United Nations Human Rights Council

This report focuses on the intersection of culture and VAW. It provides a discussion of the development of international legal norms and standards that has lead to the primacy of protection of women against discrimination and violence over the need to preserve cultural practices. The Special Rapporteur notes that the universal obligation to respect human rights as established under the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action also extends to women's human rights. Under General Recommendation No. 19 of CEDAW violence against women constitutes a form

This report focuses on the key State obligation to provide remedies and access to justice for victims of human rights violations. Citing Article 4(c) of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Special Rapporteur calls upon States to exercise due diligence to investigate, prosecute and punish acts of VAW.

This report, submitted to the Human Rights Council, proposes indicators to measure VAW and State response towards ending such violence. In addition to adherence to the due diligence standard to prevent VAW, States are asked to support research, collect data and compile statistics regarding VAW and encourage research on its causes and consequences. States are also urged to establish and use VAW indicators so that interventions designed to combat violence are based on accurate data. The report identifies some key attributes of good indicators: specific,

This resolution by the Human Rights Council (the HRC) emphasizes the importance of accelerating efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls (VAW), its causes and consequences. The resolution focuses on three major areas: (1) States are called upon to change domestic legislation to increase protection of female victims of violence and provide increased remedies to these victims; (2) States are also called upon to provide greater support to NGOs and initiatives focused on the elimination of VAW; and (3) States and UN bodies are

This Human Rights Council (Council) report addresses the political economy of women's human rights contending that the current political economic order affects both the prevalence of violence against women and efforts to eliminate it. It discusses the link between a woman's physical security and the material basis of relationships governing the distribution and use of resources and entitlements. The report states that a political economic approach is necessary as it offers a framework for States to realize their obligations to prevent violations and protect and fulfill

This Human Rights Council (Council) report provides a critical analysis of the efforts of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women. There are four main spheres that are recognized (the family, the community, violence perpetrated or condoned by the State, and the transnational arena), and within these spheres, the report specifically focuses on domestic violence, harmful and culturally justified practices that are violent to or subordinate women, and health rights of women and how they relate to violence against women. The report also addresses States' compliance,

This addendum to the Special Rapporteur's annual report contains summaries of communications between governments of various countries on individual cases and general situations of concern to her mandate, addressing a wide array of issues that reflect a pattern of inequality and discrimination related to violence against women, its causes and consequences. The report notes that in a substantial number of cases, violations were allegedly committed by state agents in contravention of Article 4(b) of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women. It

This report provides recommendations for reparations to women who have been subjected to violence. It addresses the fact that most humanitarian and international human rights treaties provide for the right to a remedy and discusses the conceptual challenges facing remedy provision. The report examines significant substantive and procedural trends to reverse this, both in the discussion and in the practice of reparations. The Special Rapporteur calls upon States to determine how to effectively compensate victims for harms suffered and provides suggestions for

In this report, the Human Rights Council (Council) proposes the adoption of a holistic framework to address multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination that contribute to violence against women. The report describes the forms of violence against women that prevail, addressing its consequences and providing three perspectives for understanding the causes (psychological/individual, feminist and societal). It then goes on to propose a holistic approach for conceptualizing and addressing violence against women based on the various interconnections between