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Manifestations and causes of domestic servitude 2010, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- There are no reliable statistics on numbers of victims, not least because it is very difficult to distinguish forced marriages, contracted on the basis of force, threat of harm or deception, from arranged marriages that may involve considerable social pressure to consent. The problem is not restricted to specific countries and cases often have a transnational dimension. The United Kingdom Forced Marriage Unit, for example, handles about 250-300 cases a year of nationals facing forced marriages.
- 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
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Study on illegal adoptions 2017, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- Central authorities in receiving countries have sometimes strengthened efforts to conclude adoptions from countries of origin that are not parties to the 1993 Hague Convention, where regulations and procedures may be less strict. That approach involves major increases in intercountry adoptions from the countries concerned until it is deemed necessary to take measures to address the illicit practices that stem from it.
- 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
- Harmful Practices
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- Similarly, research on the root causes of attacks, including witchcraft, is necessary to refine prevention and protection measures. As specific witchcraft-related beliefs and practices tend to arise from specific contexts, supported by different concepts and described by a diversity of terms, research has to be undertaken with particular attention to the specific sociocultural context.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Witchcraft beliefs and related practices are not simply the repetition of ancient traditional practices; they can change or develop. While some beliefs and practices appear to have ancient origins that have been both preserved and adapted to contemporary contexts, other practices, such as the use of body parts from persons with albinism, are apparently of recent origin. In that regard, it would constitute a "new tradition" or an "invented tradition" that has been adapted or is adaptable to contemporary society. Some stakeholders suggest that attacks against persons with albinism are a recent phenomenon because of the rapid spread of the problem across multiple countries in the last 10 years. For example, stakeholders in Malawi and in Mozambique repeatedly stated that the use of body parts of persons with albinism was not a traditional practice in their respective countries and that it had developed recently, influenced by practices in other countries. However, there are insufficient data to support this assertion. In addition, even if it were substantiated, attacks and the use of body parts linked to witchcraft practices could not take hold so quickly in a country unless there was already a context facilitative of witchcraft beliefs and practices.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- The Independent Expert intends to address the impact of witchcraft on the human rights of persons with albinism as a harmful traditional practice and as one of the root causes of ritual attacks. This will require careful understanding, definition and delineation of the practice, the form it takes and the effects it has on persons with albinism.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- Nevertheless, it is important to state categorically that none of the testimonies received by the Independent Expert supports the proposition that anyone, whether perpetrator, witchdoctor, traditional medicine practitioner, herbalist or buyer, has become wealthier after taking part in such attacks or after using charms and potions involving body parts of persons with albinism.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Harmful practices (joint General Recommendation with CEDAW) 2014, para. 89
- Paragraph text
- States parties should include in their reports under the Conventions information about the nature and extent of attitudes, customs and social norms that perpetuate harmful practices and on the measures guided by the present joint general recommendation/general comment that they have implemented and the effects thereof.
- Body
- Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Harmful practices (joint General Recommendation with CEDAW) 2014, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- To challenge sociocultural norms and attitudes that underlie harmful practices, including male-dominated power structures, sex- and gender-based discrimination and age hierarchies, both Committees regularly recommend that States parties undertake comprehensive public information and awareness-raising campaigns that are part of long-term strategies to eliminate harmful practices.
- Body
- Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Harmful practices (joint General Recommendation with CEDAW) 2014, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- In States parties with plural legal systems, even where laws explicitly prohibit harmful practices, prohibition may not be enforced effectively because the existence of customary, traditional or religious laws may actually support those practices.
- Body
- Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Harmful practices (joint General Recommendation with CRC) 2014, para. 89
- Paragraph text
- States parties should include in their reports under the Conventions information about the nature and extent of attitudes, customs and social norms that perpetuate harmful practices and on the measures guided by the present joint general recommendation/general comment that they have implemented and the effects thereof.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Harmful practices (joint General Recommendation with CRC) 2014, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- To challenge sociocultural norms and attitudes that underlie harmful practices, including male-dominated power structures, sex- and gender-based discrimination and age hierarchies, both Committees regularly recommend that States parties undertake comprehensive public information and awareness-raising campaigns that are part of long-term strategies to eliminate harmful practices.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Harmful practices (joint General Recommendation with CRC) 2014, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- In States parties with plural legal systems, even where laws explicitly prohibit harmful practices, prohibition may not be enforced effectively because the existence of customary, traditional or religious laws may actually support those practices.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Harmful practices (joint General Recommendation with CRC) 2014, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- Social norms are interconnected, meaning that harmful practices cannot be addressed in isolation, but within a broader context based on a comprehensive understanding of how the practices are linked to other cultural and social norms and other practices. This indicates the need to adopt a rights-based approach that is founded on recognition that rights are indivisible and interdependent.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Stigma and the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2012, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- Probably the greatest challenge in combatting stigma is the fact that it is deeply entrenched in sociocultural norms and attitudes. Tackling it requires raising awareness of stigmatizing practices that are pursued under the umbrella of culture, religion and tradition. The interpretations of culture on which such practices are based are neither immutable nor homogenous and must therefore be challenged, including by questioning the legitimacy of those who perpetuate stigmatizing practices in the name of culture and uncovering the underlying power dynamics (E/CN.4/2006/61, para. 85).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 71
- Paragraph text
- In a context where factual and scientific information on albinism is generally lacking or remains inaccurate, the disfiguration caused by skin cancer of persons with albinism may serve to strengthen myths and witchcraft beliefs, particularly those that supernaturalize and dehumanize persons with albinism. Given that such disfiguration is particularly commonplace where attacks have been reported, the prioritization of health interventions is bound to prevent illness, early death and attacks.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- The Oxford dictionary defines witchcraft as "the practice of magic, especially black magic; the use of spells and the invocation of spirits". However, it appears that witchcraft has many connotations and is subject to many interpretations, such that "objective definitions of witchcraft are unsatisfactory because its real meaning derives from relationships, shared experiences and individual feelings", and consequently "meanings of witchcraft are so varied because the concept is so versatile".
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Female genital mutilation has severely negative health consequences, including risk of death; has no documented health benefits; causes severe stress and shock, anxiety and depression; and has long-lasting, negative health consequences including higher risks of post-partum haemorrhage and other obstetric complications.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Harmful practices (joint General Recommendation with CEDAW) 2014, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- Social norms are interconnected, meaning that harmful practices cannot be addressed in isolation, but within a broader context based on a comprehensive understanding of how the practices are linked to other cultural and social norms and other practices. This indicates the need to adopt a rights-based approach that is founded on recognition that rights are indivisible and interdependent.
- Body
- Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Harmful practices (joint General Recommendation with CEDAW) 2014, para. 16a
- Paragraph text
- [For the purposes of the present joint general recommendation/general comment, practices should meet the following criteria to be regarded as harmful:] They constitute a denial of the dignity and/or integrity of the individual and a violation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms enshrined in the two Conventions;
- Body
- Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Harmful practices (joint General Recommendation with CRC) 2014, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- Strategies aimed at eliminating harmful practices also need to involve a wide range of other stakeholders, including national independent human rights institutions, health, education and law enforcement professionals, members of civil society and those who engage in the practices.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Harmful practices (joint General Recommendation with CRC) 2014, para. 2
- Paragraph text
- The objective of the present joint general recommendation/general comment is to clarify the obligations of States parties to the Conventions by providing authoritative guidance on legislative, policy and other appropriate measures that must be taken to ensure full compliance with their obligations under the Conventions to eliminate harmful practices.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- The Independent Expert has received reports that demand for body parts for the purpose of muti or juju has led to the existence of a black market, at the national, regional and international levels, for body parts of persons with albinism. While there is often evidence of trafficking and attempted trafficking of body parts, evidence of the market for the parts is more indicative than substantive at present. It is therefore important to conduct further investigative studies and research to map patterns of trafficking of body parts, including on the alleged markets or points of sale, and on the international networks that may be involved.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- In her report to the General Assembly (A/71/255), in which she provided a preliminary overview of the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism, the Independent Expert showed how interrelated factors, including the mythologization of albinism and a related lack of understanding of the scientific bases of the condition, poverty, witchcraft practices and other aggravating factors all contributed to ongoing outbreaks of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism. In the present report, the Independent Expert refers to "witchcraft" as "phenomena", to reflect the plurality of concepts, terms, practices and beliefs encompassed by the term.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Harmful practices (joint General Recommendation with CEDAW) 2014, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- In States parties with effective and enforced legislation against harmful practices, there is a risk that practising communities will go into hiding or go abroad to carry out the practices. States parties hosting practising communities should support awareness-raising campaigns regarding the harmful impact on the victims or those at risk, as well as the legal implications of the violation, while at the same time preventing discrimination and stigma against those communities. To this end, steps should be taken to facilitate the social integration of such communities.
- Body
- Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Harmful practices (joint General Recommendation with CEDAW) 2014, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- Community-based and mainstream media can be important partners in awareness-raising and outreach regarding the elimination of harmful practices, including through joint initiatives with Governments to host debates or talk shows, prepare and screen documentaries and develop educational programmes for radio and television. The Internet and social media can also be valuable tools for providing information and opportunities for debate, while mobile telephones are increasingly being used to convey messages and engage with people of all ages. Community-based media can serve as a useful forum for information and dialogue and may include radio, street theatre, music, art, poetry and puppetry.
- Body
- Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 4
- Paragraph text
- Over the centuries and across the world, myths about albinism have been developed and have taken deep root in various cultures. Widespread and long-term ignorance about the condition has given birth to myths, some of them age-old and most of them erroneous. Such myths can be found in various regions of the world, as evidenced in the pejorative names used for persons with albinism across cultures and continents, including "dry pigeon peas", "ghost", "chicken", "strange being", "monkey", "fake white man", "goat" or the "devil in person".
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Harmful practices (joint General Recommendation with CEDAW) 2014, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- Where medical professionals or government employees or civil servants are involved or complicit in carrying out harmful practices, their status and responsibility, including to report, should be seen as an aggravating circumstance in the determination of criminal sanctions or administrative sanctions such as loss of a professional licence or termination of contract, which should be preceded by the issuance of warnings. Systematic training for relevant professionals is considered to be an effective preventive measure in this regard.
- Body
- Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Harmful practices (joint General Recommendation with CEDAW) 2014, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- The full and inclusive participation of relevant stakeholders in the drafting of legislation against harmful practices can ensure that the primary concerns relating to the practices are accurately identified and addressed. Engaging with and soliciting input from practising communities, other relevant stakeholders and members of civil society is central to this process. Care should be taken, however, to ensure that prevailing attitudes and social norms that support harmful practices do not weaken efforts to enact and enforce legislation.
- Body
- Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Harmful practices (joint General Recommendation with CEDAW) 2014, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- In both instances, the effective prevention and elimination of harmful practices require the establishment of a well-defined, rights-based and locally relevant holistic strategy that includes supportive legal and policy measures, including social measures that are combined with commensurate political commitment and accountability at all levels. The obligations outlined in the Conventions provide the basis for the development of a holistic strategy to eliminate harmful practices, the elements of which are set out herein.
- Body
- Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Harmful practices (joint General Recommendation with CRC) 2014, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- In States parties with effective and enforced legislation against harmful practices, there is a risk that practising communities will go into hiding or go abroad to carry out the practices. States parties hosting practising communities should support awareness-raising campaigns regarding the harmful impact on the victims or those at risk, as well as the legal implications of the violation, while at the same time preventing discrimination and stigma against those communities. To this end, steps should be taken to facilitate the social integration of such communities.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph