GREATER ATTENTION URGED FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS; NATIONAL PROGRAMMES FOR PROTECTION AND ADVANCEMENT DESCRIBED

EVENING
HR/CN/99/35
13 April 1999



Speakers Before Commission on Human Rights Decry Violence
against Women, Sexual Trafficking, Continuing Gender Inequalities



A series of countries and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) speaking before the Commission on Human Rights this evening described efforts to protect women from violence and provide them with equal status in personal, civil, and political life, and called for more effective action against persisting abuses.

Their remarks came during continued discussion of the Commission's agenda item on "integration of the human rights of women and the gender perspective", which includes a sub-item on "violence against women".

Incidences of violence were decried repeatedly, and it was also stated a number of times that more had to be done to end sexual trafficking in women and children and to protect them during times of armed conflict.

A representative from Haiti contended that the only true solution to trafficking was to increase socioeconomic programmes to improve the situations of families in poor countries.

The delegation of Iraq used the occasion, to call for an end to the international economic embargo against the country, claiming that the suffering it caused fell especially heavily on Iraqi women and was reversing progress made in women's rights over a number of years.

Afghanistan decried the treatment of women under the Taliban regime on part of its national territory, charging that the regime had created "an environment of repression and legalized violence" but reporting that Afghan women had organized a clandestine movement of solidarity which operated within villages and cared for the needs of other women and which agreed with international norms on the rights of women.

Among those describing national efforts to promote the human rights of women were representatives of Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Georgia, Myanmar, Lithuania, Israel, Belarus, Brazil, and Croatia.

Several States lauded the adoption by the Commission on the Status of Women of an optional protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

Non-governmental organizations charged violations of the human rights of women in a series of countries, including Afghanistan, the United States, Sudan, former Yugoslavia, Spain, Peru, Indonesia, Pakistan, Iran, Viet Nam, Costa Rica, and India.

Representatives from the following countries spoke: Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Iraq, New Zealand, Georgia, Haiti, Liechtenstein, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Lithuania, Belarus, Israel, People's Democratic Republic of Korea, Brazil, Iran, and Croatia.

Other speakers included representative of the International Labour Office; United Nations Population Fund; United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization; International Committee of the Red Cross; League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; World Health Organization; United Nations Development Fund for Women; and the following non-governmental organizations also delivered statements: Transnational Radical Party; Christian Solidarity International; International Association for Religious Freedom; Pax Romana; Human Rights Watch; International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims; World Organization against Torture; International Federation of Human Rights; and World Federation of Methodist and United Church Women.

The Commission will reconvene at 10 a.m. Wednesday, 14 April, to continue its debate on integration of the rights of women.

LUCIA RUSTAM (Indonesia) said the promotion and protection of women's rights had always been at the core of Indonesian policy. This was reflected in the work of the Ministry of Women's Affairs. The new Government and the Indonesian public had shown greater enthusiasm for and commitment to the promotion and protection of women's rights. On 28 June 1998, President Habibie had launched a National Plan of Action on Human Rights 1998-2003, which gave special attention to the protection and promotion of the rights of women.

Indonesia was in disagreement with the Special Rapporteur's report. The presentation of cases of anonymous individuals made it impossible for the Indonesian Government and other concerned institutions to cross-check and verify facts. The report seemed to be based on prejudice about the policies of the Government on matters relating to women. The openness and transparency of the efforts undertaken by the Government to redress the situation was not sufficiently appreciated. In contrast, the Special Rapporteur showed great enthusiasm when meeting and obtaining information from sources outside the Government.

HO-YOUNG AHN (Republic of Korea) said mainstreaming of women's rights in the work of the Commission was imperative and Korea was pleased to note that the gender perspective had now been integrated into most of UN human-rights mechanisms, including the advisory bodies, treaty-monitoring bodies and Special Rapporteur mandates. The Republic of Korea continued to take concrete measures to promote gender equality in every sector of society; among its achievements were the enactment of an "Act on the Prohibition of Discrimination Against Women and its Remedies" and entry into force of a "Special Act on the Punishment of Domestic violence".

Korea welcomed the appointment of Ms. Coomaraswamy as Special Rapporteur on violence against women and applauded her report. It showed clearly how sexual violence intruded into daily life. The upcoming General Assembly special session called "Women 2000; gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century" would be a timely occasion to review the progress made at the United Nations over the past several decades and to look ahead to ensuring full gender equality in the next millennium.

SAAD HUSSAIN (Iraq) said the Government of Iraq had paid special attention to Iraqi women, drawing inspiration from true and tolerant Islamic law, and the civilizing and humanizing heritage of Iraq. The Iraqi Constitution contained a rule proscribing discrimination against women. The progress achieved by women in Iraq faced great challenges, in the forefront of which was the continuation of the economic embargo and the consequent material and psychological losses suffered by society.

The embargo heightened the burden borne by women and affected their health, their role in society, and their contribution to public life. It was undermining a great deal of the progress already achieved. The Commission should demand the lifting of the embargo, thus putting a halt to the genocide and mass starvation regrettably being practiced in the name of international legitimacy.

ROGER BALL (New Zealand) said this had been a landmark year with the adoption of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women by the Commission on the Status of Women. The protocol would make an important contributor to strengthening the protection of women's human rights, and would help achieve women's equality.

Much remained to be done. Of particular concern was the grave threat to women through trafficking and sexual exploitation. There was a continuing unacceptable gap between legal standards of protection and their actual implementation. The responsibility for the protection and promotion of women's rights lay squarely with States, UN agencies, treaty bodies and NGOs. The mainstreaming of a gender perspective into all UN activities was fundamental to the UN's effectiveness. Those States that had not done so should ratify the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.

RUSUDAN BERIDZE (Georgia) said Georgia had acceded to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which had obligated it to fully implement provisions of the Convention. The State bodies primarily concerned with this task were the Ministries of Health, Education, Social Security, Internal Affairs, and Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons. Other measures included establishment of a State Commission on Elaboration of a State Policy on Women's Development; development of a plan of action for improving women's conditions; and the implementation of the Joint United Nations Development Program/Georgia Project — Women in Development.

Numerous other steps had been taken, including attempts to resolve employment and salary issues resulting from the global financial crisis; improvements in the role of women in public decision-making, which was still unsatisfactory; and efforts to respond to thousands of people who had been expelled from their homes in the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions, many of whom were women and children.

MOETSI DUCHATELLIER (Haiti) said the need to combat discrimination and violence against women was widely recognised internationally, and progress had been made in some countries. However, in other regions of the world, regarding certain forms of violence, the situation had not improved, and indeed had worsened, for example in the case of the trafficking in women.

If it was true that the victims of this form of violence were from developing countries, then this issue would affect all States, and it was urgent for all to fight it. International cooperation was vital. There was a need to inform women who were at risk, as well as to care for victims. But the only true solution was to install socioeconomic programmes to improve the situation of families in poor countries.

NORBERT FRICK (Liechtenstein) said the Commission for the first time had devoted a separate agenda item to the integration of the human rights of women and the gender perspective. This agenda item offered opportunity for greater efforts to this end and to consideration of where further progress needed to be made.

Liechtenstein welcomed the adoption of the optional protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. It was a major step forward in realizing Governments' commitments to women's human rights. It was hoped that the necessary number of ratifications would soon be reached. Strong legal texts were not enough to ensure the effective protection of human rights, however -- political will of Governments to honour their commitments and fully cooperate with relevant mechanisms of the UN was critical. In that spirit, Liechtenstein had extended an invitation to visit to the Special Rapporteur on violence against women.

HUMAYUN TANDAR (Afghanistan) said the Taliban regime had instituted repressive anti-feminist decrees and overall held the view that "Afghan women had committed one crime only which was to be born a woman".

It was within this environment of repression and legalized violence that Afghan women had organized a clandestine movement of solidarity which operated within the villages and cared for the needs of other women and which agreed with international norms on the rights of women. The Taliban had incorrectly portrayed Islam to the world; in fact it had given the world a false and contemptible image of this great religion. The anti-Islamic deeds of the Taliban must be condemned.

CONSTANCE THOMAS, of International Labour Office (ILO), said the ILO had long advocated the notion that equality of opportunity and treatment between men and women in employment and occupation should be promoted as a matter of fundamental human rights, integral to the development of sound economic and social policies, and critical to the achievement of poverty-reduction strategies. These aims were reflected in the ILO's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

The violation of the human rights of women through the denial of women's basic right to earn a living was a deplorable thing, as was the exploitation of women and girls by the use of compulsory forms of labour, and various forms of violence against women. It was important to focus on women, and to highlight the special concerns of women's rights, but also to integrate gender issues throughout the work of the Commission.

DAW EI EI TIN (Myanmar) said the World Conference on Human Rights had affirmed that the human rights of women and of the girl child were an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights. Myanmar welcomed the Conference's Vienna Declaration and programme of action and the Beijing platform of action. The international community needed to do much more in order to achieve the objectives set forth in these documents.

One of the significant achievements of the Myanmar National Committee for Women's Affair was the carrying out of its First Women's Conference in Yangon last year. The issue of violence against women was one of the major concerns of the international community and in order to adopt new strategies and means, the Myanmar National Committee for Women's Affair was working together with WHO and the Government's Ministry of Health and Ministry of Social Welfare. The traditional practices of the Myanmar society accorded protection to women from the time they were children to the time when they married and after.

CAROLINA ORTEGA, of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said the challenge for the ICRC as a humanitarian organization governed by impartiality, independence and neutrality, was to ensure that all victims of armed conflict received protection and assistance in accordance with their needs. The challenge in regard to women was to ensure that women fully benefitted from measures aimed at meeting the needs of the general population and that specific steps were taken to help those with special needs.

The ICRC welcomed the clarification of the law in the International Criminal Court Statute with regard to sexual violence in its different manifestations; this would help to combat impunity. Sexual violence had been one of the multiple problems faced by women affected by armed conflict. Last year the ICRC had concluded a thorough internal review of how best to undertake its future work and had sought ways to improve its response to victims; it decided that the situation of women in armed conflicts had to be further examined. Field delegations had been requested to periodically provide gender-specific information on their activities. The ICRC hoped the results of the investigation would contribute to developing guidelines and improving understanding of the problems faced by women caught up in armed conflicts.

CECILIA SANCHEZ REYES (Nicaragua), speaking on behalf of the Central American Group, said greater attention must be paid to the integration of the human rights of women and the widespread use of gender perspective. The Draft Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women deserved support. Women also should be included at local and national levels in the development process. Women were fundamental to the development of any society.

Policies were being fostered at the national level in the Central American Group to prevent discrimination against women and to promote their empowerment in all spheres of national life. The rights of women had pride of place in all Government sections. The problem was that of poverty and extreme poverty, which enormously restricted the solutions available for women, who for cultural and historical reasons were the most vulnerable members of society. Much had been done to provide equal opportunities for women in education, and these measures had had positive results, as had the education of society upon the issue of women's rights.

BASHIR MUNTASSER, of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), said the individual's right to reproductive health, including the right to decide the size and spacing of one's family, was now accepted as part of the framework of human rights. This was reflected in the international consensus achieved at the International Conference on Population and Development of 1994, other international conferences of the 1990s, and at the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna.

The challenge of the next decade was to secure reproductive rights in practice. This would minimize abortion, reinforce trends towards smaller families, and slow down population growth. Developing countries had made historic gains in the last 40 years in improving health, especially infant and child health, in lengthening lifespan, and in allowing people to choose the size of their families. Since its inception in 1969, the UNFPA had worked with countries, helping them to formulate and implement population policies and programmes.

AUDRIUS NAVIKAS (Lithuania) said it aligned itself with the statement delivered by the German delegation on behalf of the European Union. Lithuania had realized its greatest achievement in gender equality with its Law on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, which was approved in 1998 and which created the post of a special Ombudsperson on gender equality.

Lithuania had taken numerous steps to implement gender equality at a broad variety of political and administrative levels. These included measures related to employment issues, education, and equal participation in political, social, economic and cultural life. Lithuania had established a Governmental Commission on Women's Issues and a special division for Labour Market and Equal Opportunities.

ANNAR GASSAM, of United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), said the issue of violence against women and girls and the phenomenon of their sexual exploitation and abuse had to be addressed, since these issues touched the right to life and dignity of half the human race.

More action should be taken, based on preventive and reconstructive strategies to combat violence, discrimination and exploitation against women and girls in all fields of competence. Violence against women began with the womb, the child-bearing woman and the female foetus. It seemed to be the special contribution of the Serbian civilization to have refined the practice of rape as a weapon of war to an alarming degree. It also was alarming to note the plight of women in Afghanistan.

RASHIM AHLUWALIA, of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said women were increasingly victims of violence in many countries, both during normal times and in disaster situations. They were victims of domestic violence, targets in armed conflicts, and vulnerable members of refugee groups and internally displaced populations.

The specific issue of the impact of conflict on women was taken up at a 1995 international conference of the Federation. In a resolution on the subject of protection of civilian populations in periods of armed conflict, special emphasis was placed on protecting women. In particular, the use of rape during war was condemned as war crime and a crime against humanity. Social counseling, medical assistance and psychological support to victims were an increasing challenge to many of the Federation's member national societies. The deplorable persistence of violence against women should compel states to devote more concerted efforts to prevent and reduce this form of violence as well as to ensure assistance to the victims.

TAMARA KHARASHUN (Belarus) said that the principle of non-discrimination was the basis of most human-rights declarations. The elimination of discrimination had not yet been achieved and the international community had to be awakened both nationally and internationally along the lines which had been opened at the Vienna Conference in 1993 and furthered in Beijing at the Fourth World Conference on Women.

Women in Belarus had suffered the negative effects of the transition process, especially in employment and economic status. Belarus had taken numerous steps to address this, including increasing the monthly family allocations paid out. The role of women had increased in decision-making. As an example, an election had been held for assembly positions in 96 per cent of the country's districts, and 37 per cent of those elected were women. To ensure the access of women to the labour market, Belarus had prepared announcements for jobs and increased the number of positions offered to women.

TAMAR RAHAMIMOFF (Israel) said that when dealing with issues of women's rights, equality between the sexes, gender-based discrimination, and violence against women, it was necessary to take into account the unique characteristics and social features pertaining to each State. The problem of violence against women had been accorded special attention in Israel, through various means.

This was, however, a task as yet uncompleted, and the promotion of the rights of women and the protection of women against violence required continuing attention and effort in order to prepare for the next millennium.

CHOE MYONG NAM (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) said the discussion of women's rights under an independent agenda item for the first time was of considerable importance. Unfortunately, past cruel crimes against women were hidden and ignored even at this juncture. There were past crimes committed by Japan against North Korea, for example, for which Japan had neither apologized to victims nor compensated them. By comparison, the German Government had announced its decision to compensate more victims of World War II.

Japan had displaced 200,000 Korean women by invoking Government and military powers and forced upon them a miserable life of military sexual slavery. The Committee of Experts on the application of ILO conventions and recommendations, in its report to the 87th session of International Labour Conference, found that sexual slavery carried out by Japan was contrary to the 1930 Convention on Forced Labour to which Japan was a State party, and said the Japanese Government should take such measures as compensation of victims.

ANTONIO NASCIMENTO PEDRO (Brazil) said Brazil attached great importance to agenda item 12 and agreed with the policy of mainstreaming efforts; these coincided with Brazilian efforts made internally. Reduction of poverty, measures to combat violence against women, steps to reduce discrimination in the work force, and actions to improve health services had been covered in Brazil's Declaration of Pequim and its Action Plan. Brazil had modified legislation and created institutions to foster gender equality. The first step of the nationwide programme had been accomplished and the second was under preparation.

Brazil had begun the process of revising its Civil Code to change aspects of the law which were obstacles to the effective exercise of the rights of women. A National Council of Women had been established not only for the discussion of women's rights problems but also for the analysis of action strategies and measures to be adopted.

FILIPPA BERG, of World Health Organization (WHO), said reproductive rights were human rights. Failure to address these rights would be a failure of human rights and social justice. Women had a right to make free and informed decisions about their reproductive lives, along with a right to information on the topic and to education and health services. They had a right to benefit from scientific progress in health care.

Defining reproductive health was not only a health issue but also a matter of social justice and human rights; it provided a legal and political basis for Governments to act. The unfinished agenda in maternal health and the challenge of adolescent reproductive health should be addressed. The latter and maternal mortality were only two aspects of the reproductive health of women, and it should be recognized that the human-rights and social-justice dimensions of these and other reproductive-health issues should be addressed if health gains were to be made.

ZAHRA TAHERI (Iran) said 1980s and 1990s had seen significant progress in promotion of the status of women and participation of women in all aspects of life. However, the situation remained far from satisfactory. The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran had initiated various undertakings to enhance advancement of women. Efforts included increasing the number of women members of Parliament, promoting more women to high judicial and administrative posts, actively involving women in the publication of newspapers and periodicals, and preparing and disseminating information concerning violence against women in different provinces.

Iran felt deep concern over the situation of women and children caught up in armed conflicts such as that going on in the Isreali-occupied Arab territories. In areas such as Kosovo, on-going killing of civilians and ethnic cleansing perpetrated by Serb forces had caused tremendous suffering among children and women. Iran welcomed the holding of a special session of the General Assembly in 2000 to review progress made in implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action.


ROXANNA CARRILLO, of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), said UNIFEM had organized a United Nations inter-agency global videoconference entitled "A World Free of Violence against Women" and had taken the lead within the United Nations system in combating such violence. It had engaged most agencies with operational responsibilities in a series of regional campaigns under the theme "A Life Free from Violence: It's Our Right". Raising the visibility of issues of violence against women had contributed to generating political will towards new partnerships for action between Governments, civil society and the private sector.

UNIFEM had taken other steps towards the elimination of violence against women, including creation of a Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence against Women and provision of information and advocacy materials. There was a need for greater coordination among multiple strategies that could address the root causes of violence against women, deter specific acts of violence, mobilize communities against violence, and hold perpetrators accountable.

LORA DRAGIC (Croatia) said the Croatian Government had undertaken various activities in the field of gender equality. It was aware that a legal framework, adjusted to all international standards, was only a basis for the protection of human rights, and should be complemented by effective implementation. Research had been done into the issue of representation of women in various fields of public life, subsequent to which a strategy would be devised for enhancing their representation.

Gender equality could only be achieved by increasing the number of women in decision-making positions. Stereotypes should be eliminated. In all activities and documents, it was necessary to continually take into consideration the issues of gender equality, equal opportunity and equality before the law. These goals could only be achieved through cooperation and understanding and by coordination of joint activities.

CHIARA STEINDLER, of Transnational and Transdivisional Radical Party, said the issue of the implementation of human rights of women was closely inter-linked with all other fields of human rights, from the promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms to the realization of economic, social and cultural rights, from administration of justice to international, regional and national policies.

The list of international conventions and treaties of which Afghanistan was a party included the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. However, there was a continued deterioration of the situation of women in Afghanistan. Violations of their rights ranged from physical violence, denial of access to health care, education and employment outside the home, to severe restrictions on freedom of movement. The ruling Taliban declared that it wished to restore Islamic purity and fundamentalism and used a particular interpretation of Islam as a pretext for its unprecedented discrimination against women. The Commission must pay due attention to the unbearable situation of the Afghan women and approve a resolution condemning the abusive practices in Afghanistan.

JANE TASCA, of Christian Solidarity International (CSI), said the crime of female genital mutilation had been denounced in General Assembly and Commission resolutions. But the practice continued, and its gravity had to be addressed.

Sudan was an example of a country which had legally banned the practice but had never enforced the ban. CSI called upon the Commission to activate existing United Nations mechanisms and procedures in order to bring an end to the such extreme violations of human rights in the Sudan, including urgent measures to prevent further cases of slavery, slave-trading in women, young girls and children, and rape and female genital mutilation, all of which were crimes against humanity.

GIANFRANCO ROSSI, of International Association for Religious Freedom, said extremism in religion could have a negative effect on women and could lead to violence and discrimination. This was happening under several forms of religion and in several countries, including Nepal, Israel, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.

The inequality existing in some of these countries was based upon Muslim doctrine -- but such policies were a perversion of Islam, which proclaimed equality between man and woman. Religious leaders should purify their doctrine of all extremism and all traditions running contrary to the true spirit of their religions.

ILKA BAILEY-WIEBECKE, of Pax Romana, said the types of violence committed against women were reflected in reports E/CN.4/1999/68 and Add.1-4 by the Special Rapporteur on the subject. In these reports she concluded that "States were failing in their international obligations to prevent, investigate and prosecute violence against women in the family", and that national policies were failing to give priority and force to women's human-rights efforts.

In Spain, for example, an average 16,000 complaints of domestic violence and 85 domestic murders were reported each year. In Peru, forced sterilization, carried out within the framework of a programme as a means to intensify family planning, had resulted in death or serious illnesses. In Indonesia there existed the practice of forced sterilization within a Governmental family programme applied to groups of illiterate women. The Taliban movement in Afghanistan was waging a war upon women and also denied young women all access to education. Governments should fully cooperate with the Special Rapporteur in order to eradicate domestic violence; and the Special Rapporteur should continue to investigate and denounce illegal practices carried out by Governments implementing sterilization programmes.

WIDNEY BROWN, of Human Rights Watch , said that "abusive", "defiant", and "retaliatory" were words that described the response of the Government of the State of Michigan in the United States when confronted with indisputable evidence of widespread sexual harassment and abuse of women by prison guards. Instead of addressing the abuse, Michigan had attacked the victims –- calling them liars and accusing Human Rights Watch of "lynching" guards. The State had even attacked the integrity of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women by calling her an unwitting dupe of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Human Rights Watch called on the United States Government to create and implement an effective means for receiving and investigating complaints of sexual abuse and misconduct in federal, state and local prisons; to withdraw its restrictive reservations, declarations and understandings to the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights and the Convention Against Torture; and to pass implementing legislation for them; and to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

JANET RODENBURG, of International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims, said politically inflicted rape was torture, and thus a politically motivated crime, as opposed to rape as a personal and sexually motivated crime. For many years, State-inflicted rape had had an uncertain status under international humanitarian Law. It had been characterized as a crime against honour and dignity, but the fact was that rape was a violent attack causing suffering in body and mind. This was a parallel definition to that of torture.

Today, victims of politically inflicted rape were more protected than before, at least in theory. The next step was to implement these legal protections, to truly protect women in times of conflict, and to prosecute those who assaulted them.

CARIN BENNINGER-BUDEL, of World Organization Against Torture (OMCT), said the decision to place gender as a priority at the World Organization Against Torture was a result of an increasing stream of cases on gender-specific forms of violence reported by the organization's members. These cases highlighted the position of women in custody. The most striking element of gender-specific State violence was its sexualization. A clear contributing factor to sexual violence in prisons, was, in many States, the fact that male correctional staff were allowed to supervise female inmates, to undertake body searches, and to be present when female inmates were naked.

Such was the case in United States. In Pakistan, rape and other acts of sexual violence in custody of the police or other security officials was one of the most persistent human-rights violations occurring in the country. In Iran, reliable sources reported that since Khatami had been President, at least seven people had been stoned to death in public, and four of them were women. In Afghanistan, the Taliban tortured women in public generally by beatings and flogging; these acts were the most striking contemporary example of violence against women in order to prevent women from entering the public sphere. OMCT noted the outstanding work of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women.

JEANNE BILONDA, of International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH), said women's human rights were an integral part of human rights and should be completely integrated within international human-rights regimes. Violence against women had its roots in the family, but most States had closed their eyes to this fact.

Because States did not act to intervene to protect women from attacks within the family, other problems ensued. States must show due diligence against acts of violence against women in family situations. FIDH cited statistics which revealed the worldwide extent of violence which began in the family, and said there were problems with family violence in many countries, including Vietnam, Costa Rica, Pakistan, India, and the United States of America. FIDH thanked the Special Rapporteur on violence against women for her remarkable work and encouraged her to continue on the path she had begun.

RENATE BLOEM, of World Federation of Methodist and United Church Women, said the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women was the most powerful instrument now combatting violations of women's rights. But many women were still not aware of those rights. Monitoring the human rights of women was a critical part of the gender mainstreaming of human-rights mechanisms. Progress had been made in the establishment of an International Criminal Court to redress some of the worst violations that women were subject to.

Definitions of war crimes and crimes against humanity now specifically included rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, and enforced sterilization. Women's rights violations were still widespread in all societies and cultures, but eradication of this violence, empowerment of women, and the promotion of gender equality was not only a human rights and ethical concern, but also a development issue.