Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence Against Women

This is the first and only multilateral human rights treaty that focuses exclusively on violence against women. It was adopted in 1994. The Convention sets out the definition and scope of application, the rights protected, the duties of States, and the Inter-American mechanisms of protection. The Convention affirms "that violence against women pervades every sector of society regardless of class, race or ethnic group, income, culture, level of education, age or religion and strikes at its very foundations." The Convention provides a broad definition of violence, which includes acts that occur in the private or public sphere. The Convention recognizes that women may be particularly vulnerable to violence due to their race or ethnic background. Article 6 provides that the right to be free from violence includes the right to be free from all forms of discrimination. [Descriptors: Race and Gender, Key Texts, Violence Against Women, International - Latin America, International - North America]