Integration of the Human Rights of Women and the Gender Perspective: Violence Against Women

problem. The international community has made great strides in setting standards and elaborating a legal framework for the promotion and protection of women from violence. While at the normative level the needs of women are generally adequately addressed, the challenge lies in ensuring respect for and effective implementation of existing law and standards. Much more remains to be done to create and sustain an environment where women can truly live free from gender-based violence.

The report documents key developments at the international, regional and national levels. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the many efforts at standard-setting and norm creation at the international level and the array of activities and initiatives taken by States aimed at the elimination of violence against women, including the adoption of amendments to relevant laws, and educational, social and other measures, including national information and awareness-raising campaigns.1 In addition to the existence of laws, mechanisms for enforcing rights and redressing violations are also of crucial importance. Recent developments at the national, regional and international levels, in the prosecution of those responsible for violence against women are very

important steps in the fight against impunity, not only because the perpetrators are brought to justice, but also because of the general deterrent effect such developments will hopefully have.

Despite the progress, in general States are failing in their international obligations to effectively prevent, investigate and prosecute violence against women. Violence against women and girls continues in the family, in the community, and is perpetrated and/or condoned by the State in many countries. The report emphasizes that violence is a multifaceted problem, with no simple or single solution. Violence must be addressed on multiple levels and in multiple sectors of society simultaneously, taking direction from local people on how women's rights may be promoted in a given context. By working on the improvement of data and statistics on violence against women, adopting special legislation that guarantees equal protection of the law and enforcement of its provisions,

Governments can put in place the building blocks of a system that can respond more effectively to gender-based violence. The allocation of resources, support to research and documentation on causes and consequences of gender-based violence, education and prevention programmes to support efforts to increase community responsibility, making information on women's rights readily available and creating partnerships between Governments and NGOs are also necessary important steps. Lastly, the Special Rapporteur sets out her conclusions, challenges for the future, and several recommendations highlighting the need to address (a) root causes of violence, including women's poor economic, social and political status, which constrains knowledge of their rights

and access to options and resources, (b) equal access to the criminal justice system and (c) impunity for gender-based violence. It is the view of the Special Rapporteur that the greatest challenge to women's rights comes from the doctrine of cultural relativism and that the articulation of sexual rights is the final frontier for the women's movement.