GENEVA (16 June 2014) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence
against women, its causes and consequences, Rashida Manjoo, warned that
persisting and new challenges still obstruct efforts to promote and protect
women’s rights and gender equality, and called for the adoption of different
norms and measures to fight violence against women around the world.
In her latest report* to the UN Human Rights Council, Ms. Manjoo noted that
the absence of a legally binding agreement at the international level to address
violence against women, and the shift from gender specificity to gender
neutrality in States’ responses to violence against women are among the main
challenges to be addressed.
“The systemic, widespread and pervasive human rights violation, experienced
largely by women, demands a different set of normative and practical measures to
respond to and prevent it; and importantly to achieve the international law
obligation of substantive equality,” the human rights expert stressed.
Her report highlights other continuing challenges to address violence against
women, including the persisting public/private dichotomy in responses to
violence against women; the shift in focus to a men and boys agenda; the failure
of States’ to act with due diligence; and the lack of transformative remedies to
address the root causes of violence against women.
“Twenty years after the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Elimination of
violence against women and of the establishment of my mandate, I am encouraged
by the milestones achieved in advancing women’s rights and gender equality, at
the national, regional and international levels,” Ms. Manjoo said.
“Despite this progress,” she noted, “both persisting and new sets of
challenges hinder efforts to promote and protect the human rights of women,
largely due to the lack of a holistic approach that addresses individual,
institutional and structural factors that are a cause and a consequence of
violence against women.”
She also pointed out that the current austerity measures have had a
disproportionate impact, not only in the availability and quality of services
for women and girls victims of violence, but more generally, in areas such as
poverty reduction measures, employment opportunities and benefit schemes.
“Such Issues affect women disproportionally,” the Special Rapporteur
underscored.
“It is important to recognize that the reduction in the number and quality of
specialized services for women does impact the health and safety of women and
children, and further restricts their choices when considering leaving an
abusive relationship, thus putting them at a heightened risk of
re-victimization,” the UN expert stressed.
Ms. Manjoo urged States to prioritize violence against women in their
national agenda, and called on Governments to reflect on the gaps in the
international normative framework to address violence against women, with a view
to enhancing monitoring, evaluation and accountability.
(*) Check the Special Rapporteur’s report: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/RegularSessions/Session26/Pages/ListReports.aspx
Ms. Rashida Manjoo (South Africa) was appointed Special Rapporteur on
Violence against women, its causes and consequences in June 2009 by the UN Human
Rights Council. As Special Rapporteur, she is independent from any government or
organization and serves in her individual capacity. Ms. Manjoo also holds a
part-time position as a Professor in the Department of Public Law of the
University of Cape Town. Learn more, visit: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Women/SRWomen/Pages/SRWomenIndexhttp://www.wunrn.com
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