Civil Society and NGO Reports, Papers and Statements

Fact Sheet: Gender Based Violence
RHRC Consortium

UN: Beijing+15 Documentation
February 2010

This resource provides Beijing+15 documentation, including background information and NGO statements. The documents are available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish.

Also included is the report (E/CN.6/2010/2) on the review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session and its contribution to shaping a gender perspective in the realization of the Millennium Development Goals.

For further information, please click HERE

Words in action: Newsletter on violence against women
January 2010

The 10th International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women was marked by a series of high-level statements and events at UNHQ and around the world.

To read the full publication, please click HERE

Arab women issue a call to Arab Heads of State
December 10, 2009

On the 30th anniversary of the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the regional Coalition for 'Equality without reservation' launched a call to heads of state of Arab countries to promote the equality and citizenship of Arab women.

To read the complete initiative, please click HERE

The “Inspiration Day” Model: Fostering Women's Leadership by Connecting National Leaders with Grassroots Candidates
June 2009

Research suggests that connecting experienced national women leaders with potential female candidates at the grassroots successfully encourages women to run for office. This publication documents Inclusive Security’s efforts in Liberia and Rwanda to enable established female elected officials to nurture the next generation of leaders by sharing their experiences, priorities, and strategies with local women. (4 pages)

For full publication, please click HERE.
For more information, please click HERE.

New Manual of Security Strategies for Women Human Rights Defenders: Insist, Persist, Resist, Exist
2008/2009

To mark International Women's Day 2009 and to Celebrate 30 years of CEDAW, Front Line launches new manual of security strategies for women human rights defenders. The publication is called "Insiste Persiste Resiste Existe"

To read the full publication, please click HERE.

Bulletin 83 on Gender Based Violence
Concerned Africa Scholars, Fall 2009

For three decades, the Concerned African Scholars Bulletin has been the centerpiece of ACAS’s work. It continues to provide timely, relevant and incisive analysis of developments in Africa while promoting alternative views and policies.

This Bulletin began in response to news reports of “corrective” and “curative” gang rapes of lesbians in South Africa. These were then followed by news reports of a study in South Africa that found that one in four men in South Africa had committed rape, many of them more than once. We wanted to bring together concerned Africa scholars and committed African activists and practitioners, to help contextualize these reports. We wanted to address the ongoing situation of sexual and gender based violence on the continent, the media coverage of sexual and gender based violence in Africa, and possibilities for responses, however partial, that might offer alternatives to the discourse of the repeated profession of shock or the endless, and endlessly reiterated, cycle of lamentation.

For more information, and to download the bulletin, please click HERE

SVRI Forum Report

In July 2009, 194 people from around the world came together to share and discuss research on sexual violence. The Sexual Violence Research Initiative, hosts of the SVRI Forum 2009, in partnership with the Global Forum for Health Research; Oxfam Novib; Medical Research Council, South Africa; U.N. Action (against sexual violence in conflict); and partners, including Path, Population Council and many others, through this event, sought to promote research on sexual violence, particularly in developing countries; highlight innovative work in the field; and, encourage sharing and networking in what is still a relatively young field of knowledge and knowledge building. The report summarises the proceedings of this unique global event.

To read the full report, please click HERE.

Vicious Circles: Sexual Violence Against Young People in Cambodia, Colombia and Northern Uganda

This study examines the nature, extent and impact of war induced sexual violence against young people. The research was based in Cambodia, Colombia and Northern Uganda. Each country and conflict has distinct characteristics that have shaped the vulnerabilities of young people inside combat and civilian situations. The fact that all three situations occupy a different point on the conflict-post conflict continuum has provided a useful point of comparison.

To read the full report, please click HERE.

A New Publication of Amnesty International: "Whose Justice? Bosnia and Herzegovina's Women Still Waiting"
Amnesty International, September 30, 2009

Successive governments of Bosnia and Herzegovina have failed to provide justice for thousands of women and girls who were raped during the 1992-1995 war, Amnesty International said in a report published on September 30, 2009. The report outlines the failure of the justice system in the country. It also focuses on the failure of the authorities to provide the women with reparations, including compensation for the crimes committed against them, and the violations of their rights.

To read the full report, please click HERE

Hate crimes: The Rise of Corrective Rape in South Africa
Action Aid, March 2009

South Africa's transition to democracy and its constitutional and human rights framework have been a source of hope and inspiration to millions inside and outside the country. But as the country deals with the challenge of translating promise into reality, it is confronted by a number of challenges and fault lines, among them the prevalence of gender-based violence. The ActionAid report describes some of the most shocking violence that continues to be perpetrated – including instances of „corrective? rape, where men rape women in order to „cure? them of their lesbianism. It is a matter of great disquiet that 15 years into democracy these kinds of attacks continue to happen.

To read the full report, please click HERE

Refugee women in Chad face high levels of rape despite UN presence
Amnesty International, September 30, 2009

Darfuri refugee women and girls face high levels of rape and other violence on a daily basis both inside and outside refugee camps in eastern Chad, despite the presence of UN security forces, a new Amnesty International report revealed on Wednesday.

In No place for us here: Violence against refugee women in eastern Chad, Amnesty International documents rape and other violence against women and girls in the camps, who face attacks carried out by villagers living nearby and members of the Chadian National Army.

"The rape that countless women and girls experienced in Darfur continues to haunt them in eastern Chad," said Tawanda Hondora, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Africa Programme.

"These women fled Darfur, hoping that the international community and Chadian authorities would offer them some measure of safety and protection. That protection has proved to be elusive and they remain under attack."

To read the full report, please click HERE

Sexual Violence in Colombia: Instrument of War
Oxfam International, September 9, 2009

Sexual violence has been employed as a weapon of war by all of the armed groups involved in the half-century-long Colombian conflict. State military forces, paramilitaries and guerrilla groups have used sexual violence with the goal of terrorizing communities, using women as instruments to achieve their military objectives. But this type of violence also is used as a form or torture and punishment, to exert control over the population, to enforce strict rules of conduct, as a means of revenge and intimidation, or as a weapon to wound and terrorize the enemy. The use of sexual violence is far from sporadic. It has become a generalized and systematic practice; a normal aspect of the armed conflict. In spite of this situation, the impunity that envelops these types of crimes has converted Colombian women into the hidden victims of this conflict. The European Union, and particularly the United Kingdom, should pressure the Colombian government to fulfil its responsibility of protecting the civilian population by putting an end to this tragic situation and punishing those responsible.

To read the full paper, please click HERE

Soldiers Who Rape, Commanders Who Condone: Sexual Violence and Military Reform in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Human Rights Watch

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, tens of thousands of women and girls have suffered horrific acts of sexual violence. The government army, the Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC), is one of the main perpetrators, contributing to the current climate of insecurity and impunity in eastern Congo. This report looks at abuses of sexual violence committed by the FARDC, efforts to stop it, and why such efforts have failed so far. More specifically, the report looks at the 14th brigade as an example of the wider problem of impunity. Since its creation in 2006, this brigade has committed many crimes of sexual violence in different areas of North and South Kivu in eastern Congo. It has also been responsible for abductions, killings, torture, looting and extortion. Without sufficient food or pay, soldiers have attacked the civilian population to loot and extort goods.

To read the full report , please click HERE
For the full report in French, please click HERE

Combating Violence Against Women in the OSCE Region
Report: Compilation of Good Practices
OSCE Secretariat, Office of the Secretary General, Gender Section, June 2009

The publication, Bringing Security Home: Combating Violence Against Women in the OSCE Region, documents more than 95 good practices to help eliminate gender-based violence and highlights their impact in preventing violence against women, protecting victims and prosecuting offenders. Strategies for involving men and young people in anti-violence activities are also described.

To read the full report, please click HERE

Sexual Violence Research Agenda
Sexual Violence Research Initiative, Global Forum for Health Research

If we are to prevent and respond to sexual violence effectively, more research is needed. To drive the process forward, the Sexual Violence Research Initiative has facilitated the development of a research agenda for sexual violence. It is a first step in the process of identifying key research gaps and sharing them with researchers, funders of research, policy makers and other key stakeholders.

To read the full report, please click HERE

Breaking the Silence: Violence Against Women in Politics
Newsletter, Issue No. 3
South Asian Regional Program on VAW in Politics, SAP Intl., March 2009

“Violence against women in politics” is accepted as an eminent issue widely in South Asia. But the culture of silence prevailing in women of this region cripples the efforts to fight against violence of this nature. All the stories of violence, psychological and physical torture, sexual harassment, character assassination and different forms of pressure inflicted on women politicians are most often buried deep in the heart of the sufferer.

To read this newsletter, please click here

Women's Struggle for Justice: A Roundtable on Confronting Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict
InterPares, February 2009

This report and reflection paper documents a roundtable convened by InterPares, which brought together over twenty women's rights activists from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Canada, with significant experience working on issues related to sexual violence against women in armed conflict. Although the women present recognized that they were acting in very different contexts, they also identified that their distinct struggles had commonalities.

To read the full report, please click HERE.

Masculinity and Civil Wars in Africa - New Approaches to Overcoming Sexual Violence in War
GTZ, Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), January 2009

An analysis of the different roles that men and women can play as a conflict unfolds offers new perspectives to help understand wars and restore peace in post-war societies. Sustainable peace building requires, among other things, contravening the behavioral logic of violent actors and preventing reestablishment of the old discordant social order.

To read the full report, please click HERE.

Project: Access to Justice for Women in Situations of Violence: A comparative Study of Women's Police Station in Latin America (Brazil, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru)
Regional Mapping Study of Women's Police Stations in Latin America, 2008
Centro de Planificación y Estudios Sociales (CEPLAES)

This documents the first stage of our research project. Soon we will publish results from our survey on our website and next year the results of the primary research will be made available. The project will finish with national and regional forums that will bring together stakeholders from various sectors to debate the project's conclusions and proposals for improving public policy, with the goal of contributing to the regional and national agendas on this topic.

To read the full report in English, please click HERE.

For more information on this project, including the Portuguese translation and the four national studies, please click HERE.

Proyecto: Acceso a la justicia para mujeres en situación de violencia
Estudio comparativo de las Comisarías de la Mujer en América Latina (Brasil, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Perú)
Centro de Planificación y Estudios Sociales (CEPLAES)

El presente documenta la primera etapa de nuestro proyecto de investigación. Próximamente estaremos publicando los resultados de nuestra encuesta en nuestro sitio web y en el próximo año los resultados finales serán disponibles. El proyecto finalizará con foros a nivel nacional y regional que reunirán a los actores de distintos sectores para debatir las conclusiones y las propuestas para mejorar las políticas públicas, con el objetivo de aportar a las agendas regional y nacionales en esta temática.

Para leer el reporte in Espanol, por favor clicque AQUI.

Por mas informacion, incluyendo la traducción al portugués del mapeo regional y los cuatro estudios nacionales, clicque AQUI.

Breaking the Silence: Violence Against Women in Politics
Newsletter, Issue No. 2
South Asian Regional Program on VAW in Politics, SAP Intl., December 2008

“Violence against women in politics” is accepted as an eminent issue widely in South Asia. But the culture of silence prevailing in women of this region cripples the efforts to fight against violence of this nature. All the stories of violence, psychological and physical torture, sexual harassment, character assassination and different forms of pressure inflicted on women politicians are most often buried deep in the heart of
the sufferer.

To view the newsletter, please click here.

Fact Sheet on Sexual Violence and Conflict
Gender and Peacebuilding Working Group (GPWG)/Canadian Peacebuilding Network, December 2008

The GPWG has published a new fact sheet in both official languages of Canada, English & French, on sexual violence in conflict. The document lays out how sexual violence is used by combatants to humiliate and demoralize opponents, to initiate and discipline their own troops, and to forcibly displace populations, as well as to perpetuate conflict through the disruption and displacement of communities and individuals. In addition, sexual violence undermines the ability of women and girls to participate in conflict resolution, elections, governance and post-conflict reconstruction processes.

To view the factsheet click here

Declaration on Combating Violence Against Women In Politics: Revisiting policies, politics and participation
Second South Asian Regional Conference on Violence against Women in Politics
16-18 November 2008, Kathmandu

We, the people representing civil society organizations, political parties, gender, human rights, legal institutions and media from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka assembled in Kathmandu to seek a substantive solution to combat the issue of Violence Against Women in Politics (VAWIP) by revisiting policies, politics and participation. There are inherent structural impediments that prevent and discourage women from participating in decision-making processes which consequently perpetuates violence, both visible and invisible against women.

To view the full declaraation, please click here

Celebrating 16 Day of Activism Against Gender Violence and the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL), November 2008

As the 2008 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign comes to a close, and as human rights activists celebrate the 60 th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL) would like to remind the world that universal human rights cannot be realized unless women have the right to live free of violence. Today we want to honor the group of 25 women from around the world who founded the 16 Days in 1991, as well as the hundreds of groups around the world who participated in the 16 Days Campaign this year and the countless individuals who have undertaken acts of courageous activism in defense of rights in the past twelve months.

To view the statement, please click HERE

Violence Against Women & Girls: A Compendium of Monitoring & Evaluation Indicators

This compendium was developed with the help of many individuals. At the request of the USAID East Africa Regional Mission with the Inter-agency Gender Working Group (USAID), MEASURE Evaluation developed this compendium in collaboration with a technical advisory group (TAG) of experts. The goal was to develop a set of monitoring and evaluation indicators for program managers, organizations, and policy makers who are working to address violence against women and girls (VAW/G) at the individual, community, district/provincial and national levels in developing countries.

To read the full report, please click HERE.

Breaking the Silence: Violence Against Women in Politics
Newsletter, Issue No. 1
South Asian Regional Program on VAW in Politics, SAP Intl., September 2008

“Violence against women in politics” is accepted as an eminent issue widely in South Asia. But the culture of silence prevailing in women of this region cripples the efforts to fight against violence of this nature. All the stories of violence, psychological and physical torture, sexual harassment, character assassination and different forms of pressure inflicted on women politicians are most often buried deep in the heart of the sufferer.

To view the newsletter, please click HERE

Women for Peace: Nobel Women's Initiative Delegation to Thai-Burma border, South Sudan, Chad-Darfur Area
Nobel Women's Initiative, September 2008

Nobel Laureates Wangari Maathai and Jody Williams-along with actress-activist Mia Farrow-were at the United Nations on September 29, 2008 to call for immediate action to end the crises in Darfur and Burma. They also launched a report, detailing recommendations developed by the Nobel Women's Initiative during a 3-week delegation this past July to the Thai-Burma border, Ethiopia, Sudan and Eastern Chad. The women called on world leaders and the Security Council not to bow to pressure and delay justice to the people of Darfur. They also called for the international community-especially China-to stop supporting the campaign of violence against Burma's ethnic nationalities, including the use of rape as a weapon of war.

For the Executive Summary of the Report, please click HERE

For Other Chapters of the Report, please click HERE

For the Media Release on Act Now on Darfur, Burma, please click HERE

For more information about Nobel Women's Initiative, please click HERE

Statement by Yakin ErtŸrk UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Its Causes and Consequences
Yakin ErtŸrk, SIDA's conference on Gender Based Violence, September 12, 2008

The gender perspective to violence is a relatively new trend within the human rights movement as well. Its basic premise is that identities are socially constructed beyond biological sex; therefore, they are negotiable and mutable. It was initially coined to contextualize violence against women (VAW) and identify its causes and consequences that transcend the injury caused to the individual victim.

There is sufficient evidence to show that women (and girls) are the primary victims of gender–based violence simply because they are women. This is a universal, structured and systematic phenomenon, which is motivated - across ethnic groups, classes and societies - by a common patriarchal culture which through values, laws, and institutions delegates women to a subordinate position.

To read the full statement, please click HERE

Justice for Women: Seeking Accountability for Sexual Crimes in Post-Conflict Situations
Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior, July 2008

The systematic use of extreme violence, in particular sexual violence, in conflict and post-conflict situations raises the pressing question of how to end the cycle of impunity. Although the priority is for national justice systems to bring the perpetrators of massive human rights abuses in their territories to account, it has been amply demonstrated that this is not always a practical answer. This report includes key points of debate regarding proposals relating to the pending challenges in achieving justice for women.

To read the full report, please click here

Women in Prison: A Commentary on the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners
Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO), June 2008

This commentary identifies a number of the key problems for women prisoners, based on QUNO’s primary research - including what women prisoners have told us - and on secondary sources; highlights how the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, the key reference in management of prison systems, apply to these problems; identifies other human rights instruments and standards applicable to women’s imprisonment; and examines what measures these human rights standards require. In addition, there is a section on women detained in armed conflict.

To view the commentary, please click HERE

Because I am a Girl: The State of the World's Girls 2008 - Special Focus: In the Shadow of War
Plan International, June 2008

This report is the second in a series of eight reports published by Plan examining the rights of girls throughout their childhood, adolescence and as young women. The 2008 report, subtitled ‘In the Shadow of War’, examines the state of girls in conflict situations around the world and looks at what happens to them before, during and after war is over. It makes recommendations for change at international, national and local levels. The report is organised in two sections – the first is a comprehensive overview of data and an analysis of why and how girls experience conflict in particular ways due to their age and sex. The second section monitors global statistics to see how girls are faring.

The report uses five ‘lenses’ to examine the impact of conflict on girls:
1. Participation and empowerment
2. Security and protection
3. Access to basic services
4. Economic security
5. Gender roles and relations

To read the full report, please click HERE

Women’s Participation in Domestic Violence Health Policy Development: Afghanistan Component
University of Calgary, June 2008

This report comprises the Afghanistan component of an international project examining women’s participation in family and domestic violence health policy and policy development. Carried out across five different countries – Canada, Australia, Bangladesh, Thailand, and Afghanistan – the goal of the project was to describe the characteristics of the domestic violence health policy community in each country. There is a separate report for each country involved in the project, as well as a report on the comparative analysis of the five studies.

This report begins with a rationale for the project and an introduction to the unique situation facing women in Afghanistan. A brief history of the recent conflict and current political situation follows. A description of the Afghan health sector and a summary of government and non-governmental organizations’ attempts to address violence against women and domestic violence are provided.

To read the full report, please click HERE

Press Release: Africa: Violence against Women in Africa: From Discrimination to Impunity
Pambazuka News, July 31, 2008

African Women’s Day gives the signatory organizations the opportunity to remember that gender-based violence is one of the most serious and widespread violations of the basic rights of women, particularly on the African continent. Gender discrimination is both one of the causes and an aggravating factor of the consequences of violence against women, thus contributing to the perpetuation of impunity of such cases.

To read the full statement, please click HERE

Violence against Women in the Mediterranean: Final Results of a Euro-Mediterranean Project
Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies [MIGS]

The publication is a result of the project “Intercultural Dialogue on Violence against Women” funded by the Anna Lindh Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures. It includes a synthesis of the state-of-the-art reports on Violence against Women from all five partner countries, information from the workshop and training sessions conducted in Cyprus, the short-listed photographs from the project’s widely publicised photo competition and photo exhibition.

The overall objective of the project was to enhance the active participation of women in intercultural dialogue about violence against women and the diffusion of information about overcoming discrimination and violence against women in the Euro-Med region.

For the full report, please CLICK HERE

East Africa: Sex and Gender Based Violence in the Great Lakes Region
AllAfrica.com, July 2008

There have been countless initiatives at international and regional level aimed at putting to an end to Sexual and Gender Based Violence, culture of impunity and other forms of related crime. However, we have not done enough to eradicate these types of crimes and those who have perpetuated these crimes have gotten away with impunity. As part of collaborative effort, the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region in collaboration with UNIFEM and other UN Agencies and partners organized recently the High Level Regional Consultation on "Eradicating Sexual Violence and Ending Impunity in the Great Lakes Region" from 15th - 18th June 2008 in Goma. The objective of the consultation was to come with practical approaches aimed at strategizing and seeking the best way to domesticate the ICGLR Protocol and implement the enabling project on the subject.

To read the full article, please click here

Uganda: War And Sexual Based Violence in the North
AllAfrica.com, July 2008

This paper analyzes the 22 years of conflict in Northern Uganda which has been labeled the "worse humanitarian crisis" in a statement by Jan, the representative of the UN, during his visit in Northern Uganda. There were high levels of human right abuse which greatly affected women in the war tone zone. The women are still experiencing psychological, spiritual, and physical health trauma as a result of the long conflict in the region.

To read the full analysis, please click here

Africa: The Limits and Possibilities of Transitional Justice
AllAfrica.com, July 2008

In considering the wars in the Central African Republic (CAR), Darfur, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where the use of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is widespread, this paper seeks to accomplish two tasks. The first task is descriptive: to give an overview of the manner in which the International Criminal Court (ICC) has responded to SGBV in the three countries. The second task is a modest attempt to analyze why SGBV continues to be inadequately addressed. Here, the paper considers the practical challenges that are inherent in transitional justice as a tool, particularly in its preference of some harms and narratives over others.

To read the full paper, please click here

Transitional justice in sexual and gender-based violence
Pambazuka News, July 2008

It is now fashionable in academic and activist circles to speak of transitional justice in normative, inflexible terms that suggest a utopian certainty. Nothing could be further from the truth. At the outset, we need to understand that transitional justice concepts are experimental – good experiments to be sure – but that they do not offer us tested panacea because they are essentially works in progress. What is more useful for us to do is to imagine transitional notions as one incomplete vehicle through which we can understand and start the recovery of a tormented society. If we keep this perspective, then we are more likely to achieve a more realistic result.

To read the article, please click here

Iran: Equal Rights Denied. The Systematic Repression of the Women’s Rights Movement in Iran
International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, May 2008

Iranian authorities have systematically thwarted peaceful and legal civil society efforts to advocate for women’s rights in Iran, abusing the legal system and gravely violating internationally protected civil rights in the process. This report illustrates this process by providing concise but comprehensive documentation of the persecution of women’s rights defenders in Iran.

For the full report, please click HERE

Human Rights Council and the Human Rights of Women
Human Rights Council’s 8th Regular Session, June 5, 2008
Extracts from Report by WILPF Interns: Kirsty Mckay with contributions from Ashley Farnan

On June 5, 2008, during its 8th Regular Session, the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva hosted two interactive panels with experts on the human rights of women. The first panel, “Addressing Violence Against Women: Setting Priorities”, convened with a view toward setting priorities for the HRC’s work on this issue. The second panel addressed maternal mortality and women’s human rights. The discussion of the first panel aimed at addressing how to integrate the issue of violence against women (VAW) into the full agenda of the HRC, in both regular and special sessions, as well as into the work of Special Procedures and the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), and finally as a criteria for membership on the Council.

For the full report of the panel and contributions from NGOs and governments click HERE

Pakistan: Cases of Armed Violence Against Women
Blue Veins, June 2008
IANSA Women's Network member, Blue Veins, has started a media monitoring project that summarizes cases of armed violence against women in Pakistan, particularly in the North West Frontier Province.

For the full report, please click HERE

Women, Peace and Security: Sexual Violence in Situations of Armed Conflict
Security Council Report, June 11, 2008

The US, which has the Security Council presidency in June, has advocated for an open thematic debate on “women, peace and security: sexual violence in situations of armed conflict.” Council members have now agreed to schedule this for 19 June. This report includes areas of focus for the debate, elements included in the first draft resolution on sexual violence, key recent developments leading up to the debate, and background information on the issue of sexual violence.

For the full report, please click here

Blog: Wilton Park Conference on Women Targeted by Armed Conflict: What Role for Military Peacekeepers? The Changing Face of War
OpenDemocracy, June 3, 2008

Last week's UN-led conference on women targeted by armed conflict proved an eye-opener for Rosemary Bechler. She writes about the effects of the changing nature of warfare, in which "It has probably become more dangerous to be a woman than a soldier in armed conflicts".

For the full article, please click HERE

Peace With Sexual Violence is Still War: Peacekeepers Must Protect Women
AIDS-Free World, May 2008

Stephen Lewis, the co-Director of AIDS-Free World, delivered remarks on sexual violence at the May, 2008 Wilton Park Conference: Women targeted or affected by armed conflict: What role for military peacekeepers? He asserted that peacekeepers and force commanders alike have to take sexual violence much more seriously, citing the cases of Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

For read the full speech, please click HERE

Women and War
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), May 2008

War and violence today spare no one, but they affect men, women, boys and girls in different ways. Women and girls in war-torn countries are faced with unimaginable risks, threats and challenges. War can mean violence, fear, loss of loved ones, deprivation of livelihood, sexual violence, abandonment, increased responsibility for family members, detention, displacement, physical injury, and sometimes death. It forces women and girls into unfamiliar roles and requires them to strengthen existing coping skills and develop new ones.

Despite all the hardship women endure in armed conflicts, the image of women as helpless victims of war is flawed. Women are playing an increasingly active role in hostilities – whether voluntarily or involuntarily. Many also play a proactive role post-conflict in peacebuilding and social reconstruction.

To read the full report on the major risks and challenges that women and girls face during war, and some of the ICRC's responses, please click HERE

Enhancing the EU Response to Women and Armed Conflict with Particular Reference to Development Policy
European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM), April 2008

Women’s multiple and diverse roles in conflict are hidden, poorly understood and, at times, consciously or unconsciously dismissed. Usually it is women’s role as victims that is given most prominence. Though, in recent years the international community has become more responsive to women’s diverse roles as actors on conflict prevention, resolution and peace-building, there is recognition that the EU’s response to this reality must be scaled up, widened and deepened. Local, national or international action that does not involve and empower women is less likely to be successful and sustainable in any field, including that which is intended to bring development or peace. This study is based on the premise that a more effective international/EU response to women and armed conflict must incorporate the three inter-related and mutually reinforcing concepts of gender equality, women’s empowerment and upholding women’s rights.

To read the full report, including sexual and gender based violence, please click HERE

Because I am a Girl: In the Shadow of War
Plan Canada, April 2008

This report reveals why and how girls' rights are being violated in countries affected by armed conflict. The report highlights that the impact of conflict on girls goes beyond their experiences as either combatants or victims of violence to encompass their health, education, gender roles and relationships.

Statement against the Amnesty Provision in the Junta's Draft Constitution
Global Justice Center (GJC), The Burma Lawyers' Council (BLC) and Burma Justice Committee, April 2008

International Poll Finds Large Majorities in All Countries Favor Equal Rights for Women
World Public Opinion.org, March 2008

According to a new WorldPublicOpinion.org poll of 16 nations from around the world there is a widespread consensus that it is important for "women to have full equality of rights" and most say it is very important. This is true in Muslim countries as well as Western countries. In nearly all countries most people perceive that in their lifetime women have gained greater equality. Nonetheless, large majorities would like their government and the United Nations to take an active role in preventing discrimination.

To read the report, please click HERE

Violence Against Women in Burundi: The UN Confirms Concerns of OMCT and ACAT
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and Burundian Christians’ Association for the Abolition of Torture (ACAT), February 7, 2008

PRESS RELEASE: On 1st February 2008, as its 40th session came to an end, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) adopted its concluding observations, having examined the combined second, third and fourth periodic report of Burundi regarding the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

To read the press release, please click here

Violence Against Women & Girls Controlled Freedom
Anuradha Rajan, Women's Feature Service, February 2008

According to this report, rape of women heads the list of fastest growing crimes in the country. Increased reporting of rape in and by itself is not a negative phenomenon - it could well be signaling the fact that women are no longer keeping quiet about sexual assaults on them. On the other hand, increased reporting could also mean an increase in the incidence of the crime. In either case, the central point is that crimes against women are coming to light in increasing numbers and that in and by itself is a serious issue.

To read the report, please click HERE

Women’s rights in the Philippines Today
Olivia H. Tripon, Philippines Human Rights Project, January 2008

This report on the human rights situation of 44 million Filipino women will attempt to show the status of women and judge the Philippine government’s success in enacting national laws enacted to protect women, as well as implementing those international instruments it has ratified towards gender equality and gender justice.

The framework of analysis will be based on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which the Philippines ratified in 1981. In August 2006, the Philippines reported to the CEDAW Committee and its Concluding Comments revealed the gaps in the fulfillment of women’s rights. Alongside CEDAW, the status of Filipino women will also be marked against the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and its time-bound benchmarks.

To read the full report, please click HERE

Eliminating Violence against Women: Pursuing national & regional efforts - A guide for NGO study and action
Anita Wenden, NGO Committee on the Status of Women

Following the publication of the UN Secretary–General’s Study on Violence against Women (October 2006), the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly passed the resolution, Intensification Of Efforts To Eliminate All Forms Of Violence Against Women, later adopted as GA resolution 61/143. It urges governments to take action to eliminate all forms of violence against women in a manner that is systematic, comprehensive and sustained. Item 7 of this resolution outlines areas of policy and action to guide governments in these efforts. This guide is based on these areas. It is prepared for use by NGOs to familiarize themselves with decisions made by their government representatives at the United Nations and to review actions their governments have taken to implement the resolution.

To read the full guide, please click HERE

Unfolding The Realities: Silenced Voices of Women in Politics
South Asia Partnership International, December 2007

This report, Unfolding The Realities: Silenced Voices of Women in Politics is an endeavor to explore violence faced by women politicians in the South Asian Region. It reflects on the realities of violence, intimidation and practices that adversely affect the active participation of South Asian women in decisionmaking.

To read the full report, please click here.

Tackling Violence Against Women: A worldwide approach
WOMANKIND Worldwide, 2007

In Tackling Violence against Women WOMANKIND Worldwide shares the stories, struggles, and strategies of people in Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Ghana, Peru, India and the UK who have come together to stand up for the right of women not to live in fear.

To read the full report, please click HERE.

Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict : Global Overview and Implications for the Security Sector
Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces, December 2007

This report demonstrates the horrifying scope and magnitude of sexual violence in armed conflict. The first part of the report, the Global Overview, profiles documented conflict-related sexual violence in 50 countries - in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East - that have experienced armed conflict over the past twenty years. Each profile contains a short summary of the conflict, a description of forms of sexual violence that occurred and, where available, quantitative data on sexual violence. The second part of the report, entitled Implications for the Security Sector, explores strategies for security and justice actors to prevent and respond to sexual violence in armed conflict and post-conflict situations. It focuses in particular on peacekeepers; police; the justice sector, including transitional justice; civil society initiatives; and how DDR programmes can address sexual violence. Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict: Global Overview and Implications for the Security Sector is an important resource for security sector and development institutions, advocates, humanitarian actors, and policy makers seeking to address sexual violence during and after armed conflict.

To read the full report, please click here

OpenDemocracy blog: Middle east: the terrorized half of our society
Houzan Mahmoud, December 2007

The undeclared war on women continues to victimize women worldwide on a daily basis; the Middle East is no exception. Women in our region are amongst the most oppressed and terrorized in the world. The Islamic law upheld in many Middle Eastern countries has turned women into slaves with invisible chains.

To read Houzan's full blog, please click HERE

Human Rights for Women fg Human Rights for All: UDHR 60
The Center for Women’s Global Leadership, December 2007

The Center for Women’s Global Leadership is committed to the realization of human rights for all, with a focus on the rights of women, and is pleased to announce its participation in the global 60 th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Reclaiming the UDHR Campaign. With the slogan, Every Human Has Rights, different organizations around the world with the support of The Elders will lead in highlighting key aspects of the human rights framework each month and call for a worldwide commitment to realizing human rights.

Ending Sexual Violence in Darfur: An Advocacy Agenda
Refugees International, December 2007

Sexual violence defines the conflict in Darfur, but international efforts to prevent and respond to the issue have been insufficient. While this report critiques the international response, the primary obstacles to preventing rape and assisting survivors are the perpetrators and the Sudanese government officials who actively block the work of international agencies. From police officers who arrest raped women to the harassment of humanitarian organizations, the Sudanese government has shown itself unwilling to treat the issue of sexual violence seriously. Nevertheless, the international community has also failed to do everything within its power to meet the needs of survivors of sexual violence in Darfur. This report summarizes Refugees International’s work on sexual violence in Darfur through 2006 and includes recommendations for improvement in the international community’s response.

Doubly Traumatised: Lack of access to justice for female victims of sexual and gender-based violence in northern Uganda
Amnesty International, November 2007

Many women and girls in northern Uganda suffer sexual and gender-based violence committed by state actors, including official authorities and military officers, and nonstate actors within the family and in the community. These women victims of violence in northern Uganda often face insurmountable difficulties in trying to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice. Many are afraid to report rape and other forms of violence, not only because of intimidation, hostility and ridicule from the community, but also due to state inaction in ensuring redress. As a result, the justice system in northern Uganda ignores, denies and tacitly condones violence against women and girls and protects suspected perpetrators. Amnesty International considers victims’ lack of access to justice as an issue of serious concern warranting the immediate attention of the Ugandan government and the international community.

Exported and Exposed: Abuses against Sri Lankan Domestic Workers in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates
Human Rights Watch, November 2007

The 131-page report documents the serious abuses that domestic workers face at every step of the migration process. It also shows how the Sri Lankan government and governments in the Middle East fail to protect these women. The report is based on 170 interviews with domestic workers, government officials, and labor recruiters conducted in Sri Lanka and in the Middle East.

Getting Reparations Right for Victims of Sexual Violence
Amnesty International, November 2007

All victims and survivors of crimes against humanity, war crimes and other serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws are entitled to justice and reparations. This report focuses specifically on reparations for survivors of sexual abuse, which mainly affects women and girls from rural areas in Sierra Leone. Amnesty International examines the social and individual effects of sexual violence, the failure of the government to provide measures to address its impact, including justice and reparations, and the need for the government to implement a comprehensive and effective reparations programme to get reparations right for victims of sexual violence.

To read the Sierra Leonean Government's response to the report, please click here

Claiming Rights, Claiming Justice: A Guidebook on Women Human Rights Defenders
APWLD, September 2007

This guidebook is an important initiative to acknowledge the valuable contribution of women human rights defenders in the promotion and protection of human rights, and to empower them further in their role. It builds on their achievements, including those attained in the framework of the three-year international campaign on women human rights defenders.

Women Facing War
ICRC, August 2007

This ICRC study is an extensive reference document on the impact of armed conflict on the lives of women. Taking as its premise the needs of women, e.g. physical safety, access to health care, food and shelter, in situations of armed conflict, the study explores the problems faced by women in wartime and the coping mechanisms they employ. A thorough analysis of international humanitarian law, and to a lesser extent human rights and refugee law, was carried out as a means to assess the protection afforded to women through these bodies of law. The study also includes a review of the ICRC's operational response to the needs of women as victims of armed conflict.

The situation of girls in War
UNICEF, August 2007

It is clear also that there are categories of children who are especially vulnerable in situations of armed conflict, such as girls, refugee and internally displaced children, and child-headed households. These children require special advocacy, attention and protection. The girl child is often the victim of sexual violence and exploitation, and, increasingly, girl children are being recruited into fighting forces. In intervention initiatives for war-affected children, such as community-based reintegration programmes for children associated with fighting forces, it is girls that are most often being bypassed, even though they are in greatest need of care and services. We miss girls in our interventions because many of them are unwilling to come forward in the first place, to be identified as “bush wives” or to have their children labelled as “rebel babies.” Communities often stigmatize and ostracize girls because of their association with rebel groups and the “taint” of having been raped.

“My Heart Is Cut”
Human Rights Watch, August 2007

Pro-government and rebel forces in Côte d’Ivoire have subjected thousands of women and girls to rape and other brutal sexual assaults with impunity. This 135-page report details the widespread nature of sexual violence throughout the five-year military-political crisis. The report, which is based on interviews with more than 180 victims and witnesses, documents how women and girls have been subjected to individual and gang rape, sexual slavery, forced incest and other egregious sexual assaults.

UN expert on violence against women expresses serious concerns following visit to Democratic Republic of Congo
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 30 June 2007

Prof. Yakin Ertürk, Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Human Rights Council on violence against women, expressed grave concern over the continuation of violence against women in DRC.

Laws without Justice: An Assessment of Sudanese Laws Affecting Survivors of Rape
Refugees International, 27 June 2007

This Refugees International report outlines a system of Sudanese laws that exposes rape victims to further abuse, shields perpetrators from prosecution, limits the ability for survivors to receive medical services and generally denies any access to justice.The report examines these laws and makes a series of recommendations on how the laws can be revised.

Engendering Persecution: Refugee Women, Gender-based Violence and State Responsibility in South Asia
Oishik Sircar, WISCOMP Discussion Paper 13 (2007)

This monograph makes a case for the development of "gender asylum law" in South Asia in order to protect women from myriad forms of gender-based violence during times of active conflict as well as times of apparent peace.

For information on how to acquire this publication, please click HERE

Maze of Injustice – The Failure to Protect Indigenous Women from Sexual Violence in the USA
Amnesty International, April 2007

Native American and Alaska Native women in the United States suffer disproportionately high levels of rape and sexual violence, yet the federal government has created substantial barriers to accessing justice. This report is based on research carried out during 2005 and 2006 by Amnesty International USA in consultation with Native American and Alaska Native organizations and individuals. The research draws on Amnesty International’s interviews with survivors of sexual violence and their families, activists, support workers, service providers and health workers.

For the full report, please click HERE

The Shame of War: Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls in Conflict
IRIN, March 2007

This In-Depth examines the scope, nature and perpetrators of sexual violence during war. It considers how the international community is addressing sexual violence against women and girls during and after conflict. Above all, the aim of the In-Depth and book is to inform, to shock and to join the voices saying ‘Enough’! Sexual violence against women and girls does not have to be an inevitable consequence of war.

For more information and to download the full report, please click HERE

Côte d’Ivoire: Targeting women: the Forgotten Victims of the Conflict
Amnesty International, March 2007

This report is the result of research conducted primarily in 2005 and 2006, including interviews in Côte d’Ivoire with rape victims and their relatives, local human rights activists, local and international humanitarian organizations.The report contains recommendations addressed to the Ivorian government as well as the New Forces, asking them to prevent and eradicate sexual violence committed by their forces and supporters and put an end to impunity by bringing those responsible to justice. The report also calls on all the parties, as well as the international community, to address the urgent needs of rape victims, in particular, access to adequate medical care.

For the full report, please click HERE

Sexual Violence: Weapon of War, Impediment to Peace
Forced Migration Review, Issue 27, January 2007

This special issue of the Forced Migration Review includes features exploring the challenges and opportunities for combating sexual violence in conflict, post-conflict and development recovery contexts. Produced in collaboration with UNFPA, this special issue builds on the momentum created by the international symposium on 'Sexual violence in conflict and beyond' held in Brussels in June 2006, convened by UNFPA, the European Commission and the Government of Belgium. Articles focus on key issues and challenges, highlight examples of good practice, and present practice-oriented recommendations for uptake by policy makers and funders.

For more information click HERE

To read the full issue click HERE

Action on Gender Based Violence and HIV/AIDS: Bringing Together Research, Policy, Programming and Advocacy
Center for Women's Global Leadership, January 2007

In response to the human rights and public health crises posed by both the HIV pandemic and the unabating levels of gender-based violence (GBV), policy makers, activists and programmers at international, regional and national levels have in recent years bolstered attention to the conceptual and methodological intersections of work in these areas. A small group of organizations and experts working at the intersection of GBV and HIV came together to share lessons learned from working from a variety of entry points, including human rights, gender, feminism, sexuality, and sexual rights, at global, national and local levels, using various methods and within different country contexts. This brief report summarizes discussions, outcomes, and recommendations from the consultation.

For the full report , please click HERE

Violence Against Women in Politics Surveillance System
South Asia Partnership International, 2006

As a part of our effort under the VAW in Politics program, a Surveillance System has been developed to monitor, document, communicate, refer and advocate against violence against women in politics. SAP International is pleased to publish this Guidebook on VAWIP Surveillance System, which is perhaps the first of its kind in the South Asian Regional level.The Guidebook on VAWIP Surveillance System emerges as a tool for implementing VAWIP Surveillance System under the VAWIP programme. This is a guidebook for implementing partners, watch groups and member organizations within the SAP System to understand the various levels and processes for proper functioning of the Surveillance System.

For the full report, please click here.

Building Community-Based Partnerships for Local Action on Women's Safety
Women in Cities International

This is a guide for community-based women & groups to create partnerships with their local municipal government. Partnerships between community-based women & groups and municipal governments are beneficial because together they can do important work to create safer and more inclusive communities for women and girls in all their diversity. The guide contains also six examples of current projects in various sites.

For the full report, please click HERE

Cries of Women in Politics: Quest for Justice
Report from the South Asian Regional Unconference on Violence Against Women in Politics, 14-15 August 2006

The Unconference also aimed to bring the issues of the women politicians to public and create an environment to enable them to share their experiences with all stakeholders. This report is an outcome of this effort to bring the voices of women in politics to the people. It recounts the experiences shared by women politicians, paper presented by academics, and sharing by other participants.

For the full report, please click here.

The girl child and armed conflict: Recognizing and addressing grave violations of girls’ human rights
UN Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) in collaboration with UNICEF, September 2006

During armed conflict, girls are subject to widespread and, at times, systematic forms of human rights violations that have mental, emotional, spiritual, physical and material repercussions. These violations include illegal detention with or without family members, abduction and forced removal from families and homes, disappearances, torture and other inhuman treatment, amputation and mutilation, forced recruitment into fighting forces and groups, slavery, sexual exploitation, increased exposure to HIV/AIDS, and a wide range of physical and sexual violations, including rape, enforced pregnancy, forced prostitution, forced marriage and forced child-bearing.There is urgent need for better documentation, monitoring and reporting on the extreme suffering that armed conflict inflicts on girls, as well as on the many roles girls play during conflict and its aftermath.

For the full report, please click HERE

The Protracted Campaign for Women's Human Rights in Africa
October 27, 2006

An interview with Faiza Jama Mohamed, Africa Regional Director, Equality Now, about the ongoing campaign for full ratification of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People's Rights, on the Rights of Women in Africa (ACHPR).

For the complete interview, please click HERE

Sexual Violence in Conflict: Making Data Work for Change
Geneva Centre for the Democratic Contro of Armed Forces & Alliance for Direct Action against Rape in Conflicts and Crises, Geneva, August 2006

Although anecdotal reports indicate the scale and gravity of sexual violence in conflicts and crises, donors and humanitarian groups consistently call for better documentation of sexual violence in conflict. In 2006, the Alliance for Direct Action Against Rape in Conflicts and Crises (AllianceDARC) was formed to bring concerted action to the issue of sexual violence in conflict-affected settings. As a founding member of AllianceDARC, the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) has initiated a project to compile and analyse available data on sexual violence in conflict, build consensus around best practices for data collection and analysis, as well as to publish and publicise existing data, for improved advocacy.

To download the entire paper, please click HERE

Brussels Call to Action to Address Sexual Violence in Conflict and Beyond
International Symposium on Sexual Violence in Conflict and Beyond, Brussels, 21-23 June 2006

At the conclusion of this symposium, delegates issued a call for urgent and long-term action against sexual violence in all its forms, in conflict and beyond.

"We are deeply concerned that the response to sexual violence in conflict and beyond is grossly inadequate when compared to the scope of the phenomenon and agree with the report of the independent experts on women, war and peace, that the standards of protection for women affected by conflict are glaring in their inadequacy, as is the international response. We recognize the urgency of addressing sexual and gender-based violence as a priority."

To read the rest of the statement, please click HERE

Statement: Sri Lankan Combatants Rape Women to Terrorize
Mannar Women for Human rights and Democracy, Sri Lanka, June 18, 2006

Mannar has now become the battle ground between the Sri Lankan Navy and the Sea Tigers. Women here are afraid of being raped by the armed forces in retaliation for any attacks. This note from Mannar Women for Human Rights and Democracy adds that this has happened many times in the past and things could only get worse, since the forces are now officially allowed to wear face masks in order to protect their identity as happened, for instance, at the Pesalai church on June 17th.

The Annual Report of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF)
IHF annual report on Human Rights Violations, June 2006

The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) is an international, nongovernmental organization constituted by national Helsinki Committees and Cooperating Organizations in the participating States of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The Annual Report of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) is a report about human rights developments in Helsinki signatory states.

Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls in War and Its Aftermath: Realities, Responses, and Required Resources
United Nations Populations Fund Briefing Paper, June 2006

Prepared as a briefing paper for the Symposium on Sexual Violence in Conflict and Beyond, this document examines the nature and scope of violence against war-affected women and children, provides an overview of existing programmes and resources to combat it, and ends with an assessment of progress to date and challenges.

A New Manual: ''Documenting women's rights violations by non-state actors''
WLUML, By Jan Bauer and Anissa Hélie, May 2006

This manual, specifically addressed to groups and individuals not well versed in legal matters, provides tools to human rights activists and defenders who investigate violence perpetrated against women by non-state actors. Its goal is to offer guidance with regard to the legal definitions and human rights protection mechanisms that may help them compel States to fulfil their obligation to protect. It presents concrete examples of particular forms of violence committed against women by non-state actors and models of strategies that have been used effectively, particularly in Muslim communities.

Business as Usual: Violence against Women in the Globalized Economy of the Americas
An Amnesty International Canada Briefing Paper, May 2006

The Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2004, as did the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women a year earlier. Yet throughout the countries of the Americas, longstanding and pervasive violence against women and violations of women’s human rights remain widespread, jeopardizing the welfare and safety of vast numbers of women.

Violence against girls in Africa during armed conflicts and crises
International Committee of the Red Cross, 11-12 May 2006

The following paper address the issue of violence against girls in Africa during armed conflicts and crises. It draws attention to the many different ways in which girls experience such situations and briefly presents some of the activities carried out by the ICRC to protect and assist them.

GBV in Conflict-Affected Settings: A Series from ARC International

ARC International's latest publication series addresses the critical global issue of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Conflict-Affected Settings. The publication series was designed specifically to help communities and humanitarian workers to assess the situation in their particular setting and to determine the needs and next steps to implementing comprehensive and multi-sectoral programs to address GBV. A special emphasis has been given to the provision of legal aid, as that is a sector often neglected.

Part 1: Gender-Based Violence Legal Aid: A Participatory Toolkit
The participatory toolkit includes a GBV Legal Aid Matrix and participatory exercises to aid in the design of programs to address GBV.

Part 2:Community Safety Initiative Gender-Based Violence Program
This book offers an overview of ARC International’s Community Safety Initiative (CSI) GBV program in Guinea, West Africa. The goal of the program is to prevent and respond to GBV among Albadaria refugees by increasing their safety and awareness.

Part 3:Legal Aspects of Violence Against Refugee Women in Kissidougou Town and Albadariah Camps
This book covers a survey that was conducted in Guinea to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices around GBV, particularly as they relate to legal assistance and protection under Guinean laws, in the Albadariah camps and Kissidougou, Guinea.

Part 4:An Overview of the Fern Holland Legal Aid Clinic
ARC International’s initial Legal Aid Clinic was established in N’Zerekore, Guinea in March of 2003 to provide free legal services for survivors of GBV.

Displaced Women and Girls At Risk: Risk Factors, Protection Solutions and Resource Tools
Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children, February 2006

There is a growing understanding among practitioners and policy makers that the experiences of women and girls vary significantly from that of men during flight, in exile and once peace has been brokered or populations return home. Less, however, is understood about the many forms of violence and risks to women’s safety and wellbeing during various phases of displacement, and how to address them.

Beyond Firewood: Fuel Alternatives and Protection Strategies for Displaced Women and Girls
Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children, March 2006

In the report, Beyond Firewood: Fuel Alternatives and Protection Strategies for Displaced Women and Girls, the Women’s Commission outlines alternative fuel options, firewood collection techniques and other protection strategies that should be used in displaced and refugee situations worldwide.To be effective, however, all strategies aimed at reducing the threat to women and girls should be accompanied by the development of income-generation activities. Women and girls must be able to earn a living in ways other than collecting or selling firewood.

Forgotten Casualties of War: Girls in Armed Conflict
Save the Children, April 28, 2005

Save the Children is today calling on world leaders to better protect the large numbers of vulnerable and innocent girls whose lives are destroyed every year by conflict, with the launch a new report "Forgotten Casualties of War: Girls in Armed Conflict". The report identifies a "hidden army" of girls, some as young as eight, who are abducted against their will to live life in the army. The roles of the girls vary from being actual soldiers through to serving as porters, cleaners and cooks. Almost all are forced to serve as sex slaves or "wives".

WLB Statement on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
Women's League of Burma, November 25, 2005

In order to end violence against  women and girls, governments in other countries are taking necessary measures  from the community to the state level, amending domestic legislation to protect the rights of women and girls, and to empower women. However, in Burma,  the Burmese military regime, namely SPDC, has continued committing  systematic violence against women and girls. SPDC (State Peace and Development Council) is neglecting the education, health, and social welfare of the people while abusing national revenue to  hold onto power and prolong military rule in Burma.

Women in Armed Opposition Groups in Africa and the Promotion of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
Geneva Call and the Program for the Study of International Organizations, Addis Ababa, 23-26 November 2005

The objective of the 2005 Addis Ababa workshop was to identify ways of strengthening the understanding and observance of international humanitarian law and human rights law within the African armed groups and their political wings. At the same time, the workshop sought to contribute to African and international organizations’ understanding of and ability to work with armed opposition groups to promote and uphold international humanitarian and human rights norms. Four topics were discussed during the workshop: humanitarian law, human rights law, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) and transition into governance roles. This report presents information and analyses that came out of these four thematic working groups.

For the full report, please click HERE

Gender and International Justice:Reparations for Crimes against Women in Conflict and Post-conflict Contexts
Peace Research Center, Bulletin InfoCIP No.7, November 2005

The Centro de Investigación para la Paz (The Peace Research Center, CIP-FUHEM) is a research and education institute which analyzes international issues from a multidisciplinary perspective. It deals with armed conflicts, their causes and the actors involved, prevention and rehabilitation processes, and the effects of globalization on development. This Bulletin focuses on the key aspects of justice and reparations facing women during armed the conflicts of Colombia and Sri Lanka

Women and Peacebuilding in Africa
Centre for Conflict Resolution, United Nations Development Fund for Women, 27-28 October 2005

The Centre for Conflict Resolution (CCR) in Cape Town, South Africa, and the United Nations (UN) Development Fund for Women’s (UNIFEM) Southern and Central African Regional Offices cohosted a policy advisory group meeting on “The Impact of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security in Africa”, on 27 and 28 October 2005. The intention of this seminar was to review the progress of the implementation of the resolution in Africa in the five years since its adoption by the United Nations in 2000.

Women In An Insecure World
Marie Vlachovà and Lea Biason (eds), Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces, September 2005

“Women in an Insecure World” takes stock of the scope and magnitude of violence experienced by women in daily life, during armed conflict and in post-conflict situations. It aims to increase awareness among governments, donors, policy makers, academics, experts and civil society about the pervasive forms of violence against women.

It also highlights the active role of women in peacemaking and post-conflict reconstruction. For what makes women's role in combating violence indispensable is not the omnipresence and magnitude of their victimisation, but the fact that women demonstrate the capacity to overcome the trauma of violent acts, to survive and help in the survival of others, and to contribute actively to defending and building peace. The book provides analytical data and statistics, legal documents and policy recommendations, complemented by feature stories and illustrations. Over 60 different authors, representing the major international organisations, governments, NGOs and Think Tanks dealing with gender issues, have contributed to this book.

For full report go to: http://www.dcaf.ch/women/pb_women_ex_sum.pdf

'DON'T FORGET US': THE EDUCATION AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE PROTECTION NEEDS OF ADOLESCENT GIRLS From Darfur In Chad
H. Heninger, M. McKenna, Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children, July 2005

This document examines the conditions in a number of refugee camps for people from Darfur in Chad, focusing on education needs and protection from gender-based violence for adolescent girls.

Women, Terror, Religion, Democracy: An Interactive Dialogue
Club de Madrid, The International Summit on Terrorism and Democracy, Panel transcript, Madrid, Spain, 9 March 2005

Panellists included A. El Bindari Hammad, Mahnaz Afkhami, Huda Imam, Morena Herrera Argueta, John Raines. Michael Conroy, Program Officer, Rockefeller Brothers Foundation, served as the moderator. All members of the panel stressed the harms of widespread gender-based violence. But there was less agreement on the extent to which this violence should be incorporated under the term “terror”. Participants generally stressed that religion has been used to legitimize terrorist activity as well as violence against women, but that it was also a resource for justice. An audience member pointed to the valuable work of women activists reinterpreting religious texts to emphasize women’s positive role in Muslim cultures. It was also stressed that fundamentalism was not limited to Muslim culture and society, but is present in other religious communities. Democracy, all agreed, means more than elections. It means implementing a set of resources conducive to the empowerment of those who do not have a voice. It means a bottom-up, sharing, endogenous, community-building process. Democracy needs to address disparities of all kinds, including those resulting from uneven distribution of wealth and what was termed the fundamentalism of the market.

So does it mean that we have the rights? Protecting the human rights of women and girls trafficked for forced prostitution in Kosovo
Amnesty International, 2004

Since the deployment in July 1999 of an international peacekeeping force (KFOR) and the establishment of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) civilian administration, Kosovo(6) has become a major destination country for women and girls trafficked into forced prostitution.

Women's Rights are Not Negotiable: African Regional NGO Report on the Review and Assessment of the Beijing Platform for Action
WiLDAF (Ed) on behalf of the NGO Forum, October 2004

Rapport synthèse des ONG d’Afrique de l’Ouest sur la mise en oeuvre de la plateforme d’action de Beijing
WiLDAF/FeDDAF Afrique de l’Ouest représentant les ONG d’Afrique de l’Ouest , Lomé, Togo, Août 2004

Lives Blown Apart: Crimes Against Women in Times of Conflict
Amnesty International, December 2004

This report attempts to explore some of the underlying reasons for violence against women. Evidence gathered by Amnesty International in recent years supports the view that conflict reinforces and exacerbates existing patterns of discrimination and violence against women. The violence women suffer in conflict is an extreme manifestation of the discrimination and abuse women face in peacetime, and the unequal power relations between men and women in most societies. In peacetime, such attitudes contribute to the widespread acceptance of domestic violence, rape and other forms of sexual abuse against women. When political tensions and increasing militarization spill over into outright conflict, these habitual attitudes and abuses take on new dimensions and distinctive patterns, and all forms of violence increase, including rape and other forms of sexual violence against women.

Mexico: Indigenous women and military injustice
Amnesty International, November 2004

Focus on Local Government: Violence Against Women in Politics
Report from South Asia Regional Forum on Women and Governance, 12-14 July, 2004

The South Asia Regional Forum on Women and Governance: Focus on Local Government was organized by South Asia Partnership (SAP) International, a South Asian regional NGO network.1 The Forum was held from the 12-14 July 2004, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and attracted some 70 participants from six countries — Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Canada The Forum was a concluding component of a SAP initiative called (SARPPP). One of the major themes of this program was creating an enabling environment for women to participate in local government in South Asia as well as shared experiences regarding violence against women in politics.

To view the full report, please click here.

Rights and Security for Women
Oxfam-Netherlands (Novib), 2004

“I have no joy, no peace of mind": Medical, Psychosocial and Economic Consequences of Sexual Violence in Eastern DRC Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)-Holland, March 2004

This report by MSF aims to bring greater attention to the terrible medical, psychosocial, and socio-economic consequences of sexual violence in Eastern DRC. It is based on medical data and testimonies collected in MSF’s project in Baraka, which is but one location in Eastern Congo that has been scarred by this terrible feature of the war. With the establishment of Transitional Government in July 2003, major advances have been achieved in the peace process in the DRC, and in many places there has thankfully been a stop to fighting and a decrease in attacks on civilians. The legacy of war and the extent to which sexual violence has occurred, is only just beginning to become apparent. While the number of new cases of sexual violence may have decreased, the phenomenon is ongoing and the scars on people’s lives remain extremely deep.

Seeking Accountability on Women's Human Rights: Women Debate the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
Women's International Coalition for Economic Justice (WICEJ), January 2004

WICEJ launched this publication at the World Social Forum in Mumbai, India, in January 2004 and at the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York in March 2004. There is much discussion among women’s organizations about the MDGs—on whether and how to engage. From internet conversations and articles to national and international meetings, women are exploring whether the MDGs are useful tools for advancing their agenda of gender equality, economic justice and peace. To order a hard copy, contact: info@wicej.org

Women and war: implementation of the ICRC pledge to the 27th International Conference
Dr. Jakob Kellenberger, President of the ICRC, 28th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, 4 December 2003

Violence Against Women in War Network
2003

Climate of Fear : Sexual Violence and Abduction of Women and Girls in Baghdad
Human Rights Watch, July 2003

At a time when insecurity is on the rise in Baghdad, women and girls in Baghdad told Human Rights Watch that the insecurity and fear of sexual violence or abduction is keeping them in their homes, out of schools, and away from work and looking for employment. The failure of the occupying power to protect women and girls from violence, and redress it when it occurs, has both immediate and long-term negative implications for the safety of women and girls and for their participation in post-war life in Iraq.

Standpoint, Viewpoint: Guidelines for Regional Consultations with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women
Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development, 2003

The guidelines are structured to provide a brief overview of the role of the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, the reasons for conducting consultations, its impact, as well as its limitations. order this publication

On the Integration of the Human Rights of Women and the Gender Perspective and on its sub-item a: Violence Against Women
Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD), UN Commission on Human Rights, 59th Session, April 2003

On the Integration of the Human Rights of Women and the Gender Perspective and on its sub-item a: Violence Against Women
International Human Rights Law Group (IHRLG), UN Commission on Human Rights, 59th Session, April 2003

On the Integration of the Human Rights of Women and the Gender Perspective and on its sub-item a: Violence Against Women
Center on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE), UN Commission on Human Rights, 59th Session, April 2003

A Cautionary Tale from Kosovar Women to Women in Post-War Iraq
Igo Rogova, Kosova Women's Network, April 2003

Women Facing War
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), March 2003

The ICRC made an independent examination on the situation of war-affected women and their activities. It draws drawing lessons from both past and current experiences, focusing on subjects such as personal safety, sexual violence, displacement, access to health care, food and shelter, and on less talked-of matters like the problem of missing relatives and its impact on survivors. The ICRC study identifies and analyses women's needs; examines international humanitarian law, human rights law and refugee law, and assesses the extent to which they meet the above-mentioned needs, and presents a list of recommendations.

Informe Sobre Violencia Sociopolitica Contra Mujeres, Jovenes y Ninas en Colombia
Mesa de Trabajo Mujer y Conflicto Armado, Tercer Informe, Bogota, el febrero de 2003

If Not Now, When? Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Refugee, Internally Displaced and Post-Conflict Settings: A Global Overview
Jeanne Ward, The Reproductive Health for Refugees Consortium, 2002

The overall objective of this report is to provide a baseline narrative account of some of the major issues, programming efforts and gaps in programming related to the prevention of and response to gender- based violence (GBV) among conflict-affected populations worldwide. Other outcomes of the initiative, including an extensive web-based bibliography of GBV resources at www.rhrc.org/resources/gbv/bib and a RHRC field manual for GBV assessment, program design, and evaluation, are meant to supplement the findings of this report with practical and field-friendly tools, as well as educational and training materials. The report is composed of twelve country profile: three each for Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America.

Women's Human Rights World Report 2002
Human Rights Watch, 2002

This report features a section on women in conflict and as refugees as well as human rights development, women's status in the family, labor rights, trafficking in women, violence against women, and the role of women in the international community.

Women's Rights Violations During the Conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from August 2, 1998 to September 30, 2001
en francais
Lisette Banza Mbombo and Christian Hemedi Bayolo, International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development

This Report documents the horrors endured by war-affected women during a three-year period of an ongoing war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The report is divided into two parts. The first offers a commentary on the situation of Congolese women in the context of the current armed conflict, and lays out the conditions for their effective participation in the ongoing peace process. The second part consists of appendices presenting the views of Congolese women on the suffering they have experienced, followed by a series of tables listing specific cases illustrative of the acts of violence committed. The two authors call for the establishment by the United Nations of independent commissions of inquiry to "determine the full magnitude of the violence, and identify all those responsible, regardless of their status (political, military, civilian, official, non-official, national or foreign)... considering the gravity of the facts presented in this paper."

Gender-Based Violence: Emerging Issues in Programs Serving Displaced Populations
Beth Vann, Reproductive Health for Refugees Consortium, September 2002

A Comparative Study of Women Trafficked in the Migration Process
Coalition Against Trafficking of Women, 2002

This study addresses the patterns, profiles and health consequences of sexual exploitation in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Venezuela and the United States. order this study

Sexual Violence within the Sierra Leone Conflict
Human Rights Watch (HRW), 2001

This posting contains a statement from HRW on the use of sexual violence in the conflict in Sierra Leone. Although the statement faults rebels' systematic use of sexual violence, it also critiques the government and the UN force for making 'very little effort ... to protect women and girls from attack by rebel groups', and for not providing sufficient safeguards against abuses by pro-government forces as well.

Broken Bodies, Shattered Minds: Torture and Ill-Treatment of Women
Amnesty International, 8 March 2001

This report highlights the fact that torture of women is a daily reality, rooted in pervasive discrimination that continues to deny women full equality with men and that legitimizes violence against women. This report is one of a series of publications issued by Amnesty International as part of its worldwide campaign against torture. order this publication

Annotated Guide to the UN Trafficking Protocol

The Annotated Guide combines the Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, the Trafficking Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, and the Interpretative Notes (Travaux Preparatoires) to the Trafficking Protocol into one document. The annotations provide guidance on all of the important sections of the complete Trafficking Protocol.

Violence Against Women: A Report
World Organization Against Torture (OMCT), 2001

In 1998 OMCT initiated a study to investigate violence against women. The purpose of this study was to compare the responses of United Nations human rights bodies and mechanisms set up to deal with violence against women to the reality of national situations where serious violations of women's human rights take place.

The first part of this report looks at the international human rights system. It seeks to provide an understanding of the international human rights framework and its weaknesses in addressing adequately violence against women. The second part of the report discusses, from a de jure et de facto point of view , violence against women in 78 countries around the world . This section is based on the results of a questionnaire addressing domestic, community and state level issues which was sent to the 240 plus organisation members of the SOS Torture network, as well as to organisations active in the field of women rights.

Violence contre les femmes: un rapport
Organisation mondiale contre la torture (OMCT), 2001

En 1998, l'OMCT a entrepris une étude destinée à enquêter sur la violence contre les femmes. Le but de cette étude était de confronter les réponses des organes des Nations Unies chargés de surveiller l'application des traités et des mécanismes traitant de la violence contre les femmes à la réalité de situations nationales où se produisent de graves atteintes aux droits des femmes. La première partie de ce rapport, qui porte sur le droit international relatif aux droits de l'homme, a pour objectif de permettre une compréhension de la structure internationale des droits de l'homme, ainsi que de ses faiblesses, lorsqu'il s'agit d'apporter des réponses adéquates au problème de la violence contre les femmes. La seconde partie de ce rapport expose, de jure et de facto , la violence contre les femmes dans 78 pays du monde . Cette partie est basée sur les résultats d'un questionnaire portant sur la violence à l'égard des femmes sur les plans domestique, sociétal et étatique, qui été envoyé au 240 ONG membres du réseau SOS-Torture, ainsi qu'à des organisations actives dans le domaine des droits des femmes.

Investigating Women's Human Rights Violations In Armed Conflicts
Amnesty International Publications and The International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development, Manual, 2001

Th[is] manual provides a step-by-step description of a gender- sensitive approach to research and suggests ways of addressing the specific challenges faced by women’s rights workers. The booklets each focus on the monitoring and documenting of specific categories of women’s rights violations. They help the reader prepare for fact-finding missions, provide guidelines for the collection and analysis of evidence, and include a checklist for conducting interviews.

Rape as a Weapon of War and a Tool of Political Repression
Human Rights Watch (HRW), Global Report on Women's Human Rights, 1996

Widely committed and seldom denounced, rape and sexual assault of women in situations of conflict have been viewed more as the spoils of war than as illegitimate acts that violate humanitarian law. As a consequence, women, whether combatants or civilians, have been targeted for rape while their attackers go without punishment. Not until the international outcry rose in response to reports of mass rape in the former Yugoslavia did the international community confront rape as a war crime and begin to take steps to punish those responsible for such abuse. Rape, nonetheless, has long been mischaracterized and dismissed by military and political leaders—those in a position to stop it—as a private crime, a sexual act, the ignoble act of the occasional soldier; worse still, it has been accepted precisely because it is so commonplace.

UN Document

Silence is Violence: End the Abuse of Women in Afghanistan
UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan / UN HCHR, 8 July 2009

Afghanistan is widely known and appreciated for its rich history, culture, literature and arts as well as its magnificent landscape. It is also widely known that large numbers of Afghans die, or live wretched lives, because violence is an everyday fact of life. Such violence is not openly condoned but neither is it challenged nor condemned by society at large or by state institutions. It is primarily human rights activists that make an issue of violence including, in particular, its impact on, and ramifications for, women and girls in Afghanistan. It is also left to a handful of stakeholders to challenge the way in which a culture of impunity, and the cycle of violence it generates, undermines democratization, the establishment of the rule of law and other efforts geared to building an environment conducive to respect for human rights.

To view report, please click here.

Words to Action E-Newsletter, Issue No. 3
UN Division for the Advancement of Women, April 2009

Newsletter of information on actions undertaken by United Nations Member States and United Nations entities to address violence against women. The e-newsletter is designed to disseminate information on actions undertaken by United Nations Member States and United Nations entities to address violence against women.

To view the e-newsletter, please click here.

The UN Secretary-General's database on violence against women
United Nations

On 5 March 2009, the new database on violence against women was launched by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. The database offers a comprehensive and systematic way to search for data on gender-based violence.

The primary source of information for the database is the responses received from Member States to a questionnaire on violence against women from September 2008, and subsequent updates. It also includes sources such as states parties’ reports to human rights bodies, information provided by Member States in follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women (1995), as well as information available through relevant United Nations entities.

To access the UN database, please click HERE

15 Years of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women (1994-2009) - A Critical Review
United Nations High Comissioner on Human Rights

This review aims to take stock of the achievement of 15 years of work on the VAW mandate, which has produced an impressive collection of 14 annual reports, 32 country missions reports, 11 communication reports comprising many communications to and from governments, and several other pieces of research. Given the quantum of work and its significance, a review provides an opportunity to consolidate the main achivements, and the space to reflect upon the gains and the potential for future progress and directions of the mandate.

To read the full report, please click HERE.

Good Practices in Legislation on Violence against Women
Report of the expert group meeting organized by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

The expert group was convened in response to the Secretary-General’s 2006 in-depth study on all forms of violence against women and General Assembly resolution 61/143. The group studied different legislative approaches to violence against women and developed this model framework for legislation based upon best practices and lessons learned. The report also includes commentary on legislation on violence against women in a number of countries.

To read the full report, please click HERE.

Integration of the Human Rights of Women and the Gender Perspective: Violence Against Women
The Due Diligence Standard as a Tool for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Yakin Ertürk

"Under the due diligence obligation, States have a duty to take positive action to prevent and protect women from violence, punish perpetuators of violent acts and compensate victims of violence. However, the application of due diligence standard, to date, has tended to be State-centric and limited to responding to violence when it occurs, largely neglecting the obligation to prevent and compensate and the responsibility of non-State actors."

To read the full report, please click HERE.

Words to Action E-Newsletter, Issue No. 2
UN Division for the Advancement of Women, January 2009

Newsletter of information on actions undertaken by United Nations Member States and United Nations entities to address violence against women. The e-newsletter is designed to disseminate information on actions undertaken by United Nations Member States and United Nations entities to address violence against women.

To view the e-newsletter, please click here.

Programming to Address Violence Against Women
UNFPA, 2008

This publication is the second volume in a series that documents best practices in preventing and responding to violence against women. These eight case studies feature initiatives from Algeria , Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, implemented by governments and other partners with support from UNFPA. They can inform efforts on ending violence against women, which is both a human rights violation and a public health concern

To read the full report, please click HERE

Statement from the Executive Director of UNIFEM on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
Ms. Inés Alberdi, Executive Director, UNIFEM, 21 November 2008

This year’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women marks a defining moment in the global drive to end violence against women. Fuelled by advocacy and action at the grassroots and national levels, the issue has moved to centre stage at the United Nations. In March 2008 the Secretary-General launched his global campaign, UNiTE to End Violence against Women. Its duration through 2015, the deadline for meeting the MDGs, is a challenge for all of us, governments, civil society as well as the international community to take the actions needed to stop this prevalent human rights violation.

To view the statement, please click here.

Words to Action E-Newsletter, Issue No. 1
UN Division for the Advancement of Women, October 2008

Newsletter of information on actions undertaken by United Nations Member States and United Nations entities to address violence against women. The e-newsletter is designed to disseminate information on actions undertaken by United Nations Member States and United Nations entities to address violence against women.

To view the e-newsletter, please click here.

Statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the occasion of the 8th Session of the Human Rights Council Meeting on Human Rights of Women
Ms. Louise Arbour, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva, 5 June 2008

To view the statement, please click HERE

Project on a Mechanism to Address Laws That Discriminate Against Women
Commissioned by Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights –Women’s Rights and Gender Unit, March 2008

The aim of the project was to examine the advisability of creating a new mechanism to address laws that discriminate against women. The terms of reference specified two key objectives. The first was to overview existing UN mechanisms to ascertain the extent to which they addressed the issue of discriminatory laws. This involved interviewing UN human rights and agency officials working in both Geneva and New York and also reviewing the reports and jurisprudence of human rights committees and special procedure mechanisms. The second was to try to get national data on laws that discriminate against women. This was to be done by means of a questionnaire. On the basis of the data gathered, the consultant was required to advise on whether a special mechanism addressing discriminatory laws was needed.

To view the report, please click HERE

Indicators to measure violence against women
UNDAW, UNECE, UNSD, october 2007

Report prepared for a UN Expert Group Meeting (which assists the Commission on the Status of Women) outlines a number of possible indicators of violence against women, so as to aid states in creating evidence-based policy.

The report intends to develop indicators which can measure the "scope, prevalence, and incidence" of violence against women. The importance of such indicators is that they can assess whether a policy addressing violence against women is deteriorating or improving the number of occurences of violence against women in that state.

The report covers a full discussion of indicators of violence against women, including: an overview of what indicators are, an overview of current initiatives and indicators used by various states, the numerous options for developing indicators to measure violence against women, and recommendations for a best indicator policy.

To read the full report, please click HERE

Women Building Peace and Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict-Affected Contexts
UNIFEM, October 2007

UNIFEM is directly tackling the challenge of implementing SCR 1325 at the community level in order to build women’s’ engagement in peace-building and public decision-making, and to protect women and children in communities around the world. This paper is a background review of community-based peace-building initiatives. It is intended to inform UNIFEM’s program “Supporting Women’s Engagement in Peace-Building and Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict: Community-Led Approaches.” The paper examines the barriers women face, and highlights examples of women’s successful engagement in peace-building that were selected on the basis of being simple yet innovative and explicitly community-based.

To view the report, please click here

New CD-Rom Documents 25 Years of Work in Eliminating Discrimination Against Women

A new CD-ROM issued by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women provides easy access to 25 years of work of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

For more information, please click HERE

Final statement from the Regional Conference on Men as Partners to End Violence Against Women (EVAW)

This Conference, organized by the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, Royal Thai Government, the UNIFEM East and Southeast Asia Regional Office, Bangkok and the UNIFEM National Committees of Australia and Singapore, was held on 3-4 September 2007, in Bangkok Thailand.

To read the final statement of the Conference please click HERE

Universal Human Rights Index of United Nations Documents
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Official Document System of the United Nations

The Universal Human Rights Index (Index) is designed primarily to facilitate access to human rights documents issued by the UN human rights treaty bodies and the special procedures of the Human Rights Council. The Index offers instant access to objective and comprehensive UN information on human rights situations around the world. The information compiled in the Index will enable users to gain an international perspective on national and regional human rights developments, as well as an overview on cooperation between States and international institutions.

To access the index, please click HERE

In-depth study on all forms of violence against women, Report of the Secretary-General
United Nations General Assembly, October 2006

The study, which was called for by the General Assembly in December 2003, examines many forms and manifestations of violence against women in a wide range of settings, including the family, the community, State custody and institutions, armed conflict and refugee and situations involving internally displaced persons (IDPs).

For more information, please click here.

Women and Peacebuilding in Africa
Centre for Conflict Resolution, United Nations Development Fund for Women, 27-28 October 2005

The Centre for Conflict Resolution (CCR) in Cape Town, South Africa, and the United Nations (UN) Development Fund for Women’s (UNIFEM) Southern and Central African Regional Offices cohosted a policy advisory group meeting on “The Impact of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security in Africa”, on 27 and 28 October 2005. The intention of this seminar was to review the progress of the implementation of the resolution in Africa in the five years since its adoption by the United Nations in 2000.

Galvanizing Action to Combat Violence Against Women:
Consultative workshop concerning the UN Secretary-General’s in-depth study on all forms of violence against women
Division for the Advancement of Women, New York, 6–7 September 2005

Violence Against Women: Interim Report to the General Assembly
Secretary-General Kofi Annan, New York, 10 August 2005

United Nations SG Message on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
Secretary-General Kofi Annan, New York, 25 November 2004

OCHA on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict
Under-Secretary General Jan Egeland, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN Open Meeting of the Security Council, 9 December 2003

Secretary-General's Bulletin on special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse
9 October 2003

Integration of the Human Rights of Women and the Gender Perspective: Violence Against Women
Commission on Human Rights, Resolution, E/CN.4/2003/L.52, 14 April 2003

Statement of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women
Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Item 12a: Violence Against Women, 9 April 2003

Statement of the Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions
Asma Jahangir, Item 11b: Civil and Political Rights, Including the Questions of Disappearances and Summary Executions, 8 April 2003

Report of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women
Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, 6 January 2003

Integration of the Human Rights of Women and the Gender Perspective: Violence Against Women in Colombia
Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, 11 March 2002

This report contains the findings of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women following her visit to Colombia on official mission in November 2001, during which she met with members of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom-Colombia section, to investigate, assess and report on the impact of the conflict on the human rights of women. The role of violence against women as a part of the internal armed conflict in Colombia has been overshadowed by the numerous other problems facing the country. The Special Rapporteur documents the impact of internal conflict on women the widespread and systematic nature gender-based violence and the various forms of it that are suffered. Rarely is there direct confrontation between the different armed groups, rather these armed groups attempt to settle their scores by attacking civilians suspected of supporting the other side. Although men are the most common victims of summary executions and massacres, violence against women, particularly sexual violence by armed groups, has become a common practice within the context of a slowly degrading conflict and a lack of respect for international humanitarian law.

Resolution Working Towards the Elimination of Crimes Against Women Committed in the Name of Honour
General Assembly, A/RES/55/66, 31 January 2001

Government Statements and Reports

WHO Ethical and Safety Recommendations for Researching, Documenting and Monitoring Sexual Violence in Emergencies
UN WHO, July 2007

Blueprint of the Council of Europe Campaign to Combat Violence against Women, including Domestic Violence
Task Force to Combat Violence against Women, including domestic violence, Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 21 June 2006

Protection of women against violence in the family or domestic unit should be placed at the highest political level in all Council of Europe member states, and should consequently be allocated the necessary financial resources. All member states should be committed to preventing this type of violence, to protect its victims and provide adequate services, legal redress and compensation as well as to prosecute, punish and provide treatment to the perpetrators. In addition, member states should raise awareness of this problem with all available means, in particular through the media and educational curricula.

For more information, please click HERE

Final Declaration of the African Parliamentary Conference on Violence against Women, Abandoning Female Genital Mutilation: The Role of parliaments
The National Assembly of Senegal and the African Parliamentary Union, in cooperation with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
Dakar, Senegal, 4 - 5 December 2005

Every year, 3 million girls and women are subjected to female genital mutilation and cutting (FGMC). FGMC is an act of violence against women that must be combated by a number of actors, including parliaments. This regional Conference made it possible for parliamentarians from African countries to exchange views, and helped build a better understanding of the role Parliaments should play in fighting FGMC. Specifically, the conference emphasized the means available to eradicate this practice not only through laws, but also through societal changes and action at the local level.

Putrajaya Declaration and Programme of Action on the Advancement of Women in Member Countries of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Putrajaya, Malaysia, 10 May 2005

We, the Ministers and other Heads of Delegation from Member Countries of NAM met in Putrajaya, Malaysia, from 9-10 May 2005, to discuss issues faced by women in the era of globalization recognize that the participation of women and the integration of their perspectives, in all sectors and at all levels, are essential to their empowerment and to the achievement of gender equality and equity...We commit ourselves to:...Develop mechanisms that affirm and and promote the role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peacebuilding and stresses the importance of their full and equal participation in all efforts to maintain and promote peace and security and the need to increase their role in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution and the rebuilding of post-conflict societies;...

Governmental statements at the Security Council Open Debate on women, peace and security, with an emphasis on gender-based violence
UN Headquarters, New York, 28 October 2004

The Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement and their Pertinence to Governments in the ECOWAS Region
ECOWAS/IOM Workshop on International Migration in West Africa, 30 September 2002

Erin D. Mooney, Deputy Director, The Brookings-SAIS Project on Internal Displacement

The Principles on internal dispacement were developed by the Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Internally Displaced Persons, working in close collaboration with a team of experts in international law and in consultation with a wide range of international agencies and NGOs, regional organizations and experts in internal displacement worldwide. The process occurred over a four-year period. It culminated in 1998 when the Representative presented the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement to the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva.

Beijing Platform for Action: Violence Against Women
1995

Books, Journals and Articles

Women's Responses to State Violence in the Niger Delta
Sokari Ekine, Feminist Africa: Issue 10. 2008

This paper discusses the ways in which women of the Niger Delta have responded to acts of violence by the Nigerian State and its allies, the multinational oil companies. The author provides background to the crises and the responses and resistance of women.

Violence and Gender in the Globalized World -
The Intimate and the Extimate
Sanja Bahun-Radunovic, University of Essex, UK and V.G. Julie Rajan, Rutgers University, USA, August 2008

Violence and Gender in the Globalized World expands the present discourse on gender and violence, discovering new ways to address the complexities encountered in academic research on the topic. Through the introduction of a variety of uncommonly discussed geopolitical sites and dynamics, the book redefines the critical picture of gender violence in the age of globalization, adopting diverse methodological approaches and various disciplinary praxes in its investigation of the question of violence against women across the globe. With an international team of contributors comprising both scholars and activists, this volume bridges the gap between academic and activist perspectives on gender violence. As such, it will be of interest to anyone conducting research in the areas of gender and sexuality, human rights, cultural studies, political science, history, postcolonialism and colonialism, sociology, anthropology, philosophy and religion.

For more information, please click HERE

Culture of misogyny, illegal occupation, fuel sexual violence in military
Helen Benedict, published on AWID, August 2008

An alarming number of women soldiers are being sexually abused by their comrades-in-arms, both at war and at home. This fact has received a fair amount of attention lately from researchers and the press — and deservedly so. This article is adapted from The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq, to be published by Beacon Press in April 2009.

Gender-Based Violence
Oxfam, September 2007

This book brings together some of the most interesting and innovative work being done to tackle gender-based violence in various sectors, world regions, and socio-political contexts. Articles cover a wide range of manifestations of gender-based violence, including femicide, or the murder of women because they are women, domestic and sexual violence, female genital mutilation or cutting, the sexual exploitation of girls at school, and trafficking for prostitution.

To order this book, please click HERE

Born of War: Protecting Children of Sexual Violence Survivors in Conflict Zones
Edited by R. Charli Carpenter. 2007. 243 pages. ISBN 978-1-56549-237-0. WE853. $23.95

Despite the international humanitarian community’s interest in sexual violence as a problem in conflict situations and the protection of war-affected children, there has been no recent research that assesses the needs and interests of children born of war in different contexts. Further, there is no significant body of knowledge by which to establish best practices with respect to advocating for and securing their human rights. This book attempts to fill that gap by drawing together the perspectives of 25 scholars from 14 disciplines to provide a multi-faceted view of the human rights of children born of wartime rape and sexual slavery in conflict zones worldwide. By detailing the impacts of armed conflict on these children’s survival, protection and membership rights, as well as through moving case studies, the book illustrates the tragic fact that these children are particularly vulnerable in conflict zones and pose a very pressing human security concern. Case studies also highlight the different responses made by communities towards these children. The book is framed within the lens of advocacy, as contributors have conducted their research with the goal of advocating for greater consideration of this group of children in international human rights discourse and practice.

To order this book, please click HERE

Is Denial of Justice Persecution: The Case of Victims of Sexual Violence in Peru’s 1980-2000 Internal Armed Conflict
Flor de María Valdez-Arroyo, Reseau scientifique Terra, Sept. 2006

Sexual violence within armed conflict is amongst the most serious threats a woman may face. This situation ultimately made UNHCR elaborate guidelines of international protection of women in the frame of the international refugee law (the Gender Guidelines hereinafter). In that sense, UNHCR stated that the aim of these guidelines is that asylum applications based on gender reasons should be recognized as such.The objective of this essay is to review, based on the case of the Peruvian women living in the peasant community of Manta, about denial of justice as a form of persecution.

To read the full article, please clic hHERE

Broken Bodies, Broken Dreams
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs & the Integrated Regional Information Networks. 2005. 250 pages. ISBN 9966-7108-0-9. WE843. $30.00

It is estimated that one in every three women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime. Too often sanctified by custom and reinforced by institutions, this worldwide pandemic transcends the bounds of geography, race, culture, class and religion, and community. This evocative and devastating volume of photographs, individual case studies, quotes and illustrative text offers a powerful testimony of the different types of gender-based violence experienced by women and girls worldwide throughout their lives. Based on the premise that human rights are both universal and indivisible, this book takes up the cry of researchers and activists who have been working on this issue for decades by insisting that violence against women be acknowledged and confronted.

To order this book, please click HERE

The Shame of War
Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) United Nations, March 2007

IRIN launched The Shame of War: Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls in Conflict—a reference book and photo essay of portraits and testimonies of the sexual violence women suffer when men go to war. It examines the scope and nature of this violence and looks at the different ways the international community is addressing sexual violence against women and girls during and after conflict. Above all, the aim of this book is to inform, to shock and to join the voices saying "Enough!" Sexual violence against women and girls does not have to be an inevitable consequence of war.

For more information and to order this book, please click HERE

La Protection de la femme et de l'enfant dans les conflits armes en Afrique (The protection of Women and Children in Armed Conflict in Africa)
Innocent Biruka, December 2006 (In French)

The legal advances made in the past half-century, as regards the protection of human beings faced with war, contrast with the fate of the women and children living in armed conflict areas in Africa. Humanity is cast aside ; childhood, femininity and maternity become cheap tools in the hands of unrepentant tortuters with impunity and all the power. Consequently, there must be a mobilization of all actors, in a multi-field approach, for concerted action towards conflict prevention and better handling of their devastating effects on women and children. With this in mind, African states must assume their legal responsibilities in this area. In particular, they must address the social exclusion of women, which aggravates their vulnerability in conflict situations. They must also adopt substantive laws to uphold fundamental human rights.

To order this book, please click HERE

The Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Treatment of Sexual Violence Against Women
Julissa Mantilla Falcon, Human Rights Brief, Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, American University Washington College of Law, Volume 12, Issue 2, Winter 2005

Sexual Violence and Armed Conflict [in Nepal]
Kamala Sarup. The People's Review, 24-30 July 2003

Sexual Violence in Nepal's conflict, presents evidence of the horrific scenario during the war. Throughout the armed conflict in Nepal, thousands of women and girls of all ages were subjected to widespread and systematic sexual violence. Nepal's eight years long conflict has been marked by an extraordinary level of brutal human rights abuses, including sexual violence against women.

The Human Rights of Women: International Instruments and African Experiences
Wolfgang Benedek, Esther M. Kisaakye and Gerd Oberleitner (Eds.), 2002
order this book

War's Dirty Secret: Rape, Prostitution and Other Crimes Against Women
Anne Llewellyn Bartsow (Ed.), Cleveland, Ohio: The Pilgrim Press, 2000

Various authors present and discuss the different atrocities performed against women during times of war, including rape, prostitution, and other sexual violations. Instances of such crimes as rape, sexual slavery, and the use of "comfort women" in such wartime Japan, Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Haiti, and other countries are illustrated, often with testimonials from women and girls. The relationship between genderized military culture and sexual crimes against women is explored, as well as the progress women have made, through both activism and the UN, in the effort to eradicate sexual war crimes. Emphasis is also given to the need to maintain the momentum of this effort and to the importance of education in eliminating these monstrous crimes. order this book

Victims, Perpetrators or Actors?: Gender, Armed Conflict and Political Violence
Caroline O.N. Moser and Fiona C. Clark (Eds.), 2001
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With An End in Sight: Strategies from the UNIFEM Trust Fund to Eliminate Violence Against Women
Cheywa Spindel, Elisa Levy and Melissa Connor, 2000

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From the Depths of Silence: Voices of Women Survivors of War
Maita Gomez, Asian Centre for Women's Human Rights (ASCENT), 2000

Gender Violence in Africa: African Women’s Responses
December Green, New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1999

To raise awareness of the situation of women on the continent of Africa, Green analyses how physical, emotional, and psychological abuse affect women on the continent and assumes forms of social control over their lives. She situates gender violence in the larger context of political, cultural, and socioeconomic issues and examines how violence against women limits their participation in development.

Violence Against Women in the Caribbean: State and Non-State Responses
Roberta Clark, 1998

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Violence Against Women in War and Armed Conflict Situations
I.L. Sajor (Ed.). Asian Centre for Women's Human Rights (ASCENT), 1998

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Gender Violence: The Hidden War Crime
Women, Law and Development International, 1998
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Gender Violence: The Hidden War Crime
Women, Law and Development International. District of Columbia: Women, Law and Development International, 1998

This text explores the international, regional and national mechanism that protect civilian women against sexual violence in armed conflicts, why women have difficulty in accessing effective legal resources, and what improvements can prevent and protect women from violence. Buy this title from Women, Ink

Safe and Secure: Eliminating Violence Against Women and Girls in Muslim Societies
Mahnaz Afkhami, Greta Hofmann Nemiroff and Haleh Vaziri. Quebec: Sisterhood is Global Institute, 1998

This training manual assists women to identify sources of violence in the family, community, society, and state; to communicate information about and understanding of violence to other women and men; and to influence governments to formulate and implement policies that eliminate gender-based violence. This title is avialable for purchase from the Sisterhood is Global Institute

Gender-based violence: A Human Rights Issue
Nieves Rico. ECLAC. No. 16, July 1996

The impactof human rights violations differs depending on the sex of the victim. Studies of the subject indicate that all acts of aggression against women exhibit some characteristic that provides a basis for their classification as gender-based violence. This means that such violence is directly related to the unequal distribution of power and to the asymmetrical relationships that exist between men and women in society, a distribution which perpetuates the devaluation of women. Differentiating this type of violence from other forms of aggression is that the risk factor involved is the fact of being a woman.

Violencia de género: Un problema de Derechos Humanos
Nieves Rico, ECLAC, Nro. 16, el julio de 1996

El impacto de las violaciones de los derechos humanos acuerdo con el sexo de la víctima. Los estudios sobre la materia permiten afirmar que toda agresión perpetrada contra una mujer tiene alguna característica que permite identificarla como violencia de género. Esto significa que está directamente vinculada a la desigual distribución del poder y a las relaciones asimétricas que se establecen entre varones y mujeres en la sociedad, una distribución que perpetúan la desvalo-rización de lo femenino. Lo que diferencia a este tipo de violencia de otras formas de agresión es que el factor de riesgo o de vulnerabilidad es el solo hecho de ser mujer.

Arms to Fight, Arms to Protect: Women Speak out about Conflict
Olivia Bennett, Jo Boxley and Kitty Warnock. (Eds). London, England: Panos, 1995

This book is a collection of interviews about the roles women play in conflict situations. In the context of increasing civilian involvement in war, the interviewees discuss the human cost of conflict and their long-term struggles to rebuild their societies in the aftermath of war.

Women and Violence: Realities and Responses Worldwide
Miranda Davies. Zed Books: New Jersey, 1994

Various authors from North and South highlight the experiences and analysis of women and groups from over 30 countries in incidences of domestic violence, child sexual abuse, sexual harassment in the workplace, rape and torture in war, genital mutilation, and the effects of male violence on women’s reproductive health. Writings accompanied by illustrations, cartoons, and posters also draw attention to the wealth of grassroots activity by women worldwide to find solutions to violence against women.