Violence against women: UN expert launches first mission to the United Kingdom

GENEVA (28 March 2014) – United Nations Special Rapporteur Rashida Manjoo will visit the United Kingdom from 31 March to 15 April 2014 to study the main manifestations of violence perpetrated in the family and in the community, such as domestic and sexual violence, sexual bullying and harassment, forced and early marriages, and female genital mutilation.

“Violence against women continues to be one of the most pervasive human rights violations globally, affecting every country in the world,” Ms. Manjoo said, launching the first visit to the United Kingdom by an independent expert charged by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor violence against women, its causes and consequences.

“During my mission I will meet with individuals and organisations involved in fighting all aspects related to violence against women, its causes and consequences with a view to assessing the phenomenon in the country,” she said.

Ms. Manjoo will also look at violence that is perpetrated or condoned by State authorities, and violence encountered by women facing new vulnerabilities due to the increased influx of immigrant women, asylum seekers and refugees.

The human rights expert, who visits the country at the invitation of the Government, will visit London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast, Cardiff and Bristol, where she will meet with government officials, and various human rights commissions.

She will also meet with representatives of civil society, including service providers.  “Importantly, I will visit shelters to obtain first-hand information from individual survivors of gender-based violence,” Ms. Manjoo said.

The Special Rapporteur will share her preliminary findings at a press conference to be held on Tuesday 15 April, at the premises of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (Strand Bridge House, 138-142 Strand, 1st Floor London, WC2R 1HH), from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm.

Based on the information obtained during the mission, Ms. Manjoo will present a report with her final findings and recommendations to a forthcoming session of the Human Rights Council.

Ms. Rashida Manjoo (South Africa) was appointed Special Rapporteur on Violence against women, its causes and consequences in June 2009 by the UN Human Rights Council. As Special Rapporteur, she is independent from any government or organization and serves in her individual capacity. Ms. Manjoo also holds a part-time position as a Professor in the Department of Public Law of the University of Cape Town. Learn more, visit: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Women/SRWomen/Pages/SRWomenIndex.aspx

Check the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CEDAW.aspx

UN Human Rights Country Page – United Kingdom: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/ENACARegion/Pages/GBIndex.aspx

For more information about the visit, please contact Gabriela Guzmán (+41 22 917 9412 / gguzman@ohchr.org) or Birgit Kainz (+41 22 917 9665 / bkainz@ohchr.org).
 
For media requests, please contact Karen Davies (mobile: +32 473 262 255 / +32 2788 8473 / davies@unric.org).

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Xabier Celaya, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)  

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