PRESS BRIEFING BY RADHIKA COOMARASWAMY, SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

16 April 1999


Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on violence against women, told correspondents at the Palais des Nations this afternoon that her latest report (E/CN.4/1999/68 and Add. 1-4) looked once again at the issue of domestic violence. In an attempt to provide a systematic review of State compliance with international obligations with respect to domestic violence, she had in 1998 requested governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to provide her with written accounts of measures that had been taken in their countries since 1994. She had received 45 responses from States and NGOs. She was pleased to report to the Commission that most countries had begun to recognize domestic violence against women as a problem. ARegardless of religious or ideological barriers, countries seemed to have accepted that violence in the family should be combated as a violation of women=s human rights@. This was important because 10 years ago domestic violence was not an issue.

But, Ms. Coomaraswamy said, fewer countries had really gone beyond the policy-making stage; they had not gathered statistics systematically .

The second aspect of her report dealt with reproductive rights, violence against women and reproductive health, she said.

Ms. Coomaraswamy recalled that she had conducted two field visits last year. The first was to the United States, where she had investigated violence against women in prisons. The situation was different depending on the state, so one could not make blanket statements. For example the state of Michigan produced allegations of horrendous violence, while the state of Minnesota seemed to be a "best practice" one. A second aspect was the extent of sexual misconduct. For example, Georgia had set up a special committee on the issue, while other states were not dealing with the problem in a serious manner.

Ms. Coomaraswamy said the United States was in violation of rule 33 of the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. There was use of chains and leg irons on women prisoners. There was also use of electric shocks, which although not banned by the Rules, were subject to certain conditions. She referred correspondents to Amnesty International's Annual Report, which dealt with this issue quite extensively.

Among other problems, the Special Rapporteur underlined seeming impunity of correction department officials, the recourse to private enterprises and how their use of women's labour affected the economic rights of women prisoners, and privatization of prisons.

On her second field visit, to Indonesia in November 1998, Mrs Coomaraswamy had found that sexual violence had been used as a method of intimidation and torture in East Timor, Aceh and Irian Jaya, and that the riots in May 1998 had resulted in substantial cases of sexual violence directed against ethnic Chinese women.

Asked about honour killings, Ms. Coomaraswamy said she had mentioned them on her report for the first time. She had received many cases alleging honour killings in the last few years, especially concerning Turkey, Pakistan and Jordan. AThis year, I am determined to choose a country to visit with regard honour killings and investigate about it".