Council begins interactive dialogue on violence against women and discrimination against women in law and in practice

AFTERNOON
 
Council Hears Address by Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sudan
 
GENEVA (17 June 2016) - The Human Rights Council this afternoon began its clustered interactive dialogue with Dubravka Šimonović, Special Rapporteur on violence against women, and Frances Radday, Chair of the Working Group on discrimination against women in law and in practice.  It also heard an address from Kamal Ismael, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sudan.
 
Addressing the Council, Mr. Kamal praised the Human Rights Council and its bodies for having played a significant role in the promotion of human rights worldwide in the past 10 years.  The Council’s work should be strengthened by upholding the principles of impartiality and neutrality.  Sudan noted with great concern attempts to politicize the Council which would weaken its integrity.  Sudan was doing its best to promote human rights despite tremendous challenges, such as international sanctions, the refusal of armed rebel groups to sign the peace roadmap, and the high number of internally displaced persons and more than two million refugees from neighbouring countries.  
 
Presenting her report, Ms. Šimonović said an intermediate priority for the mandate would be to focus on the use of data on violence against women as a prevention tool. Other thematic priorities would include the protection of and services for women survivors of violence; the possibility of formulating a global code of conduct for security and police forces in carrying out their key role of prevention of violence against women; violence against women in the context of forced displacement and refugee flows; and the examination of connections between fundamentalism and gender-based violence against women and its root causes.
 
In her presentation, Ms. Radday noted that due to the different biology of women and men, an identical approach to treatment, medication, research, budgeting, and accessibility to health services for women and men in fact constituted discrimination.  Equality in health required, among other things, access to affordable modern methods of contraception, maternal health care, and access to safe termination of pregnancy where required.  Laws criminalising abortion deprived women of autonomy in decision-making about their own bodies. 
 
Georgia, South Africa, Sudan, Senegal and United States spoke as concerned countries.  The national human rights institution from Georgia also spoke.
 
In the interactive discussion, concerning violence against women, speakers underlined the issue of violence against women in the context of conflict, namely sexual harassment, early marriage, violence during conflict, fight against stereotypes and female genital mutilation.  Some countries expressed concern at a growing phenomenon of sexual tourism and abuse of women and children, noting with concern the situation of women in Africa as a result of socio-economic conditions and traditional cultural practices. 
 
As for discrimination against women in law and practice, speakers raised concerns over the disproportionate level of discrimination against women in the area of health and safety, particularly in their right to sexual and reproductive health.  Health policies tailored to specific needs of women should not be politicized, and it was vital for women to participate in all decision-making.  Speakers insisted on the importance of ensuring the security and health of all women through targeted measures, appropriate budgets and monitoring activities.
 
Speaking were: Dominican Republic on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, European Union, Qatar on behalf of the Arab Group, Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, South Africa on behalf of the African Group, Japan, Hungary, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Qatar, Angola, Mali, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Iran, Switzerland, Venezuela, Croatia, Morocco, Jordan, China, Sweden, Pakistan, Albania, United States, Belgium, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Fiji, Benin, Togo, Russian Federation, Slovenia, Chile, Namibia, Council of Europe, France, Botswana, Cuba, Australia, Malaysia, Latvia, Montenegro, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Italy, Guinea Bissau, Panama, Nepal, Sovereign Order of Malta, Niger, Thailand and Canada.
 
Russian Federation spoke in right of reply.
 
The Human Rights Council will next meet on Monday, 20 June, at 9:30 a.m., to continue the clustered interactive dialogue on violence against women and on discrimination against women in law and in practice, followed by the clustered interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on internally displaced persons and the Special Rapporteur on summary executions. 
 
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sudan
 
KAMAL ISMAEL, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sudan, praised the Human Rights Council and its bodies for having played a significant role in the promotion of human rights worldwide in the past 10 years.  The Council’s work should be strengthened by upholding the principles of impartiality and neutrality.  Attempts to politicize the Council would weaken its integrity.  The 2030 Agenda would help every country to design a national strategy to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals through concrete assessment and monitoring.  Sudan had a good record in constructive cooperation with the United Nations bodies and special mechanisms.  It would continue its positive cooperation with Special Procedures, hoping that they would carry out their mandates in line with the principles of impartiality, neutrality and constructive dialogue.  Broad national legal reforms had been undertaken in Sudan in order to incorporate international human rights obligations in the domestic legal framework.  Sudan was doing its best to promote human rights despite tremendous challenges.  In order to enhance the national peace-building process, Sudan had signed the roadmap presented by the African Union.  Unfortunately, armed rebel groups refused to sign the roadmap without any reasonable justification.  The country still needed to solve the situation of the internally displaced persons and more than two million refugees from neighbouring countries.  Mr. Ismael noted that the international sanctions against Sudan had a serious negative impact on the quality of life in the country, especially in the area of health.  As for the role of the International Criminal Court, he stressed that it was a highly politicized tool for targeting African leaders.
 
Documentation
 
The Council has before it the Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences (A/HRC/32/42).
 
The Council has before it a corrigendum to the Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences (A/HRC/32/42/Corr.1).
 
The Council has before it an addendum to the Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences – mission to Sudan (A/HRC/32/42/Add.1).
 
The Council has before it an addendum to the Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences – mission to South Africa (A/HRC/32/42/Add.2).
 
The Council has before it an addendum to the Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences – mission to Georgia (A/HRC/32/42/Add.3).
 
The Council has before it an addendum to the Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences – mission to Sudan – comments by the State (A/HRC/32/42/Add.4).
 
The Council has before it an addendum to the Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences – mission to South Africa – comments by the State (A/HRC/32/42/Add.5).
 
The Council has before it an addendum to the Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences – mission to Georgia – comments by the State (A/HRC/32/42/Add.6).
 
The Council has before it the Report of the Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice (A/HRC/32/44).
 
The Council has before it an addendum to the Report of the Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice – mission to Senegal (A/HRC/32/44/Add.1).
 
The Council has before it an addendum to the Report of the Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice – mission to the United States (A/HRC/32/44/Add.2).
 
The Council has before it addendum to the Report of the Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice – mission to Senegal – comments by the State (A/HRC/32/44/Add.3).  French only.
 
Presentation of Reports
 
DUBRAVKA ŠIMONOVIĆ, Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, said that her report outlined the vision for the mandate and the thematic priorities she intended to focus on in the period ahead.  The thematic report examined the general context and main trends and challenges posed by violence against women, noting that the legal and policy landscape around the mandate had changed owing to developments in international and regional frameworks and mechanisms on violence against women.  At the same time, violence against women was still at pandemic levels, widespread and persistent.  Those changes led the Special Rapporteur to refocus her mandate in order to accelerate the elimination of violence against women, its causes and consequences.  An intermediate priority for the mandate would be to focus on the use of data on violence against women as a tool for its prevention and in that regard the Special Rapporteur had already called upon States to establish a “femicide watch” or a “gender-related killing of women watch”, in order to inform the effective measures and strategies needed to prevent femicides.  Other thematic priorities would, inter alia, include the protection of and services for women survivors of violence; the possibility of formulating a global code of conduct for security and police forces in carrying out their key role of prevention of violence against women; violence against women in the context of forced displacement and refugee flows; and the examination of connections between fundamentalism and gender-based violence against women and its root causes.
 
The Special Rapporteur presented reports from country visits to Sudan, conducted by her predecessor, and to South Africa and Georgia.  South Africa, a young democracy, had accomplished a lot in building its legal framework on human rights and violence against women, as evidenced by its inclusive Constitution and progressive laws such as the Domestic Violence Act.  Still, violence against women remained widespread, and there was an implementation gap between the proclaimed constitutional principles of gender equality and non-discrimination and their practical realization.  South Africa needed to enact enabling legislation for the implementation of the principles of equality and non-discrimination in marriage and family relationships, remove societal and institutional barriers which prevented the victims to report violence, address gender bias in handling of victims by the police, and in general more robustly tackle violence against women.  Concerning Georgia, there were important shortcomings in the current legal framework on violence against women, and there were 17 laws, including the law of violence against women and domestic violence, which needed to be harmonized with the Istanbul Convention.  An issue of concern was the high number of cases of child and forced marriages in the country, as well as the discrimination against women, particularly ethnic minority women, rural women, and other groups, who suffered multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination.  Georgia should immediately remove the restrictive legal and administrative determination of status of victim of domestic violence in order to ensure their immediate access to all protective measures and services.
 
FRANCES RADAY, Chair of the Working Group on discrimination against women in law and practice, presented the Group’s thematic report on discrimination against women in the area of health and safety as well as the findings of the Group’s country visits to Senegal and the United States.  Women’s right to equality in health and safety, including reproductive and sexual health, was enshrined in international and regional human rights instruments.  The different biology of women and men necessitated differential treatment in the area of health.  An identical approach to treatment, medication, research, budgeting, and accessibility to health services for women and men in fact constituted discrimination.  Equality in health required, among other things, access to affordable modern methods of contraception, maternal health care, and access to safe termination of pregnancy where required.  Laws criminalising abortion deprived women of autonomy in decision-making about their own bodies.  In some cases, being forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term amounted to cruel and inhuman treatment.  The Working Group called on all Member States to reaffirm and respect the commitments they had made in the Sustainable Development Goals and other agreements.
 
Turning to country visits, she said that significant progress had been achieved in Senegal, in terms of the legal and institutional framework and the many policies and activities aiming to promote and protect women’s rights.  But customs and legal constraints continued to stand in the way of the achievement of gender equality.  Over 80 per cent of active women worked in the informal sector, not benefiting from basic social services and often working in dangerous conditions.  Genuine political will was needed to break socio-cultural barriers that prevented Senegalese women from attaining gender equality.  Regarding the Working Group’s visit to the United States, she noted that the extreme polarisation of politics in the country was profoundly affecting the Government’s ability to carry out its international commitments.  Despite United States women’s high educational achievements and work force participation, the gender wage gap stood at 21 per cent.  The Group was “appalled” by the lack of mandatory standards for paid maternity leave, which was required by international human rights standards.  Access to reproductive health services had been significantly eroded by state procedural and institutional restrictions.  Violence against women was persistent, and exacerbated by insufficient gun control. 

Statements by the Concerned Countries
 
Georgia, speaking as a concerned country, stressed that protecting women’s rights was one of its top priorities.  The Government had just adopted a new national action plan on human rights, with active engagement of civil society actors, and which included dedicated measures on combatting violence against women and girls in compliance with the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combatting violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention).  Access to services for victims, and shelter services, were at the centre of the new action plan.  A new crisis centre was aimed at providing emergency support and shelter to the victims of gender violence.  Further, the action plan contained a number of activities for the prevention of harmful practices, including early marriage.  In addition, Parliament had decided to appoint a mechanism charged with the implementation of treaty body recommendations.  Georgia then deplored that the rights of many women were blatantly violated by the occupying power in certain parts of the country.  Despite this challenge, Georgia would continue to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur. 
 
Public Defender of Georgia emphasized improvements and steps taken by the Georgian Government in combatting and preventing gender-based violence through conducting information campaigns and improving response mechanisms.  It was concerning, however, that Georgia had still not ratified the Istanbul Convention, despite numerous commitments by high-level officials.  Challenges remained, including alarming cases of “femicide” and lack of knowledge about gender violence among law enforcement officers.  Unfortunately, forced and early marriages continued in Georgia, and measures were needed to raise public awareness on this issue and to improve response mechanisms. 
 
South Africa, speaking as a concerned country, said that on 16 June, South Africa had commemorated the fortieth anniversary of the Soweto Youth Uprising, which had taken youth to the streets to protest against apartheid in which black children, and especially girls were marginalized.  The apartheid government had used its institutions to inflict violence against its majority citizens and violence against women had been legalized.  As a young democracy, South Africa was on a journey to change the patriarchal system which oppressed women and had made great advancements in protecting its women from violence, and building best practice in the form of Thuthuzela Care centres for survivors of violence and the establishment of the sexual offences courts.  South Africa was a big country and it was amiss from the Special Rapporteur to apply the findings from only one part of the country to all its areas.  South Area would continue to be inclusive in its approach and involve civil society, traditional leaders, media and others to advance the culture of human rights. 
 
Sudan, speaking as a concerned country, reiterated its commitment to working with the United Nations Special Procedures and the mandate on violence against women in particular.  It was unfortunate to note that the report on the country visit to Sudan, conducted by the previous Special Rapporteur, contained remarks which were not in line with the requirements of impartiality, independence, objectivity and professionality of Special Procedures.  Her remarks were politicized and this was contradictory with the Code of Conduct for the United Nations Special Procedures.  The Constitution of Sudan stipulated non-discrimination on any basis which therefore provided a legal framework for the prohibition of discrimination against women.
 
Senegal, speaking as a concerned country, said it was important to underline the Senegalese Constitution’s emphasis on the concept of equality between men and women.  That provision demonstrated Senegal’s commitment to eliminating discrimination against women.  Particular measures had been taken regarding the establishment of funds for women, including an agricultural development support programme.  There had been an increase in the number of women in parliament.  Senegal had ratified the International Labour Organization’s Convention on the protection of motherhood, and the implementation of a reform of the family code was underway.  Senegal’s police force and gendarmerie had female staff to help victims, and a gender unit in the Ministry of Health had been set up.  Awareness was expressed as to the fact that much remained to be done, but thanks to the help of, among others, Special Procedures mandate holders, Senegal would be able to make the changes.
 
United States, speaking as a concerned country, said it had long been a supporter of Special Procedures country visits, and strongly believed that all States should be willing to listen with respect to well-intended and constructive criticism.  Awareness was expressed that there was much ground left to cover as regards the progress of American women toward gender equality.  The recommendations of the Working Group would be taken seriously as an adjunct to the “home-grown” voices of American women and the vigorously outspoken civil society of the United States.  The United States was a large and diverse country with a complex and multi-layered federal system of government, and the Working Group might have had some difficulty comprehending the nuances of the United States so-called “melting pot” culture.  The Working Group’s sincere efforts to recognize the United States’ diversity was acknowledged.  Some of the report’s conclusions, in particular those regarding international human rights law, did not always accurately reflect the relevant legal framework of Member States’ obligations. 
 
Interactive Dialogue
 
Dominican Republic, speaking on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, said that gender equality was included throughout the 2030 Agenda as a cross-cutting issue.  It insisted on the importance of ensuring security and health of all women through targeted measures, appropriate budgets and monitoring activities.  European Union continued to be appalled by the persistence of violence against women worldwide, and noted the special risks faced by women and girls belonging to minorities.  The European Union was committed to eliminate discrimination against women and girls in the area of health.  Qatar, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group, said that Arab countries provided special attention and protection to women with special needs, including women with disabilities, and explained that the implementation of the 2030 Agenda would improve women’s access to health.  Pakistan, speaking on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, shared concerns expressed by the Special Rapporteur, and informed that leaders of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation had adopted a Joint Communique and an Action Plan on the importance of the contributions of women in societies, the advancement of child and maternal health, and on combatting harmful practices against women.  South Africa, speaking on behalf of the African Group, expressed its concerns about some unfounded conclusions contained in the report by the Special Rapporteur, which did not reflect the situation on the ground.  Country visits by Special Procedures mandate holders should be conducted in a spirit of constructiveness.  Germany underlined the importance of women’s rights and healthcare also being accessible to migrant women and girls.  What were the best practices for ensuring access to health for women and girls with disabilities?
 
Japan agreed that violence against women was the most atrocious manifestation of the systemic and widespread discrimination against women.  Japan would continue to play its part in addressing the issue, including though hosting, for the past two years, the World Assembly for Women.  Hungary stressed that the heart and essence of eliminating discrimination against women was building a harmonious equilibrium between women and men in all areas: family, employment, social protection, dignity, integrity, health and security.  Addressing violence against women and girls was a priority in Spain which had set up the State Observatory to collect data to inform policies.  Spain asked about measures to be undertaken through international cooperation to address femicide.  There was indeed a will to strengthen the gender perspective and promote specific programmes for women.  Denmark said that eliminating all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls was central in the 2030 Agenda and was the key to achieving gender equality, and all States had an obligation to address attitudes and behaviours that were among root causes of violence.  Norway fully agreed with the Working Group that all forms of instrumentalization of women’s bodies must be fought; culture and traditions must not be used to justify violence against women and deny them human rights and fundamental freedoms.  The protection of women survivors of violence against women was important, and Norway asked the Special Rapporteur how best to proceed with compiling best practices on the creation of shelters.  Qatar agreed that eliminating discrimination against women was crucial not only for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, but also for peace and development. 
 
Angola noted that the fight against discrimination against women was a global priority, which was why it supported the reinforcement and implementation of all international instruments for the promotion of women’s rights.  Mali noted that despite the results achieved, countering sexual violence still presented a major challenge, notably sexual harassment, early marriage, violence during conflict, the fight against stereotypes and female genital mutilation.  New Zealand voiced concern over disproportionate levels of discrimination against women in the area of health and safety, particularly in their right to sexual and reproductive health.  The continuing high rates of maternal mortality often reflected the lack of investment in health services.  United Kingdom condemned attacks on all women, who had to be able to fully participate in society, free from fear of violence.  It was crucial to eliminate sexual and gender-based violence and to end harmful practices, including female genital mutilation, and child, early and forced marriages.  Iran stated that violence against women during wars and conflicts remained one of the most important global challenges.  It was deeply concerned that the Working Group had gone beyond its mandate and that it had not used universally acknowledged terminology.  Switzerland underlined the links between fundamentalism and violence against women.  Health policies tailored to the specific needs of women should not be politicized, and it was vital for women to participate in all decision-making. 
 
Venezuela said that it had policies that promoted the full participation of women in the society.  It underlined the importance of giving attention to the need to provide reparation to the victims of gender-based violence in conflict situations.  Croatia welcomed the Special Rapporteur’s initiative for establishing a “femicide watch” and for raising attention to persistent challenges and gaps in implementing international and regional standards relating to violence against women.  Morocco recognized the importance of combatting violence against women on the Internet, and of ensuring the enjoyment by women of healthcare.  Morocco was determined to combat discrimination against women through international commitments and national reforms, as well as awareness-raising campaigns to combat negative stereotypes.  Jordan remained committed to continue combatting and preventing violence against women, and valued ongoing cooperation with United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations on that issue.  Jordan encouraged the Special Rapporteur to give due attention to the situation of women living under foreign occupation and armed conflict.  China said that it had set up a legal system for protecting the rights of women and combatting violence.  Challenges remained, and the Government would continue its efforts to promote the participation of women in public life.  China also conducted special programmes for women’s access to health in developing countries.  Sweden said that exercising control over your own body was the first building block of a truly democratic society and key for economic development.  It asked what States should do to improve women’s access to sexual and reproductive health.  
 
Pakistan said that women in all parts of the world were subjected to all forms of violence, adding that it was important to acknowledge progress made by countries.  Could the Special Rapporteur elaborate on how to develop synergies between national, regional and international legal frameworks on combatting violence against women?  There was no legitimate justification for violence against women, said Albania, which called upon all to address root causes.  Albania condemned harmful and discriminatory practices in health and stressed the need to tackle the traditional attitudes that were at their roots.  United States asked the Working Group how to ensure that rules regarding modesty ensured equal access to health and also asked the Special Rapporteur how States could support the reporting on sexual and other forms of violence against women, which was largely under-reported.  Belgium had applied a comprehensive approach in its national plan to combat violence against women, which was informed by the Istanbul Convention, and asked the Special Rapporteur how she would support States in delivering on Sustainable Development Goal n°5.  On the report by the Working Group, Belgium stressed that without equal access to health women could never play their important role in development.  Kyrgyzstan said it was important to enhance skills of law enforcement officials, medical and social personnel dealing with victims of violence and supported the idea by the Special Rapporteur to elaborate a global code of conduct for police officers dealing with violence against women.  Kyrgyzstan was concerned that working migrant women faced more difficulties in accessing health services and asked the Working Group to monitor this situation.  Lithuania agreed with the thematic priorities of the Special Rapporteur, and asked how violence against women, especially in conflict situations, affected economies of countries and whether the argument of the economic cost of violence could be used to spur preventive action.
 
Bulgaria said it paid special attention to the issues of violence against women and domestic violence, and listed domestic initiatives against them, noting that these were part of the country’s engagement to promote the active participation of women in all parts of social and political life.  Fiji thanked the Special Rapporteur for the links she made between patriarchy, gender norms, and social and cultural acceptance of violence against women, and drew attention to research findings showing that climate change and disasters also increased women’s vulnerability to gender-based violence.  Benin expressed concern at the growing phenomenon of sexual tourism and abuse of women and children, noting with concern the situation of women in Africa as a result of socio-economic conditions and traditional cultural practices.  Togo detailed national initiatives in the field of women’s rights, noting that a new penal code criminalised violence against women and rape in marriage, and that when it came to inheritance, women and men were equal.  Russian Federation cautioned the mandate holders not to expand their thematic mandates, which did not include Security Council Resolution 1325, asking also whether the implementation of the right of women to the highest standards of health regarding reproductive and sexual health should not be discussed in the World Health Organization.  Slovenia particularly welcomed that the mandate holders highlighted the importance of jurisprudence on the implementation of international and national standards, and asked to hear more about their planned activities for strengthening cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 
 
Chile noted that violence against women was a public issue, for which it had adopted a national plan, which stipulated measures to prevent such violence and provide support to victims.  The provision of sexual and reproductive health services to women was another priority of the Chilean Government.  Namibia agreed that violence against women during conflicts was different and that it required special attention.  It called for greater political will for the improved participation of women in post-conflict peace-building processes.  Council of Europe stated that its Strategy on Gender Equality 2014-2017 promoted an integrated approach to gender equality and provided guidance and support to Member States in implementing standards in the area of gender equality.  France noted that violence against women was very often the result of multiple and overlapping discrimination that was sometimes deeply entrenched.  States needed to provide appropriate sexual and reproductive health services to women at a reasonable cost and in an autonomous manner.  Botswana stated that a holistic and comprehensive approach to violence against women, including the roles of men and boys, was crucial.  Patriarchy was a key challenge in addressing discrimination against women.  Cuba regretted that one in three women worldwide suffered from physical and sexual violence.  Cuba fought gender-based violence through a multidisciplinary approach, with the participation of the State and civil society. 
 
Australia presented its national action plan for combatting and preventing violence against women, as well as a regional initiative aimed at mainstreaming gender policies and strengthening data collection.  Malaysia said that violence against women was a global issue that required partnerships and international cooperation, and presented initiatives taken for promoting sexual and reproductive health through education.  Latvia said that the 2030 Agenda provided an opportunity to strengthen the fight against gender violence and discrimination, and welcomed the intention of the Special Rapporteur to focus on implementation gaps and assist States in that regard.  Montenegro said that it had cooperated with the United Nations to strengthen its data collection, and noted that under-reporting of cases of gender violence was an issue that needed to be addressed, including through the United Nations Development Assistance Framework 2017-2021.  Indonesia said that it had conducted activities to strengthen the role of communities in promoting access to sexual and reproductive health for women.  It was important that men were encouraged to engage in the promotion of the right to health of women.  Afghanistan offered its condolences to the United Kingdom.  It regretted that women in Afghanistan continued to suffer from extreme violence by terrorist networks, referring specifically to arbitrary courts of the Taliban, which tried women in a barbaric way. 
 
Italy expressed appreciation for the broad vision of the mandate holders and detailed national initiatives against violence against women, asking the Special Rapporteur which initiatives should be promoted to raise awareness among men and boys on the issue of violence against women.  The Chair of the Working Group was asked for her opinion on how human rights education could be used to combat discrimination against women with regard to women’s health and safety.  Guinea Bissau said its Constitution stipulated that men and women were equal before the law in all aspects, noting also that the international community would not be able to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda without achieving gender parity, also adding that the country had criminalised female genital mutilation and adopted a national gender policy.  Panama thanked the Special Rapporteur for her report which reflected new trends, and shared her concern that conflicts and crises could exacerbate violence against women.  Nepal detailed national initiatives in the field of women’s human rights, noting that strong legislation was in place criminalizing domestic and gender-based violence as well as trafficking in women and children.  Nepal stressed its commitment to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals of gender equality and empowerment into its national context.  Sovereign Order of Malta emphasized the special role of faith-based organizations and religious institutions as key providers of protection and material and spiritual assistance during crises and their aftermath.  Niger said that the Special Rapporteur’s report underlined the fact that the 2030 Agenda aimed to eliminate discrimination against women and girls, and added that Niger had set up a strategic plan which aimed at, among other goals, bolstering the social participation of women to counter violence and to make sure that girls went to school.
  
Thailand noted that violence against women was a serious breach of their rights.  It recently adopted laws to further protect the rights of women, prevent violence against them, and to criminalize child pornography.  Canada stressed the need to have more precise data on violence against women and girls as a prevention tool, which was why it supported the proposal of the Special Rapporteur to establish a femicide observatory. 
 
Remarks by the Chair of the Working Group on Discrimination against Women in Law and in Practice
 
FRANCES RADDAY, Chair of the Working Group on discrimination against women in law and in practice, responding to questions raised by delegations, said she looked forward to further constructive cooperation with States.  The Working Group’s report on the United States was accurate, she said, adding that the United States had not ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.  The Working Group was always guided by the imperatives of objectivity, impartiality and independence in all its country visits, and it looked forward to constructive dialogue with Hungary.  The importance of women’s human rights perspective in health and safety comprised the standard of substantive equality as it related to differentiated needs of women in health treatment.  The right to equality in those services was an immediate right rather than a progressive right.  The mandate of the Working Group was conducted in accordance with the Council resolution and the framework of international human rights standards.  The centrality of sexual and reproductive rights was necessary because that was the central difference between men’s and women’s biology.  Women’s rights had to be viewed in a holistic way.  There had to be an emphasis on the provision of affordable and modern contraception, and family planning.  Due diligence was an obligation under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and under that obligation States not only had to provide health services but also had to regulate private sector health providers to prevent discrimination.  Good practices in general would be examined by the Working Group in its next annual report. 
 
Right of Reply
 
Russian Federation, speaking in a right of reply in response to the statement of Ukraine, said that the Russian Constitution and the rights protected therein applied to all parts of the territory, including in the Republic of Crimea and Sebastopol.  The situation in Ukraine should be closely monitored, it said, regretting that Ukraine failed to ensure human rights protection in the eastern part of the country. 

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