1. Stop violence against women.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES:

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. UDHR 2; ICCPR 2:1; ICESCR 2:2; CRC 2; DEVAW 3a,c

You have the right to live without suffering, torture or any form of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. UDHR 5; ICCPR 7; CRC 37; CAT 12; DEVAW 2c,3h

Countries must protect women against violence of any kind occurring within the family, at the workplace or in any other area of social life. CEDAW 2,5,11,12 and 16; CEDAW GR 12

Countries should condemn and put an end to violence against women, including trafficking and forced prostitution. CSTPEP 17; DEVAW 2b

Countries should punish those who subject women to violence. DEVAW 4d; CEDAW GR 19:24r

If you are a refugee, you should be protected from physical dangers, including sexual violence. CRR; GC 54:2; GC 60b; GC 73a

Traditional attitudes and stereotyped roles by which women are regarded as subordinate to men perpetuate widespread practices involving violence against women and must be changed. CEDAW GR 19:11

ACTIONS:

• Condemn violence against women and prevent any custom, tradition or religious consideration from interfering with its eradication.
  
  
• Implement the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and other international human rights instruments that relate to violence against women.
  
  
• Provide women who are victims of violence and/or trafficking with just and effective legal remedies as well as with well-funded shelters, legal aid and other services.
  
  
• Pass and enforce laws against female genital mutilation, prenatal sex selection, infanticide and dowry-related violence and give strong support to the efforts of NGOs and community organisations to wipe out such practices.
  
  
• Support the activities of women's organisations and NGOs to raise awareness on the issue and help prevent it.
  
  
• Allocate adequate government funds for activities related to stopping violence.
  
  
• Promote research, collect data and compile statistics on the causes, nature and impact of violence, especially domestic violence, and disseminate findings widely.
  
  

2. Study the reasons for, and results of, violence against women and the effectiveness of preventive measures.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES:

Countries must ensure that laws adequately protect women from gender-based violence, and provide appropriate protective and support services for victims. CEDAW GR 19:24b

Countries should include in government budgets adequate resources for the elimination of violence against women. DEVAW 4h

Countries should recognize the important role of the women's movement and NGOs in alleviating the problems of violence against women. DEVAW 4o

ACTIONS:

• Increase national and international cooperation to break up networks engaged in trafficking in women.
  
  
• Prevent sex tourism.
  

3. Stop trafficking in women and help women who are victims of violence because of prostitution and trafficking.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES:

No one has the right to enslave anyone else. Slavery is a crime. UDHR 4; ICCPR 8

Women and children have the right to protection from all forms of traffic for the purposes of prostitution or any other forms of exploitation. CEDAW 6; CRC 35, 36; DEVAW 2b; CEDAW GR 19:14

VIOLENCE: ACHIEVEMENTS

• Wide acceptance that violence against women and girls, whether occurring in public or in private, is a human rights issue.
  
  
• Wide acceptance that violence by or condoned by the state is a human rights violation.
  
  
• Wide acceptance that states must prevent, investigate and punish violence against women and provide protection to victims.
  
  
• Increased awareness and commitment to preventing and combatting violence against women and girls, including domestic violence.
  
  
• Governments have developed policies and introduced programmes to address violence.
  
  
• Some governments have introduced or reformed laws to protect women and girls from violence and prosecute perpetrators.
  
  
• Increased recognition that violence against women seriously affects their health.
  
  
• Some progress in the provision of services for abused women (legal services, hot-lines, shelters, etc.).
  
  
• Education for law enforcement officers, medical personnel and welfare workers is being promoted.
  
  
• Educational materials for public awareness campaigns are being developed.
  
  
• Increasing research on gender roles, in particular those of men and boys.
  
  
• Successful cooperation between government and NGOs in the area of preventing violence against women.
  
  
• The eradication of female genital mutilation (FGM) has received international policy support, including a special ambassador appointed through the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
  

VIOLENCE: OBSTACLES

• Lack of understanding of the root causes of violence against women.
  
  
• Lack of comprehensive programmes dealing with perpetrators.
  
  
• Informed policy-making is impeded by inadequate data on the various forms of violence.
  
  
• Socio-cultural attitudes/values reinforce women’s subordinate place in society.
  
  
• Domestic violence is still treated as a private matter in some countries, and there is insufficient awareness of its consequences, how to prevent it, and the rights of victims.
  
  
• Laws to eliminate different forms of violence against women and children are weak in many countries, while prevention strategies remain fragmented and reactive.
  
  
• New problems have arisen from the use of the new information and communications technologies (ICTs) for trafficking in women and children and for economic and sexual exploitation.