Violence against women: UN expert launches first mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina

GENEVA (25 October 2012) – United Nations Special Rapporteur Rashida Manjoo will visit Bosnia and Herzegovina from 29 October to 5 November 2012 to gather information on the issue of violence against women in the country. 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“Violence against women is the most pervasive human rights violation in the world, and it strongly hinders women’s full enjoyment of all their fundamental rights and freedoms,” Ms. Manjoo said. “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.”

The Special Rapporteur will look at violence against women broadly, studying the main manifestations, causes and consequences of violence against women in the family, in the community, violence that is perpetrated or condoned by the State, and violence in the transnational sphere.

The Special Rapporteur will meet with Government authorities, at the State and Entity level, in Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Mostar, and Tuzla, among other locations. She will also meet with representatives of civil society, including victims associations and service providers. “Most importantly, I will visit shelters to obtain first-hand information from individual survivors of gender-based violence,” Ms. Manjoo said.

The Special Rapporteur will hold a press conference on the initial findings of her visit at the UNDP building in Sarajevo (Maršala Tita 48, 1st Floor) on Monday 5 November at 10h00.

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. 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://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/women/rapporteur/index.htm

UN Human Rights Country Page – Bosnia and Herzegovina:
http://www.ohchr.org/en/countries/enacaregion/pages/baindex.aspx

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

For more information and press inquiries, please contact:
In Sarajevo: Pavle Banjac (+387 33 563 823/ +387 65 524 589/ pavle.banjac@undp.org), or Gabriela Guzmán (+41 79-444 4332/ gguzman@ohchr.org)
In Geneva: Thierry del Prado (+ 41 22 917 92 32 / tdelprado@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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