Violence against women: UN expert launches first visit to Jordan

GENEVA (9 November 2011) – United Nations Special Rapporteur Rashida Manjoo will visit Jordan from 11-23 November 2011. Ms. Manjoo is the first independent expert charged by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor violence against women, its causes and consequences, to visit the country.

“Violence against women is a violation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women; it blights or cancels out women’s enjoyment of those rights and freedoms,” said the human rights expert who will visit Jordan at the invitation of the Government.
“During my mission I will meet with national stakeholders involved in fighting all aspects related to violence against women, with a view to assessing the phenomenon in the country.”

Ms. Manjoo’s mandate on violence against women, its causes and consequences includes violence in the family, both domestic violence and culturally justified practices that are violent to or subordinate women; violence in the community; violence that is perpetrated or condoned by the State; and violence in the transnational sphere, including violence against refugee and migrant women.

The Special Rapporteur will travel to Amman, where she will hold meetings with government authorities and representatives of civil society. Ms. Manjoo will also visit shelters, refugee camps and detention centres, and meet with individual victims of gender-based violence.

The independent expert will hold a press conference on the initial findings of her visit at the Amman Marriott Hotel (Shmeissani Issam Ajluni Street, Amman, 11190 Jordan) on Wednesday 23 November at 1200h.

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.

ENDS

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, for an initial period of three year. As Special Rapporteur, she is independent from any government or organization and serves in her individual capacity. Ms. Manjoo is also a Professor at the Department of Public Law at the University of Cape Town.

For additional information on the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, please visit:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Women/SRWomen/Pages/SRWomenIndex.aspx

UN Human Rights Country Page – Jordan:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/countries/MENARegion/Pages/JOIndex.aspx

For press inquiries please contact Jumana Mustafa, UNDP Jordan (+962 6 530 0499, ext. 208 / jumana.mustafa@undp.org) or write to vaw@ohchr.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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