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Vision of the mandate 2014, para. 28
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- In general, food and nutrition security policies continue to treat women primarily as mothers, focusing on the nutrition of infants and young children or pregnant women, rather than addressing constraints on women’s economic and social participation. Teenage mothers, women without children and women of post-reproductive age with specific nutritional needs are generally not considered within those policies, and this must change
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Topic(s)
- Food & Nutrition
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Infants
- Women
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Adequacy of the international legal framework on violence against women 2017, para. 86
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur highlights that, apart from the Committee, a variety of international and regional human rights bodies and independent experts are working on the issue of violence against women. These bodies have all developed a rich jurisprudence, general comments and recommendations relating to the right of women and girls not to be subjected to violence, which in certain circumstances may amount to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, denial of the right to health and other human rights. There are regional treaties and treaty bodies looking specifically at gender-based violence in Africa, the Americas and Europe. There are also independent experts in Africa and the Americas. However, these instruments need more incorporation and implementation, including through sustained funding of expert monitoring mechanisms to carry out their work, to facilitate coordination and to share best practices, information and insights. This urgency to support existing good work is even more compelling given the high priority dedicated to the eradication of violence against women in the Sustainable Development Goals.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Violence against women: Twenty years of developments to combat violence against women 2014, para. 41
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- One of the five priority areas of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) is ending violence against women. The efforts of UN-Women in this regard include standard setting, technical assistance, financial assistance, education, advocacy, data collection and coordination. The entity supports Member States as they set global standards for achieving gender equality and works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programmes and services needed to implement these standards, including in developing and implementing national action plans to end violence against women. UN-Women also participates in a number of joint programmes with partner agencies at the country level and coordinates the Secretary-General's UNiTE campaign and the COMMIT initiative. The Inventory of United Nations activities to prevent and eliminate violence against women describes the efforts of 38 United Nations entities, the International Organization for Migration and six inter-agency partnerships. UN-Women has also developed the Virtual Knowledge Centre to End Violence against Women and Girls, an online resource centre.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Violence against women as a barrier to the effective realization of all human rights 2014, para. 57
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- A more recent challenge is the creation of hierarchies of violence against women, especially through political and funding actions. This is particularly evident in the articulation of sexual violence in conflict situations as being different and exceptional, as opposed to its being a continuation of a pattern of discrimination and violence that is exacerbated in times of conflict - as reflected in recent armed conflict situations. The prioritizing of this manifestation of violence has led to numerous concerns, including a shift away from an understanding of violence against women as both gendered and part of a continuum of violence; a shift in resources, in some instances, despite the need to address all manifestations of violence, including at the national level; a shift in focus by some United Nations entities; and the effect of donor-driven priorities in this process. The view of many women's rights defenders is that these shifts have led to focusing on the manifestation of violence against women in conflict situations, to the detriment and ignoring of the low-level "warfare" that women and girls experience in their homes and communities on a daily basis.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Continuum of violence against women from the home to the transnational sphere: the challenges of effective redress 2011, para. 83
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- A holistic approach to dealing with violence requires an understanding that such violence is situated along a continuum both in terms of time and space, and the varied forms and manifestations reflect this. Although some categorization might be useful in terms of the provision of services for victims, such as clinical, psychosocial or legal, a holistic perspective sees all forms of abuse qualitatively impacting the economic, social, cultural and political well-being of women, of their communities and of the State. States must acknowledge that violence against women is not the root problem, but that violence occurs because other forms of discrimination are allowed to flourish. By situating violence along a continuum, States may appropriately contextualize violence and recognize that the deprivation of water, food, and other human rights can be just as egregious and debilitating as family violence. Although these forms of violence are by no means the same, they can be viewed as parallel and similar when considering their interrelationship.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Reparations to women who have been subjected to violence 2010, para. 44
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- The current explicit inclusion of sexual violence in many reparations programmes is a victory against a tradition that minimizes its importance as collateral, private or non-political damage. Nevertheless, the forms of sexual violence that are included are often limited in range and other forms of victimization with a disparate gender impact are also not included. Often excluded have been forms of reproductive violence (including forced abortions, sterilization or impregnations), domestic enslavement, forced "marital" unions, forced displacement, abduction and forced recruitment. Gross violations of social, economic and cultural rights have also been excluded, even when they result in the loss of health, life and death of culture, or when such violations are specifically related to systematic forms of discrimination, including based on sex, ethnicity or sexual orientation. Forced domestic labour, often taking the form of forced conscription or forced marriages, has also traditionally been left out. This tendency to include a narrow range of forms of sexual violence in such programmes runs the risk of sexualizing women, if it is not accompanied by a serious effort to encompass a broader notion of harm.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 12
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- The report, which includes a number of examples of human trafficking and conflict taken from actual conflict and post-conflict situations, has also benefited from the input of Members States during the open debate of the Security Council on "Conflict-related sexual violence: responding to human trafficking in situations of conflict-related sexual violence", held on 2 June 2016, during the presidency of France, at which the Special Rapporteur made an intervention (S/PV.7704). The statements delivered by Member States reflect the urgent need felt by the members of the Council to address the issue of human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation related to conflict. The expert has also been encouraged by the appointment, on 16 September 2016, of Nadia Murad Basee Taha as Goodwill Ambassador for the dignity of survivors of human trafficking, the first time that a survivor of atrocities has been appointed to such a position. Ms. Taha briefed the Council on the atrocities, including trafficking in persons faced by the Yazidi, particularly women and children, at its meeting on 16 December 2015, at which the Council addressed the issue of human trafficking in conflict for the first time.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The first decade of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children 2014, para. 24
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Communication and engagement with stakeholders. Trafficking in persons is a critical issue for every country, affecting many different groups and cutting across multiple areas of legal and illegal activity. The range of current and potential stakeholders is accordingly very wide. The first mandate holder recognized this aspect of her work from the outset (E/CN.4/2005/71, paras. 41-47) and made consistent efforts to extend her engagement beyond Governments and international agencies to include the full range of civil society organizations working on the issue, as well as those engaged in related areas, such as the rights of migrants and violence against women. Her participatory and collaborative approach was continued and extended by the current mandate holder, who declared an intention to "reach out, listen, learn and share good practice around the world" (A/HRC/10/16, para 62). She has put this commitment into practice through regular, broad-based regional consultations aimed at securing expert input into her work while improving the understanding of the mandate amongst interlocutors.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Internally displaced women: progress, challenges and the way ahead 2013, para. 43
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- However, opportunities for IDW to participate actively in decision-making processes remain particularly limited. For example, IDW have rarely played an active role in developing, implementing and monitoring national action plans on Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), although IDW in a diverse range of contexts have demonstrated their ability and determination to play leading roles in developing and implementing policies and programmes concerning them. Unfortunately, the participatory approaches used to identify protection gaps of concern to IDW often do not extend to ensuring that they have an active say in the development, implementation and evaluation of responses to these gaps. IDW should therefore be given the opportunity to actively participate in peace processes; in negotiating durable solutions and the planning process for returns, reintegration or resettlement; and in post-conflict reconstruction and rebuilding. Participation of women in humanitarian planning should further reflect the diversity of the population and seek to include adolescent girls, youth and those with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Rights of indigenous peoples, including their economic, social and cultural rights in the post-2015 development framework 2014, para. 71
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- When looking at available socioeconomic data disaggregated by ethnicity and gender, there is no doubt that indigenous women experience particular and interrelated forms of discrimination because of their indigenous identity and their gender. Gender-based discrimination is a sad reality in most countries, and it is also found within some indigenous societies where, for example, women may not traditionally have participated in governance institutions or where girls are not encouraged to study. In short, many indigenous women still face additional gender-based discrimination, which leads to disadvantages, marginalization and, in extreme cases, to violence, physical mutilation, trafficking, prostitution and restricted access to justice. On the other hand, there is ample documentation of the strong and crucial roles played by indigenous women in many areas of life, including food production, biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation, transmission of languages, culture and knowledge, conflict resolution and peacekeeping.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Environmental human rights defenders 2016, para. 39
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- The increased scale of acts of reprisal against environmental human rights defenders protesting against environmental harms caused by projects funded by international financial institutions is disquieting. The submissions received revealed large gaps between professed commitments to participation and accountability and the situation on the ground, pointing to an overwhelming failure by those institutions to assess risks and respond to reprisals effectively. One report documented case studies in Cambodia, Ethiopia, India, Uganda and Uzbekistan of reprisals taking a variety of forms. The critics of projects funded by the World Bank Group were reportedly the target of threats, intimidation tactics and baseless criminal charges. Some women faced sexual harassment or gender-based threats, attacks, or insults when they spoke out. Security forces responded violently to peaceful protests, physically assaulting community members and arbitrarily arresting them. In other cases, critics or their family members were threatened with the loss of their jobs or livelihoods. In many countries, such reprisals often occurred within a broader effort to demonize critics as unpatriotic or "anti-development".
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 77
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- With regard to arrests, detentions and criminalization, the majority of these communications were sent to the Russian Federation (10 communications), Belarus (eight communications), and Uzbekistan (eight communications). In this regard, eleven communications were sent to the Russian Federation, 11 to Uzbekistan, and 10 to Belarus. In this context, those most at risk of arrest appear to include women defenders working on human rights issues related to the conflict in the North Caucasus; pro-democracy advocates, particularly in Belarus; women's rights defenders in Belarus and Uzbekistan, those denouncing violations to the European Court of Human Rights, particularly in the Russian Federation, and women journalists in all three countries. In other European countries, smaller numbers of communications concerning allegations of arrests, and detentions were sent to, inter alia, Turkey, the Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan and Spain. Communications regarding other forms of criminalization and judicial harassment were sent to Azerbaijan, France, Greece, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Moldova, and Turkey.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right to life and the right to adequate housing: the indivisibility and interdependence between these rights 2016, para. 71
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Fifty years after the separation of international human rights into the two covenants, the United Nations is well situated to retrieve a unified and inclusive understanding of human rights and to affirm that the right to life includes the right to a place to live in dignity and security, free of violence. The Human Rights Committee has the opportunity to affirm this integrated understanding of the right to life in the ongoing preparation of its general comment No. 36. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has the opportunity under its Optional Protocol to highlight the connection between the rights to life and adequate housing in lived experience. Other treaty monitoring bodies have the opportunity to ensure that the understanding of the rights to life and adequate housing is informed by the experiences and unique claims of people with disabilities, women, children, migrants, racial minorities and indigenous peoples, among others.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health in early childhood - Right to survival and development 2015, para. 9
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Low birth weight, lack of breastfeeding, undernutrition, overcrowded living conditions, indoor air pollution, unsafe drinking water and food and poor hygiene practices are the main immediate risk factors for pneumonia and diarrhoea. However, while such diseases are proximate causes of death and are duly reflected in statistics, poverty and inequalities are the root causes, or underlying social determinants. Poverty increases young children's exposure to risks such as poor nutrition, violence, inadequate sanitation, lower levels of maternal education, inadequate stimulation in the home, increased maternal stress and depression and, at the same time, limits access to health and other services. In 2013 the under-5 mortality rate in low-income countries was more than 12 times the average rate in high-income countries. There are also significant disparities in under-5 mortality and morbidity within countries, driven by poverty, gender and other inequalities. Low levels of literacy and poor access to education among women correlate strongly with high rates of under-5 mortality.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Poverty
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Unhealthy foods, non-communicable diseases and the right to health 2014, para. 63
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- In keeping with their obligations to respect, protect and fulfil the right to health, States should formulate and implement a national public health strategy and plan of action to address diet-related NCDs, which should be widely disseminated. Such a strategy should recognize the link between unhealthy foods and NCDs, while specifically addressing the structural flaws in food production, marketing and retail that promote the availability and accessibility of unhealthy foods over healthier options. Towards this end, States should necessarily develop multisectoral approaches that include all relevant ministries such as ministries of health, agriculture, finance, industry and trade. States should also ensure meaningful and effective participation of affected communities such as farmers and vulnerable groups like children, women and low-income groups in all levels of decision-making to discourage production and consumption of unhealthy foods and promote the availability and accessibility of healthier food options.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Criminalisation of sexual and reproductive health 2011, para. 24
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Other legal restrictions also contribute to making legal abortions inaccessible. Conscientious objection laws create barriers to access by permitting health-care providers and ancillary personnel, such as receptionists and pharmacists, to refuse to provide abortion services, information about procedures and referrals to alternative facilities and providers. Examples of other restrictions include: laws prohibiting public funding of abortion care; requirements of counselling and mandatory waiting periods for women seeking to terminate a pregnancy; requirements that abortions be approved by more than one health-care provider; parental and spousal consent requirements; and laws that require health-care providers to report "suspected" cases of illegal abortion when women present for post-abortion care, including miscarriages. These laws make safe abortions and post-abortion care unavailable, especially to poor, displaced and young women. Such restrictive regimes, which are not replicated in other areas of sexual and reproductive health care, serve to reinforce the stigma that abortion is an objectionable practice.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Ability of associations to access financial resources as a vital part of the right to freedom of association & Ability to hold peaceful assemblies as an integral component of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly 2013, para. 43
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- The ability to hold peaceful assemblies is a fundamental and integral component of the multifaceted right to freedom of peaceful assembly, which shall be enjoyed by everyone. Such ability is of utmost importance to the work of civil society actors, including those promoting the realization of economic, social and cultural rights, as it enables them to publicly voice their message, which ultimately benefits the realization of the right(s) they strive to promote and protect, especially in the context of the ongoing dire economic crisis. This is all the more relevant for groups most at risk of violations and discrimination, such as women, youth, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, persons belonging to minority groups, groups at risk because of their sexual orientation and gender identity and non-nationals.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 20
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Women are at particular risk of torture and ill-treatment during pretrial detention because sexual abuse and violence may be used as a means of coercion and to extract confessions. A majority of female detainees worldwide are first-time offenders suspected of or charged with non-violent (drug- or property-related) crimes, yet are automatically sent to pretrial detention. In many States the number of women held in pretrial detention is equivalent to or higher than that of convicted female prisoners, and women are held in pretrial detention for extremely long periods (A/68/340). Women in pretrial detention facilities - which are typically not built or managed in a gender-sensitive manner - tend not to have access to specialized health care and educational or vocational training. They face higher risks of sexual assault and violence when they are held in facilities with convicted offenders and men or are supervised by male guards. According to the Committee against Torture, the undue prolongation of the pretrial stage of detention represents a form of cruel treatment, even if the victim is not detained (A/53/44).
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 24
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- General comment No. 13 dedicates one section to the obligations related to the principles of non-discrimination and equality. The prohibition against discrimination “applies fully and immediately to all aspects of education and encompasses all internationally prohibited grounds of discrimination”. It further stipulates that “the adoption of temporary special measures intended to bring about de facto equality for men and women and for disadvantaged groups is not a violation of the right to non-discrimination with regard to education, so long as such measures do not lead to the maintenance of unequal or separate standards for different groups, and provided they are not continued after the objectives for which they were taken have been achieved”. It also indicates that “sharp disparities in spending policies that result in differing qualities of education for persons residing in different geographic locations may constitute discrimination under the Covenant.” Further, “States parties must closely monitor education –including all relevant policies, institutions, programmes, spending patterns and other practices – so as to identify and take measures to redress any de facto discrimination.”
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Sexual education 2010, para. 38
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- The right to comprehensive sexual education is also confirmed by recommendations and declarations of international bodies, as well as by documents reflecting the global consensus among States. For example, the Programme of Action adopted by the International Conference on Population and Development recognizes that sexual and reproductive health education must begin in primary school and continue through all levels of formal and non-formal education.3 The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has found that sexual education is more effective if given prior to first intercourse. The World Health Organization (WHO) believes that it is crucial for sexual education to start early, especially in developing countries. The Organization has also provided specific guidance on how to incorporate sexual education into school curricula and recommends that sexual education should constitute a separate subject, rather than being incorporated into other subjects. In addition, comprehensive sexual education is a basic tool for achieving many of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), such as promoting gender equality and empowering women (Goal 3), reducing child mortality (Goal 4), improving maternal health (Goal 5) and combating HIV/AIDS (Goal 6).
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in the area of health and safety, with a focus on the instrumentalization of women's bodies 2016, para. 80
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- As demonstrated by WHO data, criminalizing termination of pregnancy does not reduce the need for it. Rather, it is likely to increase the number of women seeking clandestine and unsafe solutions. Countries in Northern Europe, where women gained the right to termination of pregnancy in the 1970s or 1980s and are provided with access to information and to all methods of contraception, have the lowest rates of termination of pregnancy. Ultimately, criminalization does grave harm to women's health and human rights by stigmatizing a safe and needed medical procedure. In countries where induced termination of pregnancy is restricted by law and/or otherwise unavailable, safe termination of pregnancy is a privilege of the rich, while women with limited resources have little choice but to resort to unsafe providers and practices. This results in severe discrimination against economically disadvantaged women, which the Working Group has highlighted during its country visits.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Working Group on discrimination against women and girls
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in economic and social life with a focus on economic crisis 2014, para. 62
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Additional limiting factors include gender stereotypes, lack of mentoring by senior male business leaders and lack of connection to chambers of commerce to identify business and trade opportunities. Underinvestment in women entrepreneurs is a worldwide phenomenon. Research shows that from 1997 to 2000, women-led businesses in the United States received only 5 per cent of venture capital money invested each year. Venture funds led by women constitute just 10-15 per cent of the investment sector and so, although they put 70 per cent of investment in women entrepreneurs, their impact is limited. In Africa, female-owned companies in the formal sector in urban areas have two and a half times less start-up capital than male-owned equivalents. In addition, due to their concentration in small businesses, women are more vulnerable to economic fluctuations and financial crisis. Furthermore, the gender pay gap widens as women reach senior positions. For example, in one West European country, women's average bonuses are half those of men's.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Working Group on discrimination against women and girls
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and violence against women 2011, para. 16
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- The above-mentioned developments have been relied on by the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council to pass resolutions that focus particular attention on violence against women and girls. For example, both the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council have identified inter-gender inequality and discrimination, including gender-based violence, as violating the human rights of women and girls. Over time, the language of these resolutions has evolved to reflect the heightened risk of gender-based violence to women suffering intersectional discrimination. As analyzed within the United Nations human rights framework, "power imbalances and structural inequality between men and women are among the root causes of violence against women." This makes violence against women a matter of inter-gender inequality between women and men. In addition, various resolutions have acknowledged that discrimination is understood as having multiple forms that combine to heighten the vulnerability of some women and girls to violence. This reflects an understanding that discrimination and violence against women is also a matter of intra-gender inequality among women.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Adequacy of the international legal framework on violence against women 2017, para. 20
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur on the rights of women in Africa considered that, in theory, an international treaty on violence against women was needed, but that some counterarguments should be taken into account. Prime among them was that the real challenge in dealing with the issue of violence against women did not lie in legal inadequacies but rather in implementation. Another argument against a global treaty on violence against women was that some regions, including the Americas, Africa and Europe, could rightfully claim that there was no normative gap. In that regard, a campaign to develop, ratify and implement an additional treaty mechanism would divert efforts and resources that would be better spent on strengthening the existing regional systems of protection. Such an objection can be countered, however, by the fact that Asia and Oceania did not have the benefit of regional protection. She also considered that, if a global treaty on violence against women prescribed clear and legally binding enforcement mechanisms at both the international and national levels, it could create some useful harmony to address the fragmentation of policies and legislation to address gender-based violence.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Continuum of violence against women from the home to the transnational sphere: the challenges of effective redress 2011, para. 40
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Conflict and post-conflict situations often exacerbate an existing environment of discrimination, subordination, violence against women and men's control over their sexuality. Findings of "unimaginable brutality" in the first mandate-holder's report on violence against women during times of armed conflict continue to hold true. Military environments in general, characterized by a hierarchical and command-driven culture, expose women to heightened risks of violence and abuse. As reported following the visit of the Special Rapporteur to the United States, sexual assault and harassment of women in the military has been acknowledged as a pervasive form of violence against women. While most cases of sexual assault in the military go unreported, statistics suggest that women constitute the vast majority of those who report cases. Reflective of a similar tendency of solving domestic violence cases through negotiation and reconciliation, the overwhelming majority of sexual assault cases in the United States military are disposed of through non judicial punishment: only 14 to 18 per cent of cases are prosecuted.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right to life and the right to adequate housing: the indivisibility and interdependence between these rights 2016, para. 37
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- The Committee's recognition in these cases that deportation into homelessness may constitute cruel and inhuman treatment or punishment, and that victims of homelessness in this context are entitled to a remedy, is significant. It is equally important, however, to ensure access to adjudication and remedy for those who experience the same deprivations of homelessness resulting from inaction or neglect within a State's own borders. In A.H.G and Jasin, the Committee considered the effects of widespread and systemic violations of the right to security and dignity. However, this consideration remained within the negative rights framework of prohibited "treatment" or "punishment". That framework is not conducive to hearing the substantive claim to a life of dignity, security and inclusion advanced by people with disabilities or women escaping violence, who do not see the fulfilment of their human rights merely as freedom from treatment or punishment but more fundamentally as a right to a place to live in dignity and security.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Criminalisation of sexual and reproductive health 2011, para. 57
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- General Comment No. 14 places emphasis on access to information because it is a critical component of the right to health (ibid; footnote 8), and particularly guarantees access to sexual and reproductive health information. States are additionally required to provide adequate resources and refrain "from censoring, withholding or intentionally misrepresenting health-related information, including sexual education and information (see E/C.12/2000/14, para. 14)". The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has recommended that a comprehensive understanding of the content of sexual and reproductive education encompass the topics of reproductive rights, responsible sexual behaviour, sexual and reproductive health, prevention of sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS, prevention of teenage pregnancies, and family planning, and stressed that education campaigns are urgently needed to combat harmful practices such as female genital mutilation. Comprehensive education and information on sexual and reproductive health is also useful in reducing knowledge gaps between men and women on these issues.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Adequacy of the international legal framework on violence against women 2017, para. 65
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Some organizations stated that the Committee could require national action plans on violence against women, which States could assess in the context of their periodic monitoring by the Committee, which could be done in cooperation with the special procedures mandate holders, especially the Special Rapporteur. The United Nations should require States to give more detail on violence against women in the treaty bodies common core document. Likewise, States and regional human rights organizations should provide more resources for regional human rights monitoring, and countries outside Europe could ratify the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence. Awareness needs to be raised that this (more detailed) Convention is open to countries outside the Council of Europe. The United Nations and States could increase technical and financial assistance to States and NGOs for monitoring and documenting violence against women and should also do more research on “what works” in eradicating violence against women and share information on evidence-based policies that work. “The United Nations system needs to play a bigger role and hold States accountable.”
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Adequacy of the international legal framework on violence against women 2017, para. 25
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- In terms of general consideration of the submissions received from civil society organizations, the Special Rapporteur highlights that, primarily, such organizations showed that they were concerned about what some consider the “soft law” character of the current legal framework on violence against women, combined with the fragmentation of the current legal framework, several substantive gaps and inconsistencies present in the current instruments, and the fact that their implementation remains weak, particularly at the national level. Concerning the opportunity to create a new legal instrument, while the idea was endorsed by a majority of civil society organizations, several submissions highlighted that there were ways of addressing some issues and introducing new practical measures without the need for a new treaty. Others pointed out that there was a considerable political risk in seeking to negotiate a new treaty, which might encompass lower standards than those already widely accepted. Finally, among the main issues identified by civil society, there was a need for States to adequately resource measures for the prevention of, protection against and prosecution of perpetrators, as well as for reparations for victims and survivors.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 36
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Girls and young women with disabilities also encounter significant challenges when attempting to access justice, prevention mechanisms and response services for sexual and gender-based violence. Sexual assault is often underreported, and even more so when the individual has a disability. Girls and young women with disabilities face numerous challenges when reporting abuses, such as the risk of being removed from their homes and institutionalized; stigmatization; fears with regard to single parenthood or losing child custody; the absence or inaccessibility of violence prevention programmes and facilities; the fear of the loss of assistive devices and other supports; and the fear of retaliation and further violence by those on whom they are both emotionally and financially dependent (see A/67/227, para. 59). In addition, when, as survivors of sexual violence, they report the abuse or seek assistance or protection from judicial or law enforcement officials, teachers, health professionals, social workers or others, their testimony, especially that of girls and women with intellectual disabilities, is generally not considered credible, and they are therefore disregarded as competent witnesses, resulting in perpetrators avoiding prosecution.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
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