent expert will seek to engage with minority women and consult them on their issues and concerns in all aspects of her work, including during country visits and in her communications to specific States.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Priorities for the work of the Independent Expert and the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities 2012, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- The independent expert emphasizes that the fourth session of the Forum on Minority Issues held in November 2011, was dedicated to "guaranteeing the rights of minority women and girls" (see Section VI below) and produced a series of concrete recommendations to protect the rights of minority girls and women (A/HRC/19/71). The independent expert considers that these recommendations provide an essential resource and tool, produced through an inclusive process involving key stakeholders, including States and minority women themselves. In this regard she will focus attention on activities and initiatives to promote awareness and implementation of these recommendations in every region and seek opportunities to assist States and civil society in their efforts to operationalize the recommendations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Preventing and addressing violence and atrocities against minorities 2014, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- Multiple or intersectional discrimination may increase vulnerability to violence. Minority women and girls are particularly affected by violence, targeted for rape and other forms of sexual violence, torture and killings because of their ethnic or religious identity and their gender. In 2011, the Forum on Minority Issues focused on the rights of minority women and girls and, in its recommendations, highlighted the need for peacekeeping operations and national security forces in regions affected by conflict to pay particular attention to minority women and girls, including through training of staff and police and military personnel on the needs and vulnerability of minority women and girls. Minority women should be included in processes of conflict settlement and post-conflict reconstruction.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 100
- Paragraph text
- This means that the humanitarian system needs to make a concerted effort to ensure that their responses meet people who are hard to reach and address the specific needs of minority communities. Efforts need to take into account the vulnerability of minorities to displacement and multiple forms of discrimination during crises, as well as the specific challenges facing minorities affected by crises owing to their very situation as minorities, including through paying particular attention to a range of issues, notably, security and safety; documentation; standard of living; livelihood and employment; education; housing, land and property issues and the particular status of minority women and girls. Attention also needs to be paid to those most vulnerable within minority communities, including women, older persons, persons with disabilities, and youth among others.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Extreme inequality and human rights 2015, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Although many forms of discrimination are inherently unjust, the correlation between gender-based discrimination and economic inequalities deserves special mention since it potentially affects half of the world's population. While both men and women may experience myriad inequalities, based on factors such as their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability, gender-based discrimination is too often seen to be almost exclusively a women's problem. In its World Development Report 2012, the World Bank describes the forms of discrimination that still exist in many countries and that directly affect economic inequality between men and women. According to the World Bank, men and women still have different ownership rights in at least nine countries, and in many countries, women and girls still have fewer inheritance rights than men and boys. In addition, women continue to fare badly in the labour market generally. A stocktaking by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) shows that almost 80 countries maintain restrictions on the types of work that women are permitted to undertake. Also according to UN-Women, at the global level, women's labour force participation rates have stagnated since the 1990s. Currently, only half of women are in the labour force compared to more than three quarters of men. Despite considerable regional variations, nowhere has this gender gap been eliminated: globally, women earn on average 24 per cent less than men. In one study of four countries, lifetime income gaps between women and men were estimated to be between 31 and 75 per cent.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Comprehensive prevention strategies against sale and sexual exploitation of children 2013, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- A gender perspective highlights the fact that boys and girls face different types of risks. Girls often face discrimination in accessing social services. In many societies, the right of girls to education is compromised owing to their unequal status, depriving them of an important protective element. Gender-based violence is a common feature across societies and is exacerbated in times of conflict and crisis. The sexual exploitation of girls has become a weapon of war, making victims subject to stigmatization and marginalization within their own communities. Boys are not immune to abuse. The exploitation of boys, including for prostitution, is often taboo, especially where homosexual relations are concerned, making prevention strategies even more difficult.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism 2013, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- The Child Wise Tourism programme is Child Wise's longest running overseas programme operating across South-East Asia. The goal of the project is to support regional Governments, tourism authorities and police to take the lead in establishing policy and practices which prevent child sex tourism and other forms of child sexual exploitation. It also aims to ensure a protective environment for children in tourism destinations, which assists in preventing child sex tourism. Over the last 12 years, Child Wise has implemented the programme in Thailand, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Cambodia, Viet Nam, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia. It has fostered action through a country-specific approach that is grounded in unified regional goals enabling regional level comparison, cooperation and collaboration. Stakeholders have come together in regional education campaigns, forums, meetings and follow-ups to work to ensure the sustainability of programmes to prevent child sex tourism in the region. In October 2010, ECPAT Netherlands, Plan Nederland, the travel agents TUI Netherlands, the Dutch Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (ANVR), Fly Brazil, the travel agents Travel Counsellors, Plan Brazil, RESPOSTA and the World Childhood Foundation Brazil embarked on a three-year project offering vocational training to girls, motivating the tourism sector, reminding the Dutch and Brazilian authorities of their duties, raising awareness amongst travellers and providing training for travel professionals. IBCR, in collaboration with Fundación Paniomor and with the support of World Vision Canada, is beginning a new project in Costa Rica, which will aim to improve collaboration and the prosecution of these kinds of crimes against children. Moreover, the project will focus on working directly with children, families and communities of the most affected areas in Costa Rica, providing information, tools and the creation of a support network for the victims of this exploitation. Adolescents will receive information about the mechanisms of self-protection and income-generating alternatives to commercial sexual exploitation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Information and communication technologies and the sale and sexual exploitation of children 2015, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- Helplines are invaluable in detecting and reporting abuse but also helping meet the right of the child to be heard and express his or her concerns. Child Helpline International is a global network of 179 child helplines in 143 countries covering all regions of the world. It is contacted approximately 14 million times by children each year. Europe accounted for most calls, which reflects knowledge of the helplines, the ability of children to easily access technology and the readiness of society to discuss those issues publicly. The Childline service developed by Childline India Foundation is another good example of child helplines. Globally, most calls came from girls, which shows that girls are more likely to be victims of exploitation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Sale of children for the purpose of forced labour 2016, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- Reports on the garment industry have also demonstrated the extensive use of forced labour involving children in factories, amounting to slavery-like practices. Child labour is facilitated by the close relationship between employers and parents, who often come from the same village. A system of work in spinning mills was found to involve young women and girls, who are only paid at the end of their three-year contract. They do not get paid if they leave, a situation amounting to forced labour and debt bondage. Products made from such labour feed the global retail market, driven by multinational companies in search of lower prices to respond to consumer demand.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Servile marriage 2012, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- Article 21 (2) of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child states that child marriage and the betrothal of girls and boys are to be prohibited and effective action, including legislation, is to be taken to specify the minimum age of marriage to be 18 years. Article 6 of the 2003 Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa states that no marriage is to take place without the free and full consent of both parties, and requires States to enact appropriate national legislative measures to guarantee that the minimum age of marriage for women is to be 18 years.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Servile marriage 2012, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- In some communities, honour is connected with virtue, good works, righteous behaviour and obligations to one's parents, older persons and the community. Honour-related killings have often been associated with religious beliefs. These, however, are traditional or cultural practices. Among some Asian tribes, honour (or izzat) is associated with the female body and therefore women and girls must be guarded, protected and passed on to another member of the tribe. A girl or woman dishonours her family and tribe if her body is violated, even by force, and the shame can be cleansed only through her death.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Servile marriage 2012, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- Family status depends on honour. In patriarchal and patrilineal societies, maintaining the honour of the family is a woman's responsibility. The concept of women as commodities and not as human beings endowed with dignity and rights equal to those of men is deeply embedded in these societies. Women are seen as the property of men and must be obedient and passive, rather than assertive and active. Any assertive behaviour is considered to be an element that would result in an imbalance of power relations within the parameters of the family unit (E/CN.4/2002/83, para. 27). UNICEF reports that in some countries, early marriages are regarded by families as a means of protecting girls from premarital sex that would undermine their honour and that of their families.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Servile marriage 2012, para. 102
- Paragraph text
- Education has been recognized as one of the most effective ways to delay early marriage and allow for married women to make more informed choices about their health and that of their families. States should establish more schools, recruit qualified teachers (in particular female teachers) and train teachers in subjects such as gender sensitivity, HIV/AIDS and reproductive and sexual health. They should also offer economic support and incentives for girls and their families, such as fee subsidies, scholarships, school supplies, school uniform and conditional cash transfers. There should be proper monitoring and evaluation of such transfers. States should also adopt all appropriate educational measures to modify the social and cultural patterns of conduct that foster cultural practices among families that lead to servile marriage. Teachers and other educational staff should be trained to recognize vulnerable girls and react appropriately. Continuing formal education and vocational training for married girls and women should be provided.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Servile marriage 2012, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- Girls and women who seek to leave servile marriage may be victims of acid attacks or honour-related killings. Acid attacks, which involve the use of sulphuric acid to disfigure or kill, have been reported in Asia, Europe and North and Latin America.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Servile marriage 2012, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- The right to non-discrimination on the basis of sex features in numerous international human rights instruments in relation to marriage. For example, articles 1 and 16 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women call for the elimination of discrimination against women in all matters related to marriage and family relations. Article 2 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes the right of children to be free from discrimination, including on the grounds of age and sex. In cases where there is a difference between the minimum age for girls and boys to marry, however, the minimum age for girls is always lower than that for boys.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Prevention of trafficking in persons 2010, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- There are some promising practices of meaningful participation for the trafficked persons. For instance, an ILO awareness-raising programme in Brazil, which targeted young girls at high risk, was designed on the basis of real-life experiences of women who were trafficked and repatriated. There have been also examples of self-help groups formed by returnee trafficked persons that actively design, develop and implement income-generation projects. In the context of children affected by trafficking, the guidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for the protection of the rights of trafficked children in the region led to a consultation in the Philippines with trafficked children so that their views on which measures would be appropriate to include in the guidelines could be obtained.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Prevention of trafficking in persons 2010, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- Women are recognized as the group particularly affected by such failure. In this regard, it is timely and important to recall the States' commitments towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, particularly goal 1 (eradicate extreme poverty and hunger), goal 2 (achieve universal primary education), and goal 3 (promote gender equality and empower women). While the overall poverty rate has been reduced somewhat, some regions, such as sub-Saharan Africa, Western Asia and parts of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, still need to make progress to meet the 2015 targets on poverty eradication. Sex discrimination still persists, and poverty puts girls at a distinct disadvantage in terms of education. Furthermore, women are still largely relegated to temporary or informal employment with little or no social security or benefits. This failure to provide equal and just opportunities for women to education and work encourages the feminization of poverty. This, in turn, compels women to leave their homes in search of better opportunities, resulting in the feminization of migration.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
The right to an effective remedy for trafficked persons 2011, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- In the light of the limitations associated with legal proceedings, it is noteworthy that a number of cases in which trafficked persons have successfully obtained compensation resulted from out-of-court settlements negotiated by various governmental and non-governmental bodies. In some States, trade unions have played a crucial role in settling claims for unpaid or underpaid wages, or work-related injuries following negotiations with employers. These non-judicial methods may play an instrumental role in seeking compensation particularly for certain groups of trafficked persons, such as trafficked women and girls, who may face a variety of procedural challenges in judicial proceedings, such as psychological harms, stigma and fears of reprisals.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Stocktaking exercise on the work of the mandate on its tenth Anniversary 2014, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- That definition affirmed that trafficking is much wider in scope than previously envisaged; that it can take place for a wide range of end purposes, including, but not limited to, sexual exploitation; that it can involve men and boys, as well as women and girls, as victims; and that it can take place across borders or within a country, including the victim's own. The scope of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur also includes trafficking in children for sexual purposes, child labour, adoption and participation in armed conflict; trafficking in men for forced labour, organized crime and other exploitation; trafficking in women and girls for forced marriage, sexual exploitation and forced labour; and trafficking in persons for the removal of organs (A/HRC/10/16, para. 16 and Corr. 1). A number of partners of the mandate have highlighted the substantive contribution that has been made to expanding the discourse in relation to the identification and exploration of different forms and manifestations of exploitation related to trafficking.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Agenda setting of the work of the Special Rapporteur 2015, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- With regard to perpetrators, while the majority of traffickers are men, women constitute 28 per cent of convicted trafficking offenders. It is not uncommon for women victims of trafficking to be convicted for offences connected with, or arising out of, their trafficking situation, as a result of coercion by their perpetrators to undertake criminal activities. In those situations, they often come to the attention of the authorities primarily as offenders, whilst they should rather be identified as victims of trafficking. On the other hand, in some cases women start out as victims of trafficking and, as a means of escaping their own victimization, turn into perpetrators, undertaking the most visible and dangerous criminal tasks. In that regard, the mandate has noted the involvement of women traffickers in areas such as the recruitment and controlling of children for forced labour and domestic servitude, and of women and girls for sexual exploitation (A/HRC/23/48/Add.2 and A/HRC/26/37/Add.4).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Agenda setting of the work of the Special Rapporteur 2015, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- Finally, the Special Rapporteur will be guided by the best interests of the child in all actions concerning trafficked girls and boys, whether undertaken by public or private institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies. She expects to look into existing identification, protection and assistance gaps in relation to children who have been trafficked for various purposes, with the aim of providing insights on issues such as the procedures for determining the best interests of the children, access to justice, provision of unconditional assistance and effective remedies including compensation for such children.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Agenda setting of the work of the Special Rapporteur 2015, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- In continuation of the broad interpretation of trafficking in persons adopted by the mandate, the Special Rapporteur will embrace and further develop a comprehensive understanding of trafficking for any illicit purpose. This includes - but is not limited to - trafficking in adults and children for sexual purposes, for labour exploitation, for exploitative adoption and for participation in armed conflicts; trafficking in women, men and children for forced labour and other forms of exploitation, such as exploitation in criminal or illicit activities, or forced and organized begging; trafficking in women and girls for forced and servile marriages, sexual exploitation and forced labour, including domestic servitude; and trafficking in persons for the removal of organs (A/HRC/26/37, para. 36).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 73f
- Paragraph text
- [All States, whether source, transit or destination countries of women and girls trafficked for sexual exploitation in conflict and post-conflict areas, should:] Ensure that issues concerned with sexual and other forms of gender-based violence, including human trafficking, are incorporated into peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction processes and support women's full and equal participation in decision-making, especially when this relates to trafficking issues in conflict situations, in line with the general guidelines and recommendations of the Global Study on the Implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- Forced displacement can increase the risk of trafficking by weakening or destroying family support structures, community bonds and self-protection mechanisms that might otherwise serve as a buffer against human trafficking. Because internally displaced persons often lack documentation and have limited access to education, resources and self-reliance opportunities, they may be particularly vulnerable to traffickers who appear to offer life-saving access to employment and other opportunities. Internally displaced persons who fear for their lives and wish to seek protection abroad can also fall prey to traffickers who claim to offer a route to safety. Traffickers specifically target impoverished communities, including the internally displaced, in order to exploit their vulnerability. Poor and displaced families may entrust the care of their children to traffickers who promise to provide them with education or skills training, but ultimately exploit them for the purposes of prostitution, forced labour or irregular adoption. Internally displaced women and girls are often disproportionately affected by the loss of livelihoods during displacement (see A/HRC/23/44, para. 46).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- Conflict-related violence, such as sexual violence, can itself be a driver of forced internal displacement, which in turn increases vulnerability to further exploitation, including through trafficking. For instance, sexual violence by armed groups has forced ethnic minority women and girls in remote rural areas away from their communities and placed them at greater risk of trafficking within the country as well as overseas. Additionally, worsening security situations and overcrowded camps with inadequate basic services cause some internally displaced persons to risk crossing borders in an irregular manner in search of employment, putting themselves at high risk of exploitation because of their lack of legal status. Military attacks on camps further worsens displacement and causes undocumented internally displaced persons, including women and unaccompanied children, to flee their camps, exposing them to the risk of being exploited or trafficked.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- For the millions of people who are forced to flee their country because of armed conflict, the journey of escape has become increasingly expensive and hazardous, with a tangible risk of trafficking-related exploitation. Sometimes these dangers relate to the available paths of escape. Throughout their journey and at their destination, migrants, including refugees and asylum seekers, are highly vulnerable to physical violence, sexual assault, extortion and trafficking, as well as detention by national authorities. The journey of female migrants and unaccompanied children travelling through the Horn of Africa is particularly hazardous. Thousands have disappeared, presumably abducted for purposes of exploitation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2016
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
Reparations to women who have been subjected to violence 2010, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- The importance of women's participation in reparations discussions and processes cannot be overestimated. Without the participation of women and girls from different contexts, initiatives are more likely to reflect men's experience of violence and their concerns, priorities and needs regarding redress. Additionally, without such participation, an opportunity is missed for victims to gain a sense of agency that may in itself be an important form of rehabilitation, especially when victims come to perceive themselves as actors of social change. Finally, such participation is important for women and society in general to draw the links between past and present forms of violence and seize the opportunity provided by reparations discussions to press for more structural reforms.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Reparations to women who have been subjected to violence 2010, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- Since women and girls who are subjected to gender violence, including sexual violence and forced unions, are often re-victimized in their families and communities, restitution of identity, family life and citizenship for them may require measures that target their wider communities - including attempts to subvert cultural understandings around the value of women's purity and sexuality. Although some of the intangible assets that are often taken from victims of sexual violence, such as virginity or social standing, cannot be returned, all the tangible assets of which victims of sexual violence are commonly stripped should be borne in mind. Communal and family ostracism, abandonment by spouses and partners and becoming unmarriageable or sick are all too commonly synonyms of material destitution, and the costs of ongoing medical treatment, pregnancy, abortions, and raising children resulting from rape, are all too real to deny. To date, no reparations programme has succeeded in fully reflecting the economic impact of raising children born of rape.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Reparations to women who have been subjected to violence 2010, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- The limits of ordinary and extraordinary judicial proceedings to achieve the full and comprehensive realization of women's right to reparations are also examined in the report. Against this backdrop, it is argued that gender-responsive administrative reparations schemes can obviate some of the difficulties and costs associated with litigation. The administrative arena also enables a more proactive approach to the involvement of a larger group of people, including victims, at all levels - from conceptualization of reparation schemes, to reaching victims, to understanding the structural component of the violations - including the share of State responsibility by either action or omission, and the gender-specific impact of the violence on women's and girls' lives.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Continuum of violence against women from the home to the transnational sphere: the challenges of effective redress 2011, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- The 1993 World Conference on Human Rights adopted the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action that recognized that "the human rights of women and of the girl child are an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights". The World Conference called upon the General Assembly to adopt the draft declaration on violence against women and urged States to combat violence against women in accordance with its provisions. In 1993, the General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, which provides a more comprehensive framework on violence against women in terms of definition, scope, obligations of the State, and the role of the United Nations. Pursuant to a decision of the Commission on Human Rights the same year in which it considered the appointment of a special rapporteur on violence against women, the mandate was established by resolution 1994/45 on the integration of the rights of women into the human rights mechanisms of the United Nations and the elimination 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
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Continuum of violence against women from the home to the transnational sphere: the challenges of effective redress 2011, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- In Vertido v. Philippines, which concerned the sexual assault of a woman and the subsequent acquittal of the perpetrator based on gender-based myths and misconceptions about rape, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women found the State party in violation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The Committee noted the obligations of States parties to the Convention to take appropriate measures to modify or abolish not only existing laws and regulations, but also customs and practices that constitute discrimination against women. In this regard, the Committee stressed that stereotyping affects women's right to a fair and just trial and underlined that the judiciary must take caution not to create inflexible standards of what women or girls should be or what they should have done when confronted with a situation of rape, based merely on preconceived notions of what defines a rape victim or a victim of gender-based violence, in general.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Violence against women with disabilities 2012, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- The African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (Banjul Charter) has broad provisions that provide for equality of all, including women. Article 18 of the Banjul Charter addresses States obligations to eliminate discrimination and to ensure the protection of rights of women and girls. Article 28 places a duty on individuals to respect others without discrimination. The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa was adopted in 2003 and entered into force in 2005. Article 23 specifically protects women with disabilities, provides them the right to freedom from violence and discrimination and imposes a duty on the State, inter alia, to treat women with disabilities with dignity.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Violence against women as a barrier to the effective realization of all human rights 2014, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- Preventable maternal mortality in turn leads to additional negative development outcomes as it fuels economic and social inequalities. Generally, preventing and combating illness among women and girls leads to a healthier and more productive population, whereas ill-health diminishes people's personal capacity and ability to contribute to their households, resulting in lost incomes and lower productivity. Furthermore, investing in the health of the largest generation ever of young people, particularly adolescent girls, means investing in the future and sustainable development. Gender-based violence, however, impoverishes women and their families, saps public resources and lowers economic productivity. Therefore, when women and girls experience violence, they are denied access to fundamental human rights, such as education and health, which significantly undercuts their capacity to participate meaningfully in the sustainable development of their communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Girls
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Violence against women: Twenty years of developments to combat violence against women 2014, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- One strategy associated with the engagement of men and boys is to appeal to the idea that women deserve respect as mothers, sisters, wives and so on. Emphasizing personal relationships is said to make it easier to understand the consequences of violence against women. This is also seen as an effective strategy in overtly patriarchal societies, in which calls to consider women as rights-bearing individuals, irrespective of their marital status, are considered too radical to attract support, even among women themselves. This implicit suggestion thus distorts the issue of women as autonomous individuals deserving of respect, and renders regard for the rights of women contingent on their status in the private sphere, which further reinforces the public/private dichotomy.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2014
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. 6
- Paragraph text
- In the present section the Special Rapporteur provides an overview of the norms and standards, implementing mechanisms and relevant jurisprudence regarding violence against women in the African, European and Inter-American regional human rights systems. She attempts to provide guidance that may be helpful for the international human rights system to consider when addressing the normative gap. She also reinforces the view, articulated in previous reports by the Special Rapporteur, that in order for the regional systems to reinforce universal human rights standards, as contained in international human rights instruments, it is essential that the United Nations system adopts a legally binding framework on violence against women and girls.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Different levels and types of services and the human rights to water and sanitation 2015, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- Use of hygiene facilities and services must be available at a price that is affordable to all people. The main costs, other than for installation, are associated with supplying water, soap and cleaning products for hand-washing, food hygiene, home hygiene and washing clothes, and for sanitary napkins or other products required for menstrual hygiene. Paying for these services must not limit people's capacity to acquire other basic goods and services guaranteed by human rights, such as food, housing, health services and education. Assistance should be provided to households or individuals who are unable to afford soap and cleaning products, or sanitary products for women and girls.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Gender equality in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2016, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- Many women and girls risk their health using unhygienic sanitary methods, for example by using dirty rags or newspapers to collect menstrual fluids, as other methods are unaffordable, unavailable or unknown owing to stigma and taboos relating to menstruation. Although women in western countries use, on average, at least 12,000 tampons during their lifetime, there is no extensive and publicly available knowledge on the safety of tampon usage. States are required to enact regulations on the safety of industrially produced menstrual products. Different women prefer different menstrual products, which include cloths and menstrual cups. Information must be provided so women can use the product they feel most comfortable with, with the knowledge and skills to manage their menses hygienically. States must further ensure affordable health care for all women and girls, including for menstrual issues and incontinence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Gender equality in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2016, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- Affordability is of special concern to women and girls, who often have less access to financial resources than men. Women and girls need toilets for urination, defecation and menstrual hygiene management as well as for assisting younger children. Combined with women's lower access to financial resources, pay-per-use toilets with the same user fee for men and women are in practice often more expensive for women. Besides, public urinals are often free for men but not for women. To tackle this, the municipal government of Mumbai is currently constructing several toilet blocks the maintenance of which is financed through family passes instead of by charging a fee for each use. Some public toilets can be used free of charge by women and other groups that often lack access to economic resources, such as children and older people.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Men
- Older persons
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Gender equality in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2016, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- According to international human rights law, States must allocate their maximum available resources to the progressive realization of human rights, paying particular attention to the rights and needs of the most marginalized segments of the population. Progressive policies and plans will be rendered worthless, however, without a proper budget. A gender analysis supports Governments in making better budget-related choices by highlighting existing gender inequalities and the impact of public expenditures on women and girls. States should promote gender mainstreaming in budgeting activities for water sanitation and hygiene, and increase women's participation in budgeting processes. Specialized units throughout government can be tasked with oversight.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Gender
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Diversity in humanity, humanity in diversity 2017, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- The work of WHO, particularly in the area of sexual health, has already been referred to above, as has the work of UNHCR on refugees, asylum seekers and stateless persons, particularly in relation to the intersectionality issue. UNHCR has been facing new challenges in regard to recent outflows from the war-related situations in Middle East to Europe and other regions, and it has done key work to raise the profile of sexual orientation and gender identity issues. Meanwhile, UN-Women has been highlighting the rights of lesbians and bisexual, transgender and intersex women and girls; thus has included the mapping of country situations and support for follow-up to the recommendations of human rights treaty bodies and the universal periodic review. For instance, there is an awareness-raising programme on action to end violence against women in Malawi, which includes references to lesbian, bisexual and transgender women. Complementing this, the International Labour Organization is infusing the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issue strongly into its decent work programme, while the World Bank has helped to examine the cost of homophobia as well as to generate data on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender exclusion. The World Bank has now a focal point on sexual orientation and gender identity and this provides an important opportunity to address violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, especially with low-income countries. A range of other United Nations agencies and programmes, enhanced by United Nations country teams, are progressively integrating the issue of sexual orientation and gender identity into country programming.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Compendium of good practices in the elimination of discrimination against women 2017, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- The Constitutional Court used its power to assess implementation of its own judgment, issuing two further orders on the rights of displaced women. In 2008, the Court handed down a decision that was considered a global pioneer in the treatment of sexual violence during internal armed conflict. It identified 10 risks that forcibly displaced women faced, including extreme risk of sexual violence, and 18 gender facets of displacement, including patterns of discrimination and violence. Accordingly, the Court ordered the Government to create and implement 13 programmes with a gender-sensitive approach, including violence prevention, the right to health and education and access to land, justice and reparations. The Court also took an intersectoral approach, highlighting heightened risks faced by girls, indigenous, black and community women leaders, and women with disabilities. The Court ordered the allocation of sufficient resources to guarantee implementation of the programmes, refusing to recognize lack of budget as valid justification for non-compliance.
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- Furthermore, in many parts of the world, girls and young women with disabilities are often entirely excluded from the education system, or otherwise isolated from their communities at home or in institutions, and are without any access to sexuality education. The lack of equal access to inclusive and quality education affects, in particular, girls and young women with disabilities in conflict, post-conflict or other humanitarian situations, especially those who are refugees, internally displaced, migrants or asylum seekers; deprived of their liberty in hospitals, residential institutions, juvenile or correctional facilities; or homeless or living in poverty. Girls and young women in such situations are at heightened risk of being subjected to physical or sexual abuse and contracting sexually transmitted infections.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Girls and young women with disabilities frequently have limited access to sexual and reproductive health-care services. Common barriers to accessing those services include negative and hostile attitudes among service providers; the absence of physical accessibility with regard to buildings and equipment (e.g., exam tables and diagnostic equipment); the lack of information in accessible formats (e.g., in Braille or plain language); communication barriers (e.g., the lack of training for service providers on communicating with young women and girls with intellectual disabilities and the inability to use sign language); relatives and caregivers acting as gatekeepers to information and services; the lack of accessible transportation to or from services; the affordability of services; and the isolation of girls and young women with disabilities in institutions, camps, family homes or group homes. Moreover, many women and girls with disabilities report that their specific needs and expectations are not met by gynaecological services.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- For women with disabilities, disability inclusion and gender equality cannot be achieved without addressing their sexual and reproductive health and rights. In particular, girls and young women with disabilities are able to develop their own identities and realize their full potential when their sexual and reproductive health needs and rights are met. That contributes to ensuring their health and well-being, reducing the existing gaps in their access to education and employment and achieving their empowerment. When those needs and rights are not met, they are exposed to unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, gender-based violence and sexual abuse, child marriage and other harmful practices that hamper their participation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- States must ensure that all information and communication pertaining to sexual and reproductive health and rights are accessible to persons with disabilities, including through sign language, Braille, accessible electronic formats, alternative script, easy-to-read formats, and augmentative and alternative modes, means and formats of communication.64 For instance, call centres to report cases of gender-based violence must be accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing girls and women through text messaging or other alternative methods. For example, Illinois Imagines has developed guides and other materials for rape crisis centres, disability service agencies and self-advocates that include guidance for prevention education programmes and picture guides about sexual assault exams and the rights of sexual violence survivors. The University of Tartu in Estonia has provided training for teachers on how to deliver comprehensive sexuality education in plain language so that children with intellectual disabilities can benefit equally from the lessons.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- Evidence on sexual and gender-based violence against girls and young women with disabilities is robust. Studies from across the globe show that they are at increased risk of violence, abuse and exploitation compared with those without disabilities, and with boys and young men with disabilities. Overall, children with disabilities are almost four times more likely to experience violence than children without disabilities. However, the risk is consistently higher in the case of deaf, blind and autistic girls, girls with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities and girls with multiple impairments. Belonging to a racial, religious or sexual minority, or being poor, also increases the risk factor for sexual abuse for girls and young women with disabilities. Humanitarian crises and conflict and post-conflict settings generate additional risks of sexual violence and trafficking that affect girls with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- Physical and communication barriers in the justice system hinder access to justice by girls and young women with disabilities and their ability to seek and obtain redress. The barriers include lack of accessibility and reasonable and procedural accommodations, such as sign language interpretation, alternative forms of communication and support services that are age- and gender-sensitive. For example, the lack of provision of sign language interpretation can significantly limit the chances of success of deaf applicants. Moreover, owing to prejudices and stereotypes, courts commonly discount the testimony of girls and young women with disabilities in sexual assault cases, from questioning whether girls and young women with intellectual disabilities can understand the oath when testifying to discrediting the testimony of blind witnesses because they are not “able” to know/perceive the sequence of events. Courts often also fail to develop child-friendly proceedings adapted to the particular circumstances of girls with disabilities, including the provision and delivery of gender-sensitive and child-friendly information.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- States must ensure a supportive legislative and regulatory framework for the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities. Existing general laws and regulations that restrict the free access of girls and women to sexual and reproductive health services, including by requiring spousal or parental consent or setting a minimum age, should be amended to facilitate universal and equitable access to sexual and reproductive health information and services. Narrow definitions of sexual violence, including sexual assault and rape, should be reviewed to include all forms of violence experienced by girls and young women with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- While attention to the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and women with disabilities increased following the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development of 1994 and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of 1995, it is in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities that States and the international human rights system restated their commitment to promote and protect the rights of girls and young women with disabilities in that area. For example, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights issued a general comment on the right to sexual and reproductive health with specific references to persons with disabilities, including accessibility and reasonable accommodation. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the Committee on the Rights of the Child have also highlighted the importance of ensuring sexual and reproductive health services and ending sexual violence and harmful practices against women and girls with disabilities. The special procedures of the Human Rights Council have also addressed the issue of sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls with disabilities, including recent reports by the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health with regard to the rights of adolescents (see A/HRC/32/32, paras. 86 and 94), the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment focused on torture in health-care settings (see A/HRC/22/53, paras. 48 and 57-70), the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, with regard to violence against women with disabilities (A/67/227) and the Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice focused on the issue of discrimination against women with regard to health and safety (see A/HRC/32/44, paras. 45-47).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- Stigma and stereotypes play a significant role in limiting the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities. The sexuality of persons with disabilities is usually considered a taboo topic. Relatives, teachers and health-care providers are generally anxious, untrained and unconfident about discussing sexuality with them. Moreover, there is a prevalent assumption that persons with disabilities, particularly girls and young women with disabilities, are either asexual or hypersexual. Those stigmas are particularly strong in the cases of persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities. Empirical studies show, however, that young people with disabilities have the same concerns and needs with regard to sexuality, relationships and identity as their peers, and have similar patterns of sexual behaviour.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Adequacy of the international legal framework on violence against women 2017, para. 96h
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur makes the following specific recommendations:] States should establish a “femicide watch” to collect, analyse and review data on gender-based violence at the national, regional and global levels and collect and publish annual data on the number of femicides. Each femicide should be carefully examined to identify any failure of protection, with a view to improving and further developing preventive measures. States should also increase their efforts to use all available global and regional women’s human rights instruments and expert mechanisms to put in place effective systems to prevent and end femicide and gender-based violence against women and girls.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in economic and social life with a focus on economic crisis 2014, para. 117
- Paragraph text
- [The Working Group recommends that States:] Ensure equality for girls in the quality of education at all levels, including breaking down gender stereotypes in school curricula, teacher training programmes, textbooks and teaching materials; and encourage girls' engagement in non-traditional vocational skill areas and academic disciplines, such as mathematics, science and technology;
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Sexual education 2010, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- In accordance with the provisions of article 3 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Human Rights Committee in its concluding observations has expressed concern about the elimination of sexual education from school curricula and the high rate of unwanted pregnancies and abortions among girls and adolescents and has requested that States should take measures to help young women avoid unwanted pregnancies, including by strengthening family planning and sexual education programmes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Girls
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Normative action for quality education 2012, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- The physical environment requirements can include aspects such as the presence of basic facilities (sanitation, separate toilets for girls, ramp for persons with disabilities) and adequate infrastructure (lighting, acoustic, safety and security, communication facilities). Facilities and equipment in schools must be appropriate in terms of instruction needs, health and sanitation, safety and management. Specific norms are required for infrastructure for technical and vocational education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- Forced sterilization is an act of violence and a form of social control, and violates a person's right to be free from torture and ill-treatment. Full, free and informed consent of the patient herself is critical and can never be excused on the basis of medical necessity or emergency when obtaining consent is still possible (A/HRC/22/53). Gender often intersects with other characteristics such as race, nationality, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age and HIV status to render women and girls at risk of torture and other ill-treatment in the context of sterilization (CAT/C/CZE/CO/4-5, A/HRC/29/40/Add.2) The European Court of Human Rights found that the sterilization of a Roma woman who consented to the procedure only during delivery by caesarean section violated the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment. Documented practices that may violate the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment include Government-sponsored family planning initiatives targeting economically disadvantaged and uneducated women that shortcut the process of obtaining consent, sterilization certificates required by employers and coerced sterilization of HIV-positive women in some States. Despite the fundamental rights enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, women and girls with disabilities are also particularly vulnerable to forced sterilization and other procedures such as imposed forms of contraception and abortion, especially when they are labelled "incompetent" and placed under guardianship (A/67/227).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Women and their right to adequate housing 2012, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- States should ensure that housing includes water points and sanitation facilities available for and accessible to women, ensuring women their rights to water and sanitation, as well as to health. States should also ensure that housing is adequately located in order to provide women with access to employment options, health-care services, schools, childcare centres and other social facilities, such that they are non-discriminatory, adequate, available and fully accessible to women and girls.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Irregular migration and criminalization of migrants, protection of children in the migration process and the right to housing and health of migrants 2011, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- Female migrant workers engaged in domestic services were one of the most vulnerable groups of migrant workers. There appeared to be a widespread pattern of physical, sexual and psychological abuse of migrant domestic workers, and they were also often exposed to health and safety threats without being provided with adequate information about risks and precautions. Migrant women and girls also often experienced different and more problematic pregnancy and gynaecological health issues, compared to the host population.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Enjoyment of the rights to health and adequate housing by migrants 2010, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- In view of the specific health risks to which migrant women and girls are exposed, the gender dimension often involved in migration and the structural power relationships which frequently govern women's access to health care, States should provide adequate, appropriate and specialized medical assistance to migrant women and girls. States of origin should also provide free or affordable gender-sensitive pre-departure information and training programmes which raise migrant women's and girls' awareness of potential risks to their health.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
The importance of social protection measures in achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2010, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- Rights-based social protection systems can support progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals by, inter alia, promoting women's participation in economic activities, increasing their participation in the workforce, providing them with income security in old age and improving nutritional levels and food security, as well as girls' access to education. If women cannot, on an equal basis with men, benefit from development, participate in the labour market and participate in public decision-making, the achievement of the Goals will be seriously compromised.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Integration of a human rights-based approach in measures to discourage the demand that fosters all forms of exploitation of persons, especially women and children, and which leads to human trafficking 2013, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- Over the past decade, anti-trafficking practitioners have debated what actions are required to discourage demand and what measures have proved effective. Progress in answering these questions has been notably slow. One reason is that the term "demand" is still subject to different interpretations, with some States and organizations putting the emphasis on measures to discourage exploitation associated with services, particularly sexual services and the exploitation of the prostitution of others, considering it appropriate to discourage men and boys from paying for commercial sexual services in any circumstances, whether the women, girls or men and boys with whom they pay for sex have been trafficked or not. Another reason is that addressing the demand side requires giving priority to measures in the places where trafficked persons are exploited, rather than in the locations (and States) where adults and children are recruited to be trafficked and exploited elsewhere. This has been a challenge for States that have either made no estimate of the scale of trafficking and exploitation of persons occurring in their territory or which refuse to acknowledge the scale of such abuse (with the result that they have not given priority to measures to prevent human trafficking). It also calls for an analysis and understanding of the factors that allow demand to be met by the exploitation of trafficked persons, including economic, social and cultural factors.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2013
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. 19
- Paragraph text
- The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child makes reference to aspects of violence against girls, including early and forced marriages, child labour, abuse, torture, harmful social and cultural practices, the situation of children in armed conflict, sexual exploitation, and trafficking and abduction. While embracing African tradition and values, the Charter prohibits traditional practices and customs that are harmful to the child.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Modalities for the establishment of femicides/gender-related killings watch 2016, para. 78
- Paragraph text
- The third level of responsibility is to empower women and girls by taking measures to ensure the full development and advancement of all women, in particular in the political, economic and cultural fields.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
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
Stigma and the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2012, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- While the focus in combating stigma must be on bringing about societal change and changes in attitude, technical measures are still crucial to ensure accessibility, for instance for persons with disabilities or older persons, as are public health measures to prevent and cure neglected tropical diseases. Sanitation systems should be adjusted to avoid manual sanitation work. The provision of adequate facilities is crucial for menstrual hygiene management, since it is often the lack of a safe and clean space that prevents women and girls from exercising proper hygiene.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Adequacy of the international legal framework on violence against women 2017, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- The universal and overall acceptance, incorporation and implementation by States of international and regional instruments are vital steps to consolidate national legal frameworks addressing the elimination of violence against women. This includes not only the ratification of the main international and regional conventions on gender-based violence against women, but also the elimination of all those discriminatory laws and harmful practices which prevent the full enjoyment by women and girls of their human rights.
- 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
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Vulnerabilities of children to sale, trafficking and other forms of exploitation in situations of conflict and humanitarian crisis 2017, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- Conflict and natural and humanitarian disasters expose children, and more particularly those unaccompanied or separated from their families, to multifaceted vulnerabilities and put them at a higher risk of being trafficked, sold and sexually exploited, coerced into child or forced marriages, and used in the worst forms of child labour. While girls are more likely to fall victims to sexual exploitation, there are nonetheless also cases of boys being abused.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- The right to education is not enjoyed equally by all; millions of girls, boys, women and men of African descent suffer disproportionately from unequal access to quality education. Failure to ensure equal access to education robs people of their opportunity to reach their full human potential and to contribute to the development of their own communities and society at large.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Development and people of African descent 2015, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- The right to education is not enjoyed equally by all; millions of girls, boys, women and men of African descent suffer disproportionately from unequal access to quality education. Failure to ensure equal access to education robs people of their opportunity to reach their full human potential and to contribute to the development of their own communities and society at large.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in the area of health and safety, with a focus on the instrumentalization of women's bodies 2016, para. 105c
- Paragraph text
- [The Working Group recommends that States:] Take into account the impact of women's safety on their physical and mental health and protect women and girls from violence at home, on their way to or at school and in other public spaces and in health facilities;
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in the area of health and safety, with a focus on the instrumentalization of women's bodies 2016, para. 106f
- Paragraph text
- [The Working Group recommends that States:] Combat stereotyping and empower girls to take care of their own health and safety from a young age, both at school and at home, and inform and empower women regarding their own bodies at all stages of their lives;
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Servile marriage 2012, para. 103
- Paragraph text
- States should also increase and improve access to reproductive health services and information, in particular for girls and women, including access to family planning. Health information tailored to young mothers about proper nutrition and care for their health and the health of their babies should be made available. Access to reproductive health care for women and girls in urban and rural areas needs to be increased and improved by ensuring that adequate resources and health-care experts are available.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Infants
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 77b
- Paragraph text
- [Concerned governmental institutions, law enforcement authorities, civil society organizations, academia, United Nations agencies and programmes and international organizations should undertake further research on the different forms of trafficking in persons in relation to conflict and post-conflict situations, including on:] The linkage between gender and trafficking in persons in conflicts, not only with regard to girls and women but also boys and men;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Enjoyment of the rights to health and adequate housing by migrants 2010, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- Migrant women and girls also often experience different and more problematic pregnancy and gynaecological health issues, compared to the host population. Many arrive from countries with poor sexual and reproductive health services or information, including on family planning, or with little knowledge or experience in such services. Consequently, the rate of unwanted pregnancies among migrant women and girls may be high and they may be more exposed to risks of deportation or coercive abortion than women from the host country. Indeed, owing to the persistent discrimination against pregnant women, the number of requests for abortion in populations of migrant women and girls may be up to three to four times higher than that of host populations. Additionally, the absence of prenatal care may contribute to the high incidence of premature births, preeclampsia, and other complications among migrant women and girls. In some countries where citizenship is granted based on the jus soli principle (birthright citizenship), several obstacles and limitations have been put in place, intended to prevent migrant women from giving birth in the host country and thus acquiring citizenship for their children. Moreover, pregnant migrant women may be obliged to pay hospital fees based on their nationality or immigration status in cases where nationals do not have to pay. Particular concern is raised in relation to pregnant migrant women and girls in irregular situations who are charged for services rendered other than on an emergency basis.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Servile marriage 2012, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- As a result of cultural beliefs, girls and women with dual nationality are sometimes abducted by their families from one country and forced to marry men from their parents' country of origin. This has happened in the United Kingdom to women from Asian diaspora communities. The Governments involved have worked through consular assistance and judicial proceedings to provide victims with effective remedies. In 2005, the United Kingdom set up a forced marriage unit under the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Home Office to tackle the issue.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Servile marriage 2012, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- The younger the bride, the more likely it is that she will face serious health complications owing to the physical immaturity of her body at the time of childbirth. A girl with underdeveloped physiology risks incurring an obstetric fistula, a rupture of the vagina, bladder and/or rectum during childbirth that causes persistent leakage of urine and faeces. Girls face a greater risk of health problems associated with repeated pregnancies and childbirth. They also have limited access to information concerning their reproductive health and health care.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Gender equality in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2016, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- Soap and clean water for personal hygiene is of particular importance during menstruation. Women and girls must be able to use clean materials to absorb or collect menstrual fluid, and change them regularly and in privacy. They must have access to water and soap to wash their hands and body and facilities to dispose safely and hygienically of menstrual materials like pads, cups, cloths and tampons. Facilities must be easy to maintain and to clean. Women and girls with disabilities face unique challenges in accessing sanitation facilities. Their ability to properly manage their hygiene may be particularly compromised and, when facilities do not provide for the space and materials they need, they are especially prone to diseases. Service providers must ensure that facilities are designed with the participation of women and girls in order to adapt them to their biological and sociocultural needs. The specific needs of women and girls must be incorporated into the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of sanitation facilities. Approaches must go beyond advocacy to address policies, infrastructure, maintenance systems and monitoring in order to ensure that services are adapted to the specific needs of users by, for example, taking into account their bodies, including their physical abilities, and their age. Formal independent regulators, as well as locally based participatory water and sanitation committees, should monitor whether regulations are well interpreted, implemented and effective.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- Because women and girls with disabilities have historically encountered many barriers to participation in public decision-making, due to power imbalances and multiple forms of discrimination, they have had fewer opportunities to establish or join organizations that can represent their needs as women and persons with disabilities. Consequently, despite the widespread human rights violations affecting them, the intersectionality between gender and disability-based issues is still not fully included in the work of the different stakeholders promoting the rights of persons with disabilities or the rights of women. Acknowledging this situation, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires States to take all appropriate measures to ensure their full development, advancement and empowerment. States must take steps to eliminate the barriers that prevent their participation in public decision-making and must ensure that all participatory mechanisms and bodies take into account both disability- and gender-related factors and the complex interrelationships between them.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in economic and social life with a focus on economic crisis 2014, para. 105
- Paragraph text
- School-related gender-based violence takes different forms, with girls in some countries violently targeted for attending school, while in other countries, they are subject in school to sexual violence or harassment, including by teachers. Such violence results in trauma, stigmatization and sometimes pregnancy, and severely curtails girls' educational opportunities. In many States, sexual intercourse with a minor is considered rape, as minors are not capable of consent, but only 32 out of 100 States have specific provisions on sexual harassment at schools. Examples of good practices by some States include introducing confidential school reporting mechanisms, capacity-building for police, child-friendly courts, a public register of sexual offenders and barring sexual offenders from teaching.
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in cultural and family life, with a focus on the family as a cultural space 2015, para. 8
- Paragraph text
- The legal rights of women and girls to equality and non-discrimination in cultural and family life, established in 1948 by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and by international human rights law, are often restricted in national laws and in practice, including in cultural practice. The Working Group emphasizes that, in accordance with international human rights law, States have an obligation to adopt appropriate measures with a view to eliminating all forms of discrimination against women and girls in laws, cultural practices and the family, whether perpetrated by State agents or private actors.
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in cultural and family life, with a focus on the family as a cultural space 2015, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- In many contexts, States fail to establish and enforce a clear legal hierarchy based on the guarantees of equality and non-discrimination set forth in international human rights law and national legislation, thus helping to maintain patriarchal modes of organization and behaviours. Even when the law is independent of any religious source, it may be strongly influenced by culture, deriving from dominant ideologies linked to religion, traditional attitudes and social norms. Some States adopt national laws and regulations that restrict the rights, power and mobility of women on the basis of essentialist points of view belonging to a particular culture or religion. Conservative religious extremist movements impose strict modesty codes in order to subjugate women and girls in the name of religion, particularly in situations of political transition or conflict. For example, some branches of Islam have reintroduced forced and/or early marriage and some branches of Christianity prevent women from having access to therapeutic abortion. Religious extremism limits women's rights, including their right to health and economic activity, and they are generally subject to harsh sanctions for crimes committed against the patriarchy, such as adultery. At the international level, many States justify their reservations to articles of several human rights conventions, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, in the name of preserving their cultures and religions. Human Rights Council resolutions 16/3 on promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms through a better understanding of traditional values of humankind and 26/11 on the protection of the family threaten to undermine international achievements in the field of human rights in the name of cultural and religious diversity.
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in the area of health and safety, with a focus on the instrumentalization of women's bodies 2016, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- Central among women's and girls' health needs are those relating to their reproductive and sexual health. Substantive equality requires that States attend to the risk factors that predominantly affect women. For instance, since only women can become pregnant, a lack of access to contraceptives is bound to affect their health disproportionately. Equality in reproductive health requires access, without discrimination, to affordable, quality contraception; maternal health care, including during childbirth and the post-partum period; access to safe termination of pregnancy; access to effective screening and early treatment for breast and cervical cancer; and special attention to the high rate of HIV infections among young women and treatment to prevent mother-to-infant transmission.
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in the area of health and safety, with a focus on the instrumentalization of women's bodies 2016, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- Equality also requires health policy to be based solely on women's health needs and not to be influenced by instrumentalization and politicization. Political contestation around rights to reproductive and sexual health remains a global challenge, resulting in women paying a high price in terms of their health and lives. In adopting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, States committed to ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes. A strong commitment to women's sexual and reproductive rights in international and national law, policies and programmes is crucial for achieving gender equality and ensuring women's and girl's right to health and well-being.
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in the area of health and safety, with a focus on the instrumentalization of women's bodies 2016, para. 105d (iii)
- Paragraph text
- [The Working Group recommends that States:] Adopt a holistic approach towards women's health and safety by looking at their full life cycle from childhood to old age as interconnected phases with distinct considerations and needs, and in this regard: Allow pregnant girls and adolescents to terminate unwanted pregnancies, as a measure of equality and health, so that they can complete their school education and protect them from the high risk to life and health, including from obstetric fistula, in continuing to bring a pregnancy to term;
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in the area of health and safety, with a focus on the instrumentalization of women's bodies 2016, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- Indigenous women experience a complex spectrum of mutually reinforcing human rights abuses which is influenced by intersecting forms of discrimination and marginalization, reinforced by patriarchal power structures and past and present forms of violations of the right to self-determination and control of resources. These intersecting forms of discrimination have profound health consequences for indigenous women, especially for their reproductive and sexual health. The Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples has reported (see A/HRC/30/41) about the barriers to reproductive and sexual health services encountered by indigenous women as well as past and recurrent human rights violations in relation to their sexual and reproductive rights. For example, indigenous women experience disproportionately higher levels of maternal mortality, indigenous girls are overrepresented among pregnant teenagers and indigenous women have lower rates of contraceptive use and higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS. Historically, there have also been instances of serious violations of indigenous women's rights to reproductive health in the context of the denial of the rights of indigenous peoples to self-determination and cultural autonomy. Those violations include forced sterilization of indigenous women and attempts to force them to have children with non-indigenous men as part of policies of cultural assimilation. Indigenous women may also face barriers to preventive care services that support their right to health, such as screening for ovarian and breast cancer.
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Sexual education 2010, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- Violence against women is another pandemic that affects the whole of humanity. It is estimated that at least one in three women throughout the world has been beaten, subjected to sexual violence or abused in some way in the course of her life. Consequently, the Special Rapporteur considers that the empowerment of women, of which sexual education forms an essential part, is a powerful defence against violation of the human rights of girls and adolescent women. In addition, men who receive appropriate sex education acquire values of solidarity, justice and respect for the integrity of others and are therefore less likely to resort to sexual or gender-based violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Financing education and update on education in emergencies 2011, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- Specific resources must be ensured to address the root causes of the exclusion from education of girls, those living in poverty or with disabilities, ethnic and linguistic minorities, migrants, and other marginalized and disadvantaged groups. Specific measures targeting important obstacles to education must be considered, including the abolition of school fees and the provision of subsidies for other costs, such as textbooks, uniforms and transportation. Temporary special measures to provide financial support to such groups through affirmative action have a normative basis in international human rights treaties. Particular attention must be paid to the principles of transparency and accountability in the management of education budgets.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- Efforts to universalize access to education over the last decades are underpinned by repeated political commitments. The EFA and Millennium Development Goals campaigns inspired expansions of primary education systems and created more education opportunities for girls. However, progress is fragile and uneven across regions and among population groups. Unprecedented disparities in access and quality emerge as the demand for education grows and education systems expand. Significant gaps remain even in the coverage of education as there are about 67 million children of primary school age who are out of school; while a larger number of adolescents (another 71 million), remain deprived of basic post-primary education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- Girls and women constitute the majority of those who remain deprived of education. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has repeatedly expressed concern in its concluding observations at the low level of education of women and girls, and the prevailing obstacles to their access to education at all levels, especially the secondary and tertiary levels. The Special Rapporteur is of the view that the human rights framework is pivotal in the struggle against multiple forms of discrimination which women and girls in vulnerable and marginalized situations suffer. Educating women and girls should, a priori, be viewed as a human rights imperative, rather than undertaken solely because of the potential benefits to one’s children or to society.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- Reports indicate that the EFA agenda is falling behind, and the prospects of achieving Millennium Development Goals 2 and 3 on universal primary education and gender equality, respectively, are also bleak. The target of universal primary education is unlikely to be achieved by 2015. Inequalities, stigmatization and discrimination linked to economic status, gender, ethnicity, language, location and disability are also holding back progress. Social and economic status and sex appear as major factors of marginalization in education, with girls and those living in poverty being the most affected. “Poverty and gender inequalities magnify other disadvantages, and close doors to education opportunity for millions of children.”
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 72b
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur puts forward the following recommendations for the promotion of equal opportunities in education on the basis of a human rights framework:] Address multiple forms of inequality and discrimination through comprehensive policies: Given the mutually reinforcing nature of different forms of discrimination and inequality in the context of education, States should address multiple forms of inequality and discrimination through comprehensive policies. Prevailing disparities in access to education – between boys and girls, and between rich and poor regions –must be given special consideration, recognizing that good policies backed by a commitment to equality can make a difference. Policy measures must respond to the need for making learning accessible for the most marginalized and vulnerable;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Lifelong learning and the right to education 2016, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur considers that the political and moral commitments made by Governments in adopting the Incheon Declaration at the World Education Forum in May 2015 impart enhanced significance to lifelong learning. Paragraph 10 of the Incheon Declaration expresses the commitment of Governments "to promoting quality lifelong learning opportunities for all, in all settings and at all levels of education. This includes equitable and increased access to quality technical and vocational education and training and higher education and research, with due attention to quality assurance. In addition, the provision of flexible learning pathways, as well as the recognition, validation and accreditation of the knowledge, skills and competencies acquired through non-formal and informal education, is important." In the same paragraph, Governments have made further commitments to "ensuring that all youth and adults, especially girls and women, achieve relevant and recognized functional literacy and numeracy proficiency levels and acquire life skills, and that they are provided with adult learning, education and training opportunities".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Women’s right and the right to food 2013, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Insofar as conditionalities can improve the educational attainments of girls, they should be welcomed. CCT benefits are usually given to women, as the "caregivers" of households - in Brazil, 94 per cent of the recipients of the Bolsa Familia transfers are women. This is expected to strengthen their negotiating role within the family, although such an outcome is far from automatic. The Right to Food Guidelines recommend that States "give priority to channelling food assistance via women as a means of enhancing their decision-making role and ensuring that the food is used to meet the household's food requirements." (guideline 13.4). Beyond these aspects however, too little attention has been paid to the gender impacts of CCTs, when such programmes are put in place. [...]
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- Gender-based violence, endemic even in peacetime and often amplified during conflict, can be committed against any persons because of their sex and socially constructed gender roles. While women, girls, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons, sexual minorities and gender-non-conforming individuals are the predominant targets, men and boys can also be victims of gender-based violence, including sexual violence stemming from socially determined roles and expectations. As noted by the Committee against Torture in its general comment No. 2 (2007) on the implementation of article 2 of the Convention, gender-based crimes can take the form of sexual violence, other forms of physical violence or mental torment.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 8
- Paragraph text
- The purpose and intent elements of the definition of torture (A/HRC/13/39/Add.5) are always fulfilled if an act is gender-specific or perpetrated against persons on the basis of their sex, gender identity, real or perceived sexual orientation or non-adherence to social norms around gender and sexuality (A/HRC/7/3). The definitional threshold between ill-treatment and torture is often not clear. A gender-sensitive lens guards against a tendency to regard violations against women, girls, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons as ill-treatment even where they would more appropriately be identified as torture.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- Gender-based discrimination includes violence directed against or disproportionately affecting women (A/47/38). Prohibited conduct is often accepted by communities due to entrenched discriminatory perceptions while victims' marginalized status tends to render them less able to seek accountability from perpetrators, thereby fostering impunity. Gender stereotypes play a role in downplaying the pain and suffering that certain practices inflict on women, girls, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons. Furthermore, gender intersects with other factors and identities, including sexual orientation, disability and age, that may render a person more vulnerable to being subjected to torture and ill-treatment (general comment No. 2). Intersectional identities can result in experiencing torture and ill-treatment in distinct ways. The torture protection framework must be interpreted against the background of the human rights norms that have developed to combat discrimination and violence against women.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- It is estimated that 35 per cent of women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual intimate-partner or non-partner violence, with significantly higher figures reported in some States. Women and girls can be victims of specific forms of violence at the hands of their families, for instance in the form of widowhood rites or dowry-related violence, such as bride burnings or acid attacks (A/HRC/20/16). Victims of domestic violence tend to be intimidated by continual threats of physical, sexual or other violence and verbal abuse and may be "effectively manipulated by intermittent kindness" (see E/CN.4/1996/53, para. 47). Fear of further assaults can be sufficiently severe as to cause suffering and anxiety amounting to inhuman treatment.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Integrating a gender perspective in the right to food 2016, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- The reasons behind the failure to women's access to adequate food can arguably be linked to two structural disconnects which exist at the crossroads between Women's Rights and the Right to Food. The first disconnect refers to the failure in international law to fully endow women with their right to food. In the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) and the ICESCR, the right to food is accorded to himself and his family. Although the ICESCR General Comment 12 and other documents have underscored the non-discriminatory intention of the right to food, the archaic language of patriarchy taints the UDHR and treaty language. Concurrently the economic and social rights of the ICESCR are generally reviewed in CEDAW, but not the right to food, which is indirectly touched upon only through a call for rural women. In CEDAW, as in the Convention of the Rights of Child (CRC), food access and adequacy for adult women and teenage girls are addressed only on behalf of pregnant and breastfeeding females .
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Child and other forms of forced marriage increase during conflict and among displaced populations living in refugee or internally displaced persons camps. In 2015 the practice has been documented as being enforced by both State actors and non-State or rebel factions in Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, the Syrian Arab Republic and elsewhere, with victims being repeatedly raped, compelled to carry multiple pregnancies and subjected to other forms of physical and psychological violence over prolonged periods. While rape commonly occurs in the context of forced marriage, girls and women can also be forced into marriage as a consequence of rape or fear of sexual violence, as a form of "restitution" or "reparation". Like rape, forced marriage is used as a tactic of war and to fulfil strategic objectives such as domination, intimidation and degradation. It has been recognized as a crime against humanity by the Special Court for Sierra Leone.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 70o
- Paragraph text
- [With regard to women, girls, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in detention, the Special Rapporteur calls on all States to:] When the detention of children with their mothers in prison is unavoidable,implement effective safeguards, including regular monitoring and review of every case to ensure that the children are never treated like prisoners; ensure that the full range of the children's needs, whether medical, physical, psychological or educational, including living conditions that are adequate for a child's development, are guaranteed in practice;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Fundamentalism and its impact on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association 2016, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- In India, discrimination against individuals of lower caste - Dalits - manifests itself in various ways, including a lack of access to justice, threats to life, and gender-based violence against women and girls. Protests by Dalits are often met with violence and excessive use of force by high-caste individuals and law enforcement officials. Also, Dalit activists are detained and prosecuted on serious charges such as terrorism. At the multilateral level, India has placed impediments to accreditation by the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (a standing committee of the Economic and Social Council) of the International Dalit Solidarity Network, an international non-governmental organization that focuses on caste-based discrimination and other forms of discrimination based on work and descent (see A/69/365, para. 74).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The right to health and development 2011, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- Of the eight Millennium Development Goals subsequently developed to reflect the objectives agreed upon in the Millennium Declaration in 2000, Goals 4, 5 and 6 deal with health directly and others deals with underlying determinants of health. At least 8 of the 16 MDG targets, and 17 of the 48 related indicators, are health-related. As the MDGs have become a major focus of health-related development work, it was an important step for these goals to place health at the very centre of the development enterprise. Moreover, at the 2010 high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly, States committed to promoting global public health for all to achieve the MDGs and to ensure "respect for human rights, promote gender equality and the empowerment of women as essential means of addressing the health of women and girls, and to address the stigmatization of people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS". The normative framework that is now well developed and understood for the right to health is well placed to inform the efforts towards achieving the MDGs.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Right to health in conflict situations 2013, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- Conflict may also result in children adopting new roles and responsibilities, which may increase their vulnerability to sexual violence and exploitation. Health facilities in conflict often lack child-appropriate services for survivors of sexual violence, particularly for boys. Exposure to sexual violence increases the risk of further violations for girls. For example, marriage to the perpetrator is often seen as a means of "protecting a girl's honour". However, forcing survivors of sexual violence to marry their attackers re-victimizes them and results in the legitimization of the actions of the perpetrator and social acceptance of sexual violence (see A/66/657-S/2012/33).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Right to health in conflict situations 2013, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- As noted by the Security Council (resolution 1820 (2008)) and others, certain civilians may be targeted on the basis of their perceived or actual association with ethnic, religious or political groups. Such strategies infringe human dignity and are manifestly incompatible with the right to health. In certain circumstances, they may also qualify as crimes against humanity, genocide or war crimes. For example, the use of gender-based violence as a strategy of conflict has been well documented. Such violence can include incestuous rape and public rape, rape as a deliberate vector of HIV, camps specifically designed for forced impregnation of women, and premeditated rape as a tool of political repression. Women and girls are common targets of sexual violence, although men and young boys may also be targeted with equal severity. As the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has noted (see E/CN.4/2004/13) among others, armed groups may also specifically target sex workers, sexual and ethnic minorities and other communities as a tool for "social cleansing" of "undesirable elements". By treating civilians as objects of conflict, the physical and psychological impact of sexual violence may extend beyond immediate survivors and disempower whole communities. Due to the stigma attached to sexual violence, survivors are often forced into silence and excluded from their communities. The impact of sexual violence on the mental health of survivors, as well as their family and community may endure for generations. Sexual violence also compromises the participation of targeted communities in public health efforts long after conflict has ended.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Violence against indigenous women and girls; rights of indigenous peoples in relation to extractive industries 2012, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- Combating violence against indigenous women and girls therefore requires remedying the structural legacies of colonialism and discrimination that indigenous peoples have faced. This includes advancing the range of rights guaranteed for indigenous peoples, most prominently those enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Special Rapporteur observes that the standards affirmed in the Declaration share an essentially remedial character, seeking to redress the systemic obstacles and discrimination that indigenous peoples have faced in their enjoyment of basic human rights. From this perspective, it is important to note that the Declaration does not seek to bestow indigenous peoples with a set of special or new human rights, but rather provides a contextualized elaboration of general human rights principles and rights as they relate to the specific historical, cultural and social circumstances of indigenous peoples, including the situation of indigenous women and girls.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Violence against indigenous women and girls; rights of indigenous peoples in relation to extractive industries 2012, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- Third, there is a need for indigenous peoples themselves to continue to strengthen their own organizational and local governance capacity, and their own justice institutions, to meet the challenges faced by their communities. Indigenous peoples have a responsibility to work to rebuild strong and healthy relationships within their families and communities, and to take concerted measures to address social ills where these exist. Within their households, their communities and the broader people of which they are a part, indigenous peoples must challenge and combat any existing patriarchal social structures, continued attitudes of superiority of men over women and supposed justifications based on culture for battering or discriminating against women. In this connection, indigenous peoples must make concerted efforts to strengthen their own traditional justice systems, where these fall short of providing effective remedies to punish and prevent violence against indigenous women and girls in accordance with relevant human rights standards.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Rights of indigenous women and girls 2015, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- [Recommendations to United Nations organizations and mechanisms] While the Special Rapporteur appreciates the attention given to the rights of indigenous peoples within the work of other United Nations mechanisms, more consistent and geographically comprehensive analysis of the fulfilment of human rights among indigenous women and girls is urgently needed. United Nations human rights mechanisms should direct additional attention to the nexus between individual and collective rights and how that impacts indigenous women and girls, as well as how intersecting forms of discrimination and vulnerability impact human rights violations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Internally displaced women: progress, challenges and the way ahead 2013, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- Despite myriad training, guidelines and manuals, displaced women and girls continue to be subject to egregious levels of sexual violence. In some situations, sexual violence or other forms of gender-based violence is used as a deliberate tactic to instil terror, and force displacement, or to discourage IDPs from demanding their rights. Beyond being a significant cause of displacement and a grievous human rights violation in its own right, SGBV or the perceived risk of it can also curtail women's access to a range of rights and services.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Internally displaced women: progress, challenges and the way ahead 2013, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- There is therefore a pressing need for a more preventative approach to these challenges. In this regard, the Protocol on the Prevention and Suppression of Sexual Violence against Women and Children (2006) of the Great Lakes region and the model law annexed thereto, the 2011 Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence and the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women (Convention of Belém do Pará) provide some important entry points and examples in terms of legal frameworks. Fuel strategies and livelihood initiatives targeting displaced women and girls, and those at risk of displacement, are further practical measures which can be central to reducing exposure to sexual violence. Reducing vulnerability to sexual violence also entails ensuring that survivors have access to appropriate support, including reproductive and psychosocial services and that adequate resources are devoted to gender-sensitive site planning.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Internally displaced women: progress, challenges and the way ahead 2013, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- Since the 1990s, States, international agencies, CSOs and other relevant actors have paid greater attention to the rights and needs of women and girls in emergency and post-conflict situations, and promoting gender-sensitive approaches to humanitarian and development assistance and early recovery. This has been borne out in a wide range of resolutions, policies, guidelines and handbooks, as well as gender-mainstreaming efforts and numerous targeted programmes. This overall framework, predominantly focused on women, peace and security, turned greater attention to refugees, with initiatives in recent years increasingly including IDW.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Governance structures for internal displacement 2015, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- All responses to internal displacement must recognize the particular dynamics of displacement and the profile of those displaced. In situations of conflict or violence, ethnic or religious minorities may be particularly affected and, consequently, the principles of equality and non-discrimination must be respected at all stages of the response and by all actors. Certain groups may be particularly vulnerable both during displacement and in displacement locations, including women and girls, children, older persons, persons with disabilities and the chronically ill. Responses must be sensitive to their needs and measures put in place to address specific protection concerns, including the need to protect women and girls from sexual violence (A/HRC/23/44).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Human rights of migrants in the post-2015 development agenda 2014, para. 68d
- Paragraph text
- [Targets should focus on:] Eliminating all forms of discrimination against women and girls, including migrants, irrespective of their status and circumstances;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Labour exploitation of migrants 2014, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- Migrant domestic workers, the majority of whom are women and girls, are extremely vulnerable to violence and abuse. ILO Convention 189 on decent work for domestic workers clearly recognizes domestic work as work. However, in many countries, domestic workers are not recognized as "workers", and thus not protected by labour law. As a consequence, they have no labour rights, no annual leave, no established working hours and no minimum salary. They are sometimes also excluded from rights relating to social security laws. Some countries rely on domestic work to be regulated by the work contract only, rather than by law. However, it is difficult for migrant domestic workers to claim their rights when their work is frequently considered informal, and not regulated by law. If the employer has diplomatic immunity, this renders the domestic worker even more vulnerable, due to the possible scope of the employer's immunity from criminal prosecution and civil claims.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- The Rio+20 outcome document highlights the fact that green economy policies in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication should "enhance the welfare of indigenous peoples and their communities, other local and traditional communities, and ethnic minorities, recognizing and supporting their identity, culture and interests and avoid endangering their cultural heritage, practices and traditional knowledge" (para. 58). It also stresses the need to ensure equal access to education for ethnic minorities and for an enabling environment for women and girls from ethnic minorities (paras. 229 and 238). The High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons, in its report, states: "We should ensure that no person - regardless of ethnicity, gender, geography, disability, race or other status - is denied universal human rights and basic economic opportunities. We should design goals that focus on reaching excluded groups".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
The importance of social protection measures in achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2010, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- Gender inequality causes and perpetuates poverty. Gender-based discrimination limits women's opportunities to gain access to education, decent work, land ownership, credit, inheritance and other economic resources, thus increasing their likelihood of living in extreme poverty. Other factors, including age, ethnicity, race, disability and health status, compound the discrimination that women face and affect their living conditions. Accordingly, it is widely accepted that improving the situation of women is essential for sustainable development. Eliminating extreme poverty in the long run, therefore, requires careful consideration of the various types of risks and the vulnerability to poverty experienced by men and boys and by women and girls.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Human rights based approach to recovery from the global economic and financial crises, with a focus on those living in poverty 2011, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- The advanced interconnectedness of the world's economies and markets means that the ramifications of the crises have been far more extensive than any previous comparable economic downturn. Throughout both developing and developed countries, 205 million people are unemployed the highest number of unemployed in history. As a result of the crises, at least 55,000 more children are likely to die each year from 2009 to 2015. The prevalence of children dropping out of school has increased, as boys have been propelled into the workforce and girls given an increased burden of household tasks. By 2009, at least 100 million more people were hungry and undernourished because of the crises, a situation that continues to deteriorate owing to escalating food prices.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Food & Nutrition
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Unpaid care work and women's human rights 2013, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- Across the world, women and girls commit substantially more time than men to unpaid care work. This heavy and unequal responsibility for unpaid care is a barrier to women's greater involvement in the labour market, affecting productivity, economic growth and poverty reduction. Most importantly, however, the unequal distribution, intensity and lack of recognition of unpaid care work undermines the dignity of women caregivers, obstructs their enjoyment of several human rights on an equal basis with men, undermines progress towards gender equality and entrenches their disproportionate vulnerability to poverty across their lifetime.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Approach, vision and work methods 2014, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur will integrate a gender perspective throughout her work, as mandated by resolution 7/13. She considers that sensitivity to the ways in which the phenomena of the sale and sexual exploitation of children affects boys and girls differently is essential for proposing effective recommendations. In this respect, she will take into consideration the gender dimension of sexual exploitation which, according to available data, disproportionately affects girls. The Special Rapporteur will take into account the different needs and opportunities of boys and girls through, among other things, the collection and analysis of disaggregated data and propose gender-specific recommendations for their care and recovery.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2014
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Reflection on a 6-year tenure as Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography 2014, para. 22
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- The 2012 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime indicates that detected cases of child trafficking represented 27 per cent of human trafficking in 2007-2010, up from 20 per cent in 2003-2006. In recent years, the increase has been greater for girls. Between 2006 and 2009, the proportion of girls in the number of total victims has grown from 13 to 17 per cent. Two out of every three child victims are girls. Although trends are not homogenous globally, the report finds that more than 20 countries recorded a clear increase in the proportion of child trafficking detected in the period 2007-2010 compared with the period 2003-2006. Significantly, in Africa and the Middle East, over two thirds of the detected victims of trafficking are children. Globally, trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation represents 58 per cent of the total number of detected cases.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2014
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Reflection on a 6-year tenure as Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography 2014, para. 28
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- All forms of abuse, violence and exploitation have serious short- and long-term physical, psychological and social effects, not only for the girls and boys who are the direct victims, but also for their families and communities. Victims of sexual violence are at high risk of unwanted pregnancy and of contracting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. In their daily lives, they are confronted with social stigma, family rejection, psychological stress and depression. Images of sexually exploited children circulated online will never disappear, which has a devastating effect on victims. The development of responses and care for victims, including reparation and rehabilitation, needs to address these consequences.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Families
- Girls
- Year
- 2014
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Servile marriage 2012, para. 64
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- Described below are forms of servile marriage that women and girls experience.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
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Eliminating discrimination against women in cultural and family life, with a focus on the family as a cultural space 2015, para. 28
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- All legal definitions of the family should include the right to equality, de jure and de facto, of women and girls within the family. Full equality between women and men, and girls and boys, is a requirement of international human rights law and constitutes a right of women that is vital for the well-being of the family and for society as a whole.
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Families
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2015
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The right of the child to freedom of expression 2014, para. 60
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- In India, members of the Adolescent Girls' Clubs against Child Marriage network help to persuade families not to marry their daughters off at a young age by educating people about the harmful consequences of early marriage. They offer a lifeline not only to girls who want to resist family pressure, but also to parents afraid that going against gender-based expectations will leave their daughters ostracized.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Families
- Girls
- Year
- 2014
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Tackling the demand for the sexual exploitation of children 2016, para. 43
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- The sexual exploitation of girls, who constitute the majority of victims, is rooted in gender discrimination. Patriarchal structures that promote male sexual domination and do not condemn the commercialization of girls and women are a fundamental underlying level of the demand factor. Culturally imposed feminine gender stereotypes also contribute to the sexual exploitation of women and girls by placing them in the role of serving males, negating women's and girls' ability to make decisions regarding their own sexual and reproductive life and making them prime targets for sexual violence. Likewise, the commodification of the female body reinforces the notion of its consumption, which can be extended to girls by offenders. Gender stereotypes around masculinity also adversely affect boys, with little attention given to their possible vulnerability to sexual exploitation. Boys who are victims of sexual exploitation are consequently much less likely to be able to report a rights violation and to receive care.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
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Manifestations and causes of domestic servitude 2010, para. 34
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- Domestic bonded labour can be linked to gender-discriminatory cultural practices. Among certain ethnic groups in Ghana and neighbouring countries, for instance, girls as young as 6-10 years old are forced into bonded labour, serving as so-called trokosi or vudusi in the household of priests at local fetish shrines. They are given by their parents to the shrine to pay the shrine for erasing a moral failing or curse attached to the parents. In addition to performing domestic chores and ritual duties at the shrine, a trokosi is usually also expected to work long hours on farmland belonging to the shrine. From puberty, she is expected to endure sexual relations with the fetish priest. Although the Government of Ghana has criminalized the practice, it has not yet been eradicated.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Girls
- Youth
- Year
- 2010
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Child slavery in the artisanal mining and quarrying sector 2011, para. 69
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- Both boys and girls are found working in artisanal mining and quarrying, but, as they grow up, they are attributed different tasks.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Year
- 2011
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Servile marriage 2012, para. 15
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- The violations that occur within servile marriage cannot be viewed only as acts of violence against women and girls because, although the overwhelming majority of those in servile marriage are girls and women, boys and men are also victims. Owing to gender prejudices, it is often easier for boys and men to leave forced marriages, live as divorcees, remarry and regain control of their lives, in particular because they are usually more educated and can be financially independent. Girls and women are more vulnerable and more likely to be sexually and physically abused. The Special Rapporteur focuses herein on girls and women in servile marriage for those reasons and also because, whether by design, error or omission, there is scant information available about the impact of servile marriage on boys and men.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2012
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Servile marriage 2012, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- Sexual slavery is a situation in which absolute control over one person is imposed on another, either by the use or threat of force. Servile marriage results in sexual slavery. As mentioned previously, girls in ritual slavery are forced to have sex with the priest who consummates the marriage between the girl and the deity. A ritually enslaved girl may also be forced to have sex with multiple sexual partners who believe that they become cleansed by having sex with her. The girls are also rendered physically weak by the pregnancies, births and, on occasion, abortions that they undergo. As a result of having multiple sexual partners the girls suffer from reproductive tract infections and sexually transmitted diseases. Unable to leave or seek help, they are often socially marginalized, with few support systems. This contributes to a lack of confidence and low self-esteem, perpetuating subordination.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Year
- 2012
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Servile marriage 2012, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- Other slavery-like practices take place during servile marriage as the spouse usually ends up in domestic servitude (see A/HRC/15/20) and sexual slavery (whereby she is sexually exploited through the use or threat of force). Although commonly understood to take place during times of conflict, sexual slavery can occur at any time and violates the International Bill of Human Rights. National courts have acknowledged this concept. For example, in United States of America v. Sanga, a man forced a woman to work as a domestic maid for more than two years and to have sex with him. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit unanimously held that she was a virtual slave, contrary to the provision of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, under which slavery and involuntary servitude were prohibited. Girls and women in servile marriage have no choice but to perform the tasks expected of them, such as domestic chores, shop or farm work and engaging in sexual intercourse with their husbands. If they refuse to do so, or if their performance is unsatisfactory, they face physical, psychological and sexual abuse.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
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Servile marriage 2012, para. 20
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- It is important to note the distinction between servile marriage and arranged marriage. The Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery was established by the Economic and Social Council in its decision 16 (LVI) to monitor the existence of slavery and the slave trade in all their practices and manifestations, including slavery-like practices such as servile marriage. The Working Group believed that it was important to highlight the distinction between forced marriage and arranged marriage. Arranged marriages, which exist in many parts of the world, are based on the consent of both parties, whereas forced marriages do not involve the consent of the parties or, at any rate, both of the parties. Any duress in a marriage is a violation of internationally recognized human rights standards and cannot be justified on religious or cultural grounds. The Working Group asserted that the perpetuation of forced and early marriages was a result of gender inequality and lack of both a culture of education for girls and of self-esteem.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Year
- 2012
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Prevention of trafficking in persons 2010, para. 44
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- Raising the awareness of potential victims about the risks associated with trafficking is an essential part of prevention strategies. A study conducted by UNICEF showed that the vast majority of trafficked children had very little information about the risks of abuse and exploitation. This demonstrates the importance of providing potential victims of trafficking with appropriate and adequate information about the risks of human trafficking. In fact, awareness-raising campaigns targeted at potential victims of trafficking appear to be the most common prevention measures in many countries of origin, owing, perhaps, to the lower complexity of designing and implementing such campaigns. While this has resulted in a plethora of large-scale public campaigns in many countries, reports suggest that the campaigns do not always reach groups that are at higher risk, that many of them use detrimental images of women and girls and convey distorted messages about the risks involved in trafficking and that their impact is barely monitored and evaluated.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- It is estimated that 10-30 per cent of children in fighting forces are female. Girls who are forcibly recruited or abducted into military service typically face forced domestic labour and sexual violence and exploitation such as forced marriage and/or sexual slavery (see paras. 31-34 below). It is important to acknowledge that while violence and exploitation are often defining aspects of the female experience of conflict, this is not always the case. Young women and girls have also been involved in trafficking by deceiving other girls and boys into joining armed conflict, using the Internet and social media.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- In addition, the nature and form of trafficking in persons associated with conflict are highly gendered. For example, abduction into military forces affects males and females differently. Men and boys are typically forced into soldiering while women and girls are generally forced into support roles and typically face much greater risk of sexual assault as either a primary purpose or an additional manifestation of their exploitation. As previously noted, sexual enslavement, a practice exacerbated by situations of conflict, is highly gendered in that it disproportionately affects women and girls. Other forms of trafficking-related exploitation particular to or especially prevalent in conflict, including forced and temporary marriage, are highly gendered in their motivation and impact, which underscores the importance of a gender analysis in all trafficking prevention efforts and responses.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2016
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