The Commission on the Status of Women (hereafter referred to as “CSW” or “the Commission”) is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It is the principal global policy-making body dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women. Every year, representatives of Member States gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and women's empowerment worldwide.
The Commission was established by ECOSOC resolution 11(II) of 21 June 1946 with the aim to prepare recommendations and reports to the Council on promoting women's rights in political, economic, civil, social and educational fields. The Commission also makes recommendations to the Council on urgent problems requiring immediate attention in the field of women's rights.
Following are the draft agreed conclusions in 57th session of CSW.
57th
session
4 – 15 March 2013
13 March 2013, rev.4
The elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women
and girls
Draft agreed conclusions
1. (and 2 quin) The
Commission on the Status of Women reaffirms the Beijing Declaration and
Platform for Action, the outcome documents of the twenty-third special session
of the General Assembly, and the declarations adopted by the Commission on the
occasion of the tenth and fifteenth anniversaries of the Fourth World
Conference on Women. [AGREED AD REF]
The Commission also reaffirms the
international commitments made at relevant United Nations summits and
conferences in the area of gender equality and the empowerment of women,
including in the Programme of Action at the International Conference on
Population and Development and the key actions for its further implementation.
2. The Commission
reaffirms that the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Optional
Protocols thereto, as well as other relevant conventions and treaties, provide
an international legal framework and a comprehensive set of measures for the
elimination and prevention of all forms of discrimination and violence against
women and girls, as a cross-cutting issue addressed in different international
instruments. [AGREED AD REF]
2 bis. The
Commission recalls the rules of international humanitarian law, including the
Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Additional Protocols thereto of 1977. [AGREED AD REF]
2 ter
Facilitator’s proposal (combined with 8 bis): The Commission recalls the inclusion of gender-related crimes and crimes
of sexual violence in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, as
well as the recognition by the ad hoc international criminal tribunals that
rape and other forms of sexual violence can constitute a war crime, a crime
against humanity or a constitutive act with respect to genocide or torture. It
also recalls the contribution of the ad hoc international criminal tribunals to
ending impunity, by ensuring accountability and punishing perpetrators of
violence against women.
2 quat. The Commission
acknowledges also the important role in the prevention and elimination of
discrimination and violence against women and girls played by regional
conventions, instruments and initiatives and their follow-up mechanisms, in
respective regions and countries.
[AGREED AD REF]
3. The Commission reaffirms
the commitment to the full and effective implementation of and follow-up to all
relevant resolutions of the General Assembly, in particular the Declaration on the Elimination of all
Forms of Violence Against Women, and the Economic and Social
Council and its subsidiary bodies on the elimination and prevention of all
forms of violence against women and girls [including
in the situations of armed conflicts and foreign occupation]. It also
reaffirms its previous agreed conclusions on violence against women (1998) and
on elimination of discrimination and violence against the girl child (2007).
New 3 bis. Facilitator’s
proposal The Commission recalls
Security Council
resolutions 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000, 1820 (2008) of 19 June 2008, 1888
(2009) of 30 September 2009, 1889 (2009) of 5 October 2009 and 1960 (2010) of
16 December 2010 on women and peace and security and all relevant Security Council
resolutions on children and armed conflict, including resolutions 1882 (2009)
of 4 August 2009 and 1998 (2011) of 12 July 2011.
New 3 ter
Facilitator’s proposal The Commission also recalls Human Rights Council resolutions 17/11 of 17
June 2011 on accelerating efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against
women: ensuring due diligence in protection, 20/6 of 5 July 2012 on the
elimination of discrimination against women and 20/12 of 5 July 2012 on
accelerating efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women: remedies
for women who have been subjected to violence.
New 4 supra combined with 6
- 13 March facilitator’s proposal The Commission affirms that
violence against women and girls is rooted in historical and structural
inequality in power relations between women and men, and persists in every
country in the world as a pervasive violation of the enjoyment of human rights.
It is a [form] of discrimination that seriously violates and impairs or
nullifies the enjoyment by women and girls of all human rights and fundamental
freedoms. Violence against women and girls is characterized by the use and
abuse of power and control in public and private spheres, is intrinsically
linked with gender stereotypes that underlie and perpetuate such violence, as
well as other factors that can increase women’s and girls’ vulnerability to
such violence.
3 quat. [The Commission reaffirms
intersectionality as a basic concept for understanding that the discrimination
of women based on sex and gender is inextricably linked with other factors such
as race, ethnicity, religion or belief, health, status, age, class, caste, and
sexual orientation and gender identity.]
4.
The Commission stresses that “violence against women and girls” means
any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in,
physical, sexual, psychological harm or suffering to women and girls, including
threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether
occurring in public or in private life. The Commission also notes the economic
and social harm caused by such violence. [AGREED
AD REF]
5. The Commission strongly
condemns all forms of violence against women and girls. It recognizes their different forms and
manifestations, in different contexts and settings, and that [violence
against women in the situation of armed conflicts and foreign occupation and]
[current and former intimate partner violence and] domestic violence
remain the most prevalent forms that affect women of all social strata
across the world. It also notes that women and girls who face multiple
forms of discrimination are exposed to increased risk of violence and experience such violence in an
aggravated manner, [including women and girls with disabilities, including physical disabilities, sensory
disabilities, learning disabilities, and psycho-social disabilities, women and girls living with HIV, individuals who have violence directed towards them
based on their actual or perceived sexual orientation
and gender identity, women in prostitution, older women, widows, and
indigenous, afro-descendant and migrant women and girls].
(Note: proposal
presented by US circulated separately 13 March)
7 quin combined with 11 ter, proposed by Switzerland [The Commission urges
States to strongly condemn violence against women and girls committed in
conflict and post-conflict situations, [Syria ADD: foreign occupation] such as
murder, rape, including systematic rape, sexual slavery, forced pregnancy and
enforced sterilization, and recognizes that [Holy See DELETE: sexual and
gender-based] violence [Holy See ADD: against women and girls], particularly in
conflict and post-conflict situations, affects victims, families, communities
and societies, and calls for effective measures of accountability and redress
as well as effective remedies including access to health care, psychosocial
support, legal assistance and socioeconomic reintegration services for victims.]
7
oct. The Commission stresses that
the right to education is a human right, and that eliminating illiteracy,
ensuring equal access to education, in particular in rural and remote areas,
and closing the gender gap at all
levels of education empowers women and girls and thereby contributes to the
elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against women and
girls. [AGREED AD REF]
3 quint. See 8 quat
6 ter (moved from former 7 alt). [The
Commission urges States to take action to strengthen, promote and encourage
positive cultural, religious and traditional values and practices of respect
and non-violent relationships in families, schools, communities and public
institutions.]
7. [The
Commission urges States to strongly condemn all forms of violence against women and
girls [across the lifespan] and to
refrain from invoking any [harmful] custom,
tradition or [religious] consideration to avoid their
obligations with respect to its elimination [as set out in the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence
against Women] [and to pursue by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of
eliminating violence against women and girls.]]
7 ter. [Recognizes that all human rights are universal,
indivisible and interdependent and interrelated and that the international
community must treat human rights globally in a fair and equal manner, on the
same footing and with the same emphasis, and stresses that, while the
significance of national and regional particularities and various historical,
cultural and religious backgrounds must be borne in mind, it is the duty of
States regardless of their political, economic and cultural systems to promote
and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms.]
7 bis. [The Commission stresses that
traditions shall not be invoked to justify practices contrary to human dignity
and violating international human rights law.]
7 quat. Switzerland withdrawn
8
quat with 3 quin - 13 March facilitator’s proposal: The Commission
reaffirms that women and men have the right to enjoy, on an equal basis, all
their human rights and fundamental freedoms [, including the right to life,
liberty and security of person, the right to freedom of thought, conscience and
religion or belief and the equal protection of the law]. It urges States to end
all violations of all human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls
and to devote particular attention to abolishing practices and legislation that
discriminate against women and girls, or perpetuate and condone violence
against them.
12 quat. [The Commission reaffirms that the persistence of armed conflicts in
various parts of the world is a major impediment to the elimination of all
forms of violence against women, and, bearing in mind that armed and other
types of conflicts and terrorism and hostage-taking and targeted killings and
killing by drone strikes still persist in many parts of the world and that
aggression, foreign occupation and ethnic and other types of conflicts
including killing by armed groups are an ongoing reality, affecting women and
men in nearly every region, calls upon all States and the international
community to place particular focus on the plight, and give priority attention
and increased assistance to relieving the suffering of, women and girls living
in such situations and to ensure that, where violence is committed against
them, all perpetrators of such violence are duly investigated and, as
appropriate, prosecuted and punished in order to end impunity, while stressing
the need to respect international humanitarian law and human rights law.]
9. Facilitator’s
proposal The Commission stresses that the realization
of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is essential for
addressing the structural and underlying causes of violence against women and
girls.
New 9 bis (with elements from 12 bis) Facilitator’s
proposal The
Commission recognizes that the prevention of and response to violence against
women and girls requires States to act, at all levels, at each and every
opportunity in a comprehensive and holistic manner that recognizes the linkages between
violence against women and girls and other issues, such as HIV and AIDS,
poverty eradication, food security, peace and security, humanitarian
assistance, education, health and crime prevention.
12 bis. Facilitator’s proposal The
Commission reaffirms the importance of women’s full and equal participation in
public and political life and their full integration into the formal economy,
in particular in economic decision-making and access to resources for breaking
the cycle of discrimination and violence against women and girls.
6 bis. The Commission recognizes that women’s poverty and lack of
empowerment, as well as their marginalization resulting from their exclusion
from social and economic policies and from the benefits of education and
sustainable development, can place them at increased risk of violence, and that
violence against women impedes the social and economic development of
communities and States, as well as the achievement of the internationally
agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals. [AGREED AD REF]
9 ter [The Commission recognizes that
violence against women [and girls] has both short- and long-term adverse
consequences on their health [and enjoyment of rights], including their
reproductive health, and that promoting sexual and reproductive health and
protecting and ensuring reproductive rights [in a manner consistent with girls’
evolving capacities] are crucial to preventing and mitigating violence against
women and girls, achieving gender equality [and empowerment of women] [in
accordance with ICPD].
9 quat [The Commission recognizes that
protecting and fulfilling the sexual and reproductive health and rights of
women and girls is a necessary condition to achieve gender equality, to enable
all women to enjoy all human rights, and to prevent and mitigate violence
against women and girls.]
(Note: proposals by African Group and by US
+15 European countries on paras 9 ter/9 quat circulated separately)
(Note: proposal by US on 9 ter/9 quat
circulated separately on 13 March)
11
bis. Facilitator’s proposal The Commission
expresses deep concern about violence against women and girls in public spaces,
especially when it is being used to intimidate women and girls who are
exercising all their human rights and fundamental freedoms, including sexual
harassment at the workplace and when exercising their rights to freedom of
expression and peaceful assembly.
New 7 sext
supra, proposed by Mexico and LAC countries [The Commission expresses concern
about violent gender-related deaths of women and girls, while recognizing
efforts made to address this form of violence in different regions, including
where the concept of feminicide/femicide/murder of women because they are women
has been incorporated in national legislation.]
(Note: see
modified para on last page)
New para
proposed by El Salvador, LA countries and CARICOM ADD: [The Commission
recognizes that violence against women and girls is aggravated by the wide use
and availability of weapons, including illicit small arms and light weapons.]
7 sext. and 7 sept The Commission recognizes
the vulnerability of older women and the particular risk of violence they face,
and stresses the urgent need to address violence and discrimination against
them, especially in the light of the growing proportion of older people in the
world’s population. [Tentatively AGREED AD REF; El Salvador to
confirm]
8. Facilitator’s proposal The Commission stresses that all States have
the obligation, at all levels, to use all appropriate means of a legal,
political, economic, social and administrative nature in order to promote and
protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, including women and
girls, to effectively prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls,
and to exercise due diligence to prevent, investigate, prosecute and punish the
perpetrators of violence against women and girls and eliminate impunity, and to
provide protection as well as access to adequate remedies
and reparations to victims and survivors.
5 bis. [The Commission recognizes the
important role of the family in combating violence against women and girls, including
domestic violence and intimate partner violence, and the need to support its
capacity to prevent and eliminate all forms of violence against women and
girls. It recognizes that domestic violence remains widespread and affects
women of all social strata across the world and the need to eliminate such
violence.]
10 supra. The
Commission recognizes the important role of the community, in particular men
and boys, as well as civil society, in particular women’s and youth
organizations, in the efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women
and girls. [AGREED AD REF]
10 bis. The Commission acknowledges the
strategic and coordinating role of national machineries for the advancement of
women, which should be placed at the highest possible level in government, for
the elimination of discrimination and violence against women and girls, and the
need to endow these machineries with the necessary human and sufficient
financial resources to enable them to function effectively. The Commission also
acknowledges the contribution of National Human Rights Institutions where they
exist. [AGREED AD REF]
12
sext. The Commission
recognizes the important role of the United Nations system, in particular of
the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
(UN-Women), in addressing
discrimination and violence against women and girls at the global, regional and
national levels and in assisting States, upon their request, in their efforts
to eliminate and prevent all forms of violence against women and girls. [AGREED AD REF]
10. Facilitator’s proposal The Commission
welcomes the progress made in addressing violence against women and girls such
as the adoption of relevant laws and policies, the implementation of preventive
measures, the establishment of protection and appropriate support services for
victims and survivors and improvement in data collection, analysis and
research. In this regard, the Commission welcomes the contributions and
participation of States and of all relevant stakeholders in efforts to address
violence against women and girls in a holistic manner, such as civil society
including women’s organizations, and local authorities/administrations,
sub-regional, regional and international organizations, development partners,
the private sector, employers and workers organizations, and victims and
survivors.
11. The Commission recognizes that despite
progress made, significant gaps and challenges remain in fulfilling commitments
and bridging the implementation gap in addressing the scourge of violence
against women and girls. The Commission is in particular concerned about:
insufficient gender-sensitive policies; inadequate implementation of legal and
policy frameworks; inadequate collection of
data, analysis and research; lack of financial and human resources and
insufficient allocation of such resources; and that existing efforts are not
always comprehensive, coordinated, consistent, sustained, transparent and
adequately monitored and evaluated. [AGREED
AD REF]
12. Facilitator’s
proposal The
Commission stresses that ending violence against women and girls is an imperative for the realization of gender
equality and empowerment of women as well as for the achievement of the
internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development
Goals, and for human rights, peace and security and sustainable development.
12 quin. [The Commission further reaffirms
the sovereign right of each country to implement recommendations in the present
document, consistent with national laws and development priorities, with full
respect for the various religious and ethical values and cultural backgrounds
of its people, and conformity with universally recognized international human
rights.]
13. [The Commission [urges] [recommends] governments [as appropriate], [at all levels, including local authorities], [police officers, the
judiciary, health workers, law enforcement personnel] [and national machineries
for the advancement of women, and/or, as appropriate,] [and as appropriate]
[with the support of] the relevant entities of the United Nations system,
international and regional organizations, [National
Human Rights Institutions] [and invites human rights organizations where they
exist], [women’s [organizations,
faith-based organizations], [youth, children’s human rights] [and] other civil society organizations, [academia,] [educational and scientific
research institutions] [and] the
private sector, [employer organizations,
trade unions, professional associations, the media, religious and traditional
leaders, and other relevant actors], to [work
together to address the issue of violence against women and girls, and] take
the following actions [as appropriate] at
the [subnational,] national,
regional, and global levels as [relevant]
[appropriate] [in accordance with the existing national laws and regulations]]:
13 alt: [The Commission urges Governments
and/or, as appropriate, the relevant entities of the United Nations system,
international and regional organizations, within their respective mandates and
bearing in mind national priorities, and invites and civil society, including
non-governmental organizations, and other relevant actors, to take the
following actions at the national, regional and global levels as appropriate]:
(Note: proposal by Switzerland, Australia
and Turkey on para 13 circulated separately)
a) Facilitator’s proposal Reformulated (includes a and a
alt): Consider ratifying or acceding
to, as a particular matter of priority, the Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of
the Child and their respective Optional Protocols, limit the extent of any
reservations, formulate any such reservations as precisely and as narrowly as
possible to ensure that no reservations are incompatible with the object and
purpose of the Conventions, review their reservations regularly with a view to
withdrawing them and withdraw reservations that are contrary to the object and
purpose of the relevant treaty; and implement them fully by, inter alia,
putting in place effective national legislation and policies, and encourages
State parties in their reporting to relevant treaty bodies to include requested
information on measures to address violence against women and girls;
g ter)
[Encourage the use of international jurisprudence and best practices and
standards regarding protection of victims and survivors to tackle violence
against women and girls]; (Brazil to reformulate)
b) Adopt,
as appropriate, review, and ensure the accelerated and effective implementation of laws and comprehensive
measures that criminalize violence
against women and girls, and that provide for multidisciplinary and gender-sensitive preventive and
protective measures such as emergency barring orders and protection orders, the investigation, submission for
prosecution and appropriate punishment
of perpetrators to end impunity, support services that empower victims
[and survivors], as well as access to
appropriate civil remedies and redress; [AGREED AD REF]
c bis) [Address and eliminate as a matter of
priority intimate partner violence and domestic violence through adopting,
strengthening and implementing legislation that prohibits such violence,
prescribes punitive measures and establishes adequate legal protection against
such violence];
b ter)
[Adopt laws to punish femicide/feminicide/gender-based killings of women and/or
violent death of women associated with gender in both public and private
spheres, and integrate specific mechanisms in policies to prevent, investigate
and eradicate such hideous forms of gender-based violence against women];
(Note: see
modified para on last page)
b quin) Ensure
women’s and girls’ unimpeded access to justice and to effective legal
assistance so that they can make informed decisions regarding, inter alia,
legal proceedings and issues relating to family law and criminal law, and also
ensure that they have access to just and effective remedies for the harm that
they have suffered, including through the adoption of national legislation
where necessary; [AGREED AD REF]
k bis) Take the necessary
legislative and/or other measures to prohibit compulsory and forced alternative
dispute resolution processes, including forced mediation and conciliation, in
relation to all forms of violence against women and girls; [AGREED AD REF]
b bis) Review
and where appropriate, revise, amend or abolish all laws, regulations, policies,
practices and customs that discriminate against women or have a discriminatory
impact on women, and ensure that the provisions of multiple legal systems,
where they exist, comply with international human rights obligations,
commitments and principles, including the principle of non-discrimination; [AGREED AD REF]
a bis) Facilitator’s proposal Mainstream
gender perspectives into all legislation, policies and programmes and allocate
adequate financial and human resources, including through the expanded use of
gender-responsive planning and budgeting, taking into account the needs and
circumstances of women and girls, including victims and survivors of violence, for the development,
adoption and full implementation of relevant
laws, policies and programmes to address violence against women and girls
and for support to women’s organizations;
e quat) [Increase the
investment in gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, taking
into account the diversity of needs and circumstances of women and girls
including victims and survivors of violence, including through mainstreaming a
gender perspective in resource allocation and ensuring the necessary human,
financial and material resources for specific targeted activities to ensure
gender equality at the local, national, regional and international levels, as
well through enhanced and increased international cooperation];
c) (reformulated
includes c and f): Develop and implement effective
multisectoral national policies, strategies and programmes, with the full
and effective participation of women and girls, which include measures
for prevention, protection and support services and responses; data
collection, research, monitoring and evaluation; the establishment of
coordination mechanisms; allocation of adequate financial and human resources; independent national monitoring and
accountability mechanisms; and clear timelines and national benchmarks for
results to be achieved; [AGREED AD REF]
d sext)
reformulated: Continue efforts towards the full and effective
implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions so as to strengthen the
prevention of and response to violence against women and girls;
d) reformulated with elements from d ter) and d
sept): Ensure that in armed conflict and post-conflict situations the prevention
of and response to all forms of violence against women and girls, including
sexual and gender-based violence, are prioritized and effectively addressed,
including as appropriate through the investigation, prosecution and punishment
of perpetrators to end impunity, removal of barriers to women's access to
justice, the establishment of complaint and reporting mechanisms, the provision
of support to victims [and survivors], affordable and accessible health care
services, including sexual and reproductive health, and reintegration measures;
and take steps to increase women’s participation in conflict resolution and
peacebuilding processes and post-conflict decision-making; [AGREED AD REF]
d quat) [Exclude the killing and maiming of
women and girls, as prohibited under international law, and crimes of sexual
violence from amnesty provisions in the context of conflict resolution
processes and address such acts in all stages of the armed-conflict and
post-conflict resolution process [including through transitional justice
mechanisms], while ensuring the full and effective participation of women in
such processes]; (Liechtenstein working on reformulation)
d quin) [Eliminate impunity for acts of sexual
and gender-based violence constituting genocide, crimes against humanity and
war crimes through effective prosecution at the national level, [recognizing,
where applicable, and consistent with, the principle of complementarity, of the
role that the ICC can play in addressing impunity for such acts] and where
national jurisdictions are not able or willing to prosecute through the
jurisdiction of the ICC]; (Liechtenstein working on reformulation)
e bis) [Take effective steps, in situations of
political transition, to ensure the participation of women on equal terms with
men in all phases of political reform, from decisions on whether to call for
reforms in existing institutions to decisions regarding transitional
governments, to the formulation of government policy, to the means of electing
new democratic governments];
d bis) Withdrawn
d oct) [Resolve to take further concerted measures
and actions in conformity with international law including international
humanitarian law, to remove the obstacles and constraints to the full
realization of the rights of peoples living under foreign occupation to ensure
the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and
girls];
New g
quat) proposed by Australia, Norway, Philippines: [Ensure
that the specific needs of women and girls are incorporated into the planning
and delivery of disaster risk reduction programs and humanitarian assistance to
address natural disasters, including those induced by climate change such as
extreme weather events and slow onset impacts, with their full participation
and that in post-disaster settings, the prevention and response to all forms of
violence against women and girls, including sexual violence, are prioritized
and adequately addressed];
e) Reformulated
(includes e and e alt) Address transnational organized crime that results
in violence against women and girls, including trafficking in persons and
drug trafficking, by strengthening bilateral, regional and international
cooperation, and consolidating existing and developing new mechanisms and
initiatives consistent with the UN Convention on Transnational Organized Crime
and its supplementary Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in
Persons especially Women and Children, including activities such as information
exchanges on best practices of governments at all levels and inter-governmental
and non-governmental organizations and by implementing Global Plan of Action.
d nov) To be reformulated (Reformulated including
d nov, d dec, d undec, d dosdec, y quat, and elements of e and e quat and ee)
Take appropriate measures to prevent,
punish and eliminate trafficking in women and girls by criminalizing all forms
of trafficking in persons, including for the purpose of sexual exploitation, commercial sexual
exploitation and abuse, sex tourism and forced labour, by bringing to justice and punishing the offenders and
intermediaries involved, including public officials involved with trafficking
in persons,
by providing, in cooperation with relevant stakeholders, protection and
assistance to heal and rehabilitate
victims of trafficking into society, regardless of their participation in legal
investigations, including through witness
protection programmes, job training, legal
assistance, and confidential health care, and by raising
public awareness and discouraging the demand that fosters all forms of
exploitation, including through education and training;
p alt bis) [Take appropriate measures to address the root factors, including external factors, that encourage trafficking in women and girls for prostitution and other forms of commercialized sex, forced marriages and forced labour in order to eliminate trafficking in women, including by strengthening existing legislation with a view to providing better protection of the rights of women and girls and to punishing the perpetrators, through both criminal and civil measures];
d terdec) [Formulate and apply measures for combating
violence against women who are engaged in prostitution];
new e) Reformulated (based on e, e ter, and j
ter) Strengthen
international cooperation to end violence against women and girls by supporting
States in their efforts, including through official development assistance,
taking into account national priorities, to
promote gender equality and the empowerment of women, to build national
capacity, and to develop and implement coordinated, multisectoral policies,
strategies and programmes aimed at eliminating violence against women and
girls, as well as sharing best practices in this regard; [AGREED AD REF]
h) [Urge
developed countries that have not yet done so, in accordance with their
commitments, to make concrete efforts towards meeting the target of 0.7 per
cent of their gross national product for official development assistance to
developing countries and the target of 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of their gross
national product for official development assistance to least developed
countries, and encourage developing countries to build on the progress achieved
in ensuring that official development assistance is used effectively to help
meet development goals and targets and help them, inter alia, to achieve gender
equality and the empowerment of women and
ensure that efforts to end
violence against women and girls are a priority area];
i) Encourage
private sector investment in programmes, campaigns and strategies to respond
to, prevent and eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence against
women and girls, including sexual harassment at the workplace, and to empower victims and survivors of violence; [AGREED AD REF]
j) Adopt and fund policy reforms and
programmes, and support education, to sensitize, train and strengthen the
capacity of public officials and professionals, including the judiciary, police
and military, as well as those working in the areas of education, health,
social welfare, justice, defense and immigration; hold public officials
accountable for not complying with laws and regulations relating to violence
against women and girls, in order to prevent and respond to such violence in a
gender-sensitive manner, end impunity, and avoid the abuse of power leading to
violence against women and the re-victimization of victims [and survivors]. [AGREED
AD REF]
(end of j, now separate
para) Prevent,
investigate and punish acts of violence against women and girls that are
perpetrated by people in positions of authority, such as teachers, religious
leaders, political
leaders and law enforcement officials, in
order to end impunity for these crimes. [AGREED AD
REF]
j bis) [Promote the standardization of protocols,
manuals, research ministerial criteria, expert services and provision of
justice to properly investigate all crimes related to the disappearance, sexual
violence and femicide of women/violent death of women associated with gender,
according to best practices, international norms and standards];
k) Create
and enhance a supportive environment for increased consultation and
participation among all relevant stakeholders in efforts to address violence
against women and girls, especially organizations working at the community
level to promote the empowerment of women and girls, as well as victims and
survivors so they can become agents of change and their knowledge and
experience can contribute to the elaboration of policies and programmes; [AGREED AD REF]
k ter) Reformulated, proposed by EU [Support
and protect those who defend the rights of women and women human rights
defenders, who face particular risks both because of their gender and because
of the nature of their work, and ensure that they are enabled to act without
fear of reprisals, coercion, intimidation or attacks, including through
integration of a gender perspective in all relevant policies and programmes];
k sext) [Promote the human rights of women deprived of
their freedom]; (for reformulation)
k sept) Reformulated
(k sept, k oct, 14 supra): Adopt a life-cycle approach in efforts to end
discrimination and violence against women and girls and ensure that specific
issues affecting older women are given greater visibility and attention, are
addressed through the fulfillment of obligations under relevant international
conventions and agreements and included in national policies [, plans] and
programmes to prevent and eliminate violence against women;
B. Addressing
[root,] structural and underlying causes
and risk factors so as to prevent violence against women and girls
l) Accelerate efforts to prevent and eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and girls and ensure their equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to education and to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; and ensure that all children, particularly girls, have equal access to, and complete, free and compulsory primary education of good quality, and renew their efforts to improve and expand girls’ education at all levels, including the secondary and higher levels, in all academic areas; and increase girls’ ability to attend school and extra-curricular activities by investing in public infrastructure projects and accessible quality public services and providing a safe environment; [AGREED AD REF]
y bis Promote women’s full participation in the formal economy, in particular in economic decision-making, and their equal access to full employment and decent work; empower women in the informal sector; and ensure that women and men enjoy equal treatment in the workplace, as well as equal pay for equal work or work of equal value, and equal access to power and decision-making, and promote sharing of paid and unpaid work; [AGREED AD REF]
m) [Accelerate efforts to develop, review and strengthen policies, and allocate adequate financial and human resources, to address the structural and underlying causes of violence against women and girls, including gender discrimination, inequality, unequal power relations between women and men, gender stereotypes, poverty as well as their lack of empowerment [and the imposition of unilateral coercive measures and extraterritorial sanctions], in particular in the context of the economic and financial crisis; and accelerate efforts to eradicate poverty and persistent legal, social, and economic inequalities, including by strengthening women’s and girls’ economic participation, empowerment and inclusion, in order to decrease their risk of violence;]
[Iran ADD new para: States are strongly urged to refrain from promulgating and applying any unilateral economic, financial or trade measures not in accordance with international law and the Charter that impede the full achievement of economic and social development, particularly in developing countries; (para 26 of Rio +20 outcome document)]
New disability para: Take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social, educational and other measures to promote the rights of and protect women and girls with disabilities as they are more vulnerable to all forms of exploitation, violence and abuse, including in the workplace, educational institutions, the home, and other settings; [Tentatively AGREED, African Group to come back]
l bis) Facilitator’s proposal: Strengthen and implement legal, policy, administrative, financial and other measures in order to ensure women’s access to economic resources, including land, property, inheritance, credit, vocational and skills training, entrepreneurship education and business incubators, science, information and communication technologies, markets and social security, inter alia, by means of international cooperation; prioritize and intensify initiatives towards the economic empowerment of women at the grassroots level as a way of uplifting their status, thereby reducing their vulnerability to violence;
m quin) [Refrain/desist from using [wrongful] social justifications for denying women their basic rights including the right to travel, the right to own property and the right to be protected by criminal law on an equal basis with men / freedom of movement/right to mobility/ right to own property and the right to the equal protection of the law]; (Turkey to work with Jordan)
b quat) Design and implement national policies that aim at transforming those social norms that condone violence against women and girls, and work to counteract attitudes by which women and girls are regarded as subordinate to men and boys or as having stereotyped roles that perpetuate practices involving violence or coercion; [AGREED AD REF]
t cleaned up para: Develop and implement, in coordination with women’s, youth and specialized non-governmental organizations, and with the involvement of children, adolescents, youth, parents and communities and religious leaders, age-appropriate educational programmes and teaching materials that integrate a gender perspective, and teacher education and training programmes for both formal and non-formal education, including comprehensive evidence-based sexuality education, that promote and build decision-making, communication and risk reduction skills for respectful relationships, based on gender equality and human rights, for all adolescents and youth;
r) Carry out awareness-raising and education campaigns, in co-operation with civil society organizations, especially women's organizations, through different means of communication, targeting the general public, young people, men and boys, to address the structural and underlying causes of violence and abuse against women and girls; to overcome gender stereotypes and promote zero tolerance for such violence, to remove the stigma of being a victim and survivor of violence; and to create an enabling environment where women and girls can easily report incidences of violence and make use of the services available and of protection and assistance programmes; [AGREED AD REF]
q) Mobilize communities and institutions to address and change attitudes, behaviours and] practices that perpetuate and condone gender stereotypes and all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls, by engaging with women’s and youth organizations, national machineries for the advancement of women, National Human Rights Institutions where they exist, schools, educational and media institutions and others directly working with women and girls, men and boys and with individuals at all levels of society and in all settings, religious and community leaders and elders, teachers and parents; [AGREED AD REF]
n quat) Proposed formulation with u bis and u ter: Strengthen the institution of the family, bearing in mind that various forms of the family exist; put in place measures to support parents, legal guardians and other primary caregivers to create a safe, affirming, nurturing and gender-sensitive family environment for children; and promote the significant role of the family in preventing all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls, including domestic and intimate partner violence;
n) Promote
and protect the human rights of all women [, young women] [and
girls], including [their right to have control over and decide
freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality free of coercion,
discrimination and violence,] their right to [the enjoyment of] the
highest [attainable] standard of [physical and mental] health [free
of coercion, discrimination and violence] [, including sexual and
reproductive health [, and their reproductive rights]] [in accordance
with] [the Programme of Action of] [the International Conference on Population
and Development] [and its follow-up processes] [in a manner consistent
with their evolving capacity] [and ensure that this includes comprehensive
information, education and services to enable women, young women [and girls] to
access these rights];
n bis) [Guarantee the conditions and resources for
the protection and exercise of women’s sexual and reproductive [rights]
[health] throughout the lifecycle and across population groups, free of all
forms of discrimination, based on the integrated approach promoted in the
Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and
Development] [and its follow-up processes];
v) Develop and implement gender-sensitive policies, strategies, programmes and measures which promote greater understanding and recognition that caregiving is a critical societal function and encourage the equal sharing of responsibilities and chores between men and women in caregiving, including for persons with disabilities, older persons and people living with HIV, as well as for child-rearing, parenting and domestic work; and also work to change attitudes that reinforce the division of labour based on gender, in order to promote shared family responsibility for work in the home and reduce the domestic work burden for women and girls; [AGREED AD REF]
u) Facilitator’s proposal (combined with new Qatar proposal on men and boys) Develop, invest in and implement policies, strategies and programmes, including comprehensive educational programmes, to promote the responsibility of men and boys to take an active part, and become strategic partners and allies, in the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls; to encourage increased understanding among men and boys of the harmful effects of violence and how it undermines gender equality and human dignity; and to adopt attitudes and behaviours that are based on gender equality and respectful relationships;
w) Proposed reformulation (combined with w alt) Engage, encourage and support men and boys to take responsibility for their behaviour, including their sexual and reproductive behaviour, to refrain from all forms of sexual violence against women and girls, and to take an active part in the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls, including by developing strategies to eliminate gender stereotypes, and by developing programmes that promote respectful relationships, and provide positive role models for gender equality.
p alt) Proposed reformulation with p): [Develop, adopt and fully implement laws and other measures, as appropriate, such as policies, educational programmes and targeted services and protective mechanisms that prohibit and eliminate all harmful customary and contemporary practices, and other practices based on the idea of the inferiority or superiority of either of the sexes; and address structural and underlying causes that generate, foster and perpetuate discrimination and violence against women and girls, such as son preference, prenatal sex selection and female infanticide, child, early and forced marriage, abduction and sale of girls, acid attacks dowry related violence, forced sterilization and forced abortion, coercive/forced use of contraceptives, widowhood rites that are harmful to the health and well-being of women, female genital mutilations, crimes committed in the name of honour, torture and other forms of cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment or punishment; and intensify efforts, in cooperation with local women's groups, to raise collective and individual awareness on how these practices jeopardize women’s and girls’ human rights];
p bis) Proposed reformulation (with n ter and p ter): Review, enact and strictly enforce laws and regulations concerning the minimum legal age of consent and the minimum age for marriage, raising the minimum age for marriage where necessary, and generate social support for the enforcement of these laws in order to end the practice of child, early and forced marriage; ensure access of adolescents to age- and development-appropriate information, education, services and programmes on preventing early pregnancy, ensuring personal safety, and prevention of abuse of alcohol, tobacco and other harmful substances; and ensure the provision of viable alternatives and institutional support, including for girls who are already married or pregnant, especially educational opportunities with an emphasis on keeping girls in school through post-primary education, ensuring physical access to education, including by establishing safe residential facilities, increasing financial incentives to women and their families, promoting the empowerment of girls through improving educational quality and ensuring safe and hygienic conditions in schools;
bb bis) [Develop policies and programmes, giving priority to formal and informal education programmes that support girls and enable them to acquire knowledge, develop self-esteem and take responsibility for their own lives; and place special focus on programmes to educate women and men, especially parents, on the importance of girls’ physical and mental health and well-being, including the elimination of discrimination against girls in food allocation, child marriage, violence against girls, female genital mutilation, child prostitution, sexual abuse, rape and incest];
x) Develop and support existing policies and programmes targeting children and young people, especially women, who have experienced or witnessed domestic violence or sexual abuse, including protection for children in the justice system, so as to reduce the risk of their possible re-victimization or perpetration of violence and restore their health; and implement such programmes in a gender-responsive manner with the meaningful participation of young people, civil society and women’s and youth organizations, and educational and health institutions; [AGREED AD REF]
s) Facilitator’s proposal (with s bis, s ter, u alt and
new African para on media): Encourage the media to recognize its important role in
the perpetuation or elimination of gender stereotypes and violence against
women and girls, and to be non-discriminatory and gender-sensitive in its
reporting, including by preserving the confidentiality of the identity of
victims and survivors where appropriate, through providing the media with
necessary information on violence against women and girls, and supporting the
media in its efforts to develop and strengthen self-regulatory measures and
train its professionals with a view to eliminating the exploitation of women
and girls;
[Iran ADD: Encourage the media to refrain from presenting women as
inferior beings and exploiting them as sexual objects and commodities, rather
than presenting them as creative human beings, key actors and contributors to
and beneficiaries of the process of development (Beijing Platform for Action
para 243 (d)]
s quin) Support the development and use of ICT and social media as a resource for
the empowerment of women and girls, [including] access to information on the prevention
of and response to violence against women and girls; and develop mechanisms to combat the use of ICT and social media to
perpetrate violence against women and girls, including the criminal misuse of
ICT for sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, child pornography and
trafficking in women and girls, and emerging forms of violence such as cyber
stalking, cyber bullying and privacy violations that compromise women’s and
girls’ safety; [AGREED AD REF]
y) Take measures to ensure that all workplaces are free from discrimination and exploitation, violence, and sexual harassment and bullying, and that they address discrimination and violence against women, and girls, as appropriate, through measures such as regulatory and oversight frameworks and reforms, collective agreements, codes of conduct, including appropriate disciplinary measures, protocols and procedures, referral of cases of violence to health services for treatment and police for investigation; as well as through awareness-raising and capacity-building, in collaboration with employers, unions and workers, including workplace services and flexibility for victims [and survivors]; [AGREED AD REF]
z) Increase measures to protect women and girls from violence and harassment, including sexual harassment and bullying, in both public and private spaces, to address security and safety, through awareness-raising, involvement of local communities, crime prevention laws, policies, programmes such as the UN Safe Cities initiative, improved urban planning, infrastructures, public transport and street lighting, and also through social and interactive media; [Tentatively agreed, Iran to confirm]
z bis) [Condemn and take action to prevent violence against women in health care settings, including sexual harassment, humiliation and forced [or] [and] unnecessary medical procedures such as [uninformed] hysterectomies, caesarean sections, [forced] sterilization, [[forced] abortion and prenatal sex selection], including especially disadvantaged women such as living with HIV and AIDS, women living with disabilities and women from ethnic or racial minorities];
m ter) Further adopt and implement measures to ensure social and legal inclusion and protection of women migrants, including women migrant workers in origin, transit and destination countries, and promote and protect the full realization of their human rights, and their protection against violence and exploitation; implement gender sensitive policies and programmes for women migrant workers and provide safe and legal channels that recognize their skills and education, provide fair labour conditions, and as appropriate facilitate their productive employment and decent work as well as integration into the labour force, and also take measures to ensure the protection of self-employed workers in cross-border work and women seasonal workers from violence and discrimination. [AGREED AD REF]
[Qatar
ADD new para (flexible on placement): Address all forms of discrimination as
part of a comprehensive violence-prevention strategy and ensure, in particular,
that policies and measures take into account the different risks facing girls
in respect of various forms of violence in various settings, including
addressing gender-based stereotypes power imbalances, inequalities and
discrimination which support and perpetuate the use of violence and coercion in
the home, in school and educational settings, in communities, in institutions
and in society (new language)]; (Deleted – Qatar to come back)
C.
Strengthening multisectoral services, programmes and responses to violence
against women and girls
aa) Establish comprehensive, coordinated, inter-disciplinary, accessible and sustained multisectoral services, programmes and responses at all levels, and with the support of all available technologies, for all victims [and survivors] of all forms of violence against women and girls based on their needs, that are adequately resourced and include effective and coordinated action by, as appropriate, police and the justice sector, legal aid services, health-care services, including sexual and reproductive health, and medical, psychological and other counselling services, including specialist services as appropriate, State and independent women’s shelters and counselling centers, 24-hour hotlines, social aid services, one stop crisis centers, immigration services, child services, public housing services to provide low threshold, easy to reach and safe assistance for women and children, as well as assistance, protection and support through access to long term accommodation, educational, employment and economic opportunities, and take steps to ensure the safety and security of health care workers and service providers that assist and support victims [and survivors] of violence, and in cases of girl child victims, such services and responses must take into account the best interests of the child; [AGREED AD REF]
bb) Cleaned up para. Take measures to ensure access to coordinated multisectoral services, programmes and responses for all women and girls at risk of or subjected to violence [including women and girls who are subject to trafficking, adolescent girls, older women, those in remote and rural areas or urban slums and those who could suffer multiple, intersecting and aggravated forms of discrimination such as women and girls with disabilities, women and girls living with chronic diseases, including HIV and AIDS, women and girls who have violence directed towards them based on their actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity, child mothers, women and girls in prostitution, women deprived of their liberty, single parents, widows, Indigenous and afro-descendant women and girls, domestic workers, migrant women and girls, and refugee and internally displaced women and girls]; and develop mechanisms to track progress and implementation gaps and establish national benchmarks and timelines towards this end;
cc) Cleaned up para. Develop and implement referral mechanisms and protocols between multisectoral services, programmes and responses that ensure adequate integration and coordination of relevant actors, and that fully ensure the confidentiality and safety of victims and survivors;
ee) Cleaned up para. reformulated (with p quin): Put in place measures, and where these exist, expand and ensure the availability and accessibility for victims and survivors and their children, including those subjected to domestic and intimate partner violence, of services, programmes and opportunities, including free legal advice and access to the mechanisms of justice including restraining orders against perpetrators, crisis centres, telephone hotlines, shelters, psycho-social counseling, free health services and services for child-, aged- and disability- care, economic support and livelihood assistance, and access to housing and employment to promote their empowerment and full recovery and reintegration into society; and ensure the provision of adequate and timely information on available support services and legal measures in a language that they understand and can communicate in;
g bis) [Work to ensure, to the maximum extent feasible within the framework of international cooperation, that women subjected to violence and [,where appropriate,] their children have specialized assistance, such as rehabilitation, assistance in child care and maintenance, treatment, counselling, and health and social services, facilities and programmes, as well as support structures, and take all other appropriate measures to promote their safety and physical and psychological rehabilitation];
ff) Deleted
ee quat) Create, develop and implement a set of policies, and support the establishment of rehabilitative services, to encourage and bring changes in the attitudes and behaviours of perpetrators of violence against women and girls, and to reduce the likelihood of reoffending, including in cases of domestic violence, rape and harassment, as well as monitor and assess their impact and effect; [AGREED AD REF]
New dd supra Improve access to timely, affordable and quality health systems for women and girls, including through gender-sensitive national strategies and public-health policies and programmes that are comprehensive, affordable and better targeted to addressing their needs and that encourage women’s active participation in their design and implementation; and also enhance women’s access to affordable, safe, effective and good quality treatment and medicines, with a special emphasis on the poor, vulnerable and marginalized segments of the population [AGREED AD REF]
dd ter) Deleted
dd) Cleaned up para. Address [all] health consequences [including the physical, mental and sexual and reproductive health consequences,] of violence against women [young women] and girls by providing [accessible] [health-care] [services/assistance] that [are responsive to trauma and] [include[s]] [inter alia,] [the right to affordable, safe, effective and good-quality medicines,] first line support, treatment of injuries and psychosocial and mental health support, [emergency contraception, safe abortion where such services are [permitted by/not against] the [national] law, post-exposure prophylaxis [for HIV infection, diagnosis and treatment] for sexually transmitted infections, [training for medical professionals to effectively identify and treat women subjected to violence], as well as forensic examinations by appropriately trained professionals [,] [for those women, [young women] [and girls] who wish to pursue legal action;
w ter) Combined with dd bis Reformulated (w ter and z ter): Accelerate efforts to address the intersection of violence against women and girls and HIV and AIDS, in particular the common risk factors, including through strategies to address [intimate partner and] domestic violence and to strengthen coordination and integration of policies, programmes and services for HIV and violence against women and girls, and ensure that responses to HIV and AIDS promote the use of male and female condoms, meet the specific needs of women and girls for prevention, diagnosis and free treatment, and are leveraged to prevent violence against them;
v (bis) Eliminate discrimination and violence against women and girls living with HIV as well as the caregivers of persons living with HIV and take into account their vulnerability to stigma, discrimination, poverty and marginalisation from their families and communities when implementing programmes and measures which encourage the equal sharing of caring responsibilities; [AGREED AD REF]
ee bis) Reformulated (with ee ter and ff ter): [Expand the availability of health care services, particularly strengthening maternal and reproductive health centres, as key entry points that provide support and referrals to services and protection for families and individuals at risk of violence; and support adolescents to avoid unintended pregnancies, especially as a result of sexual violence, through education, information and access to sexual and reproductive health care services, including access to all contraceptive methods];
w bis) African Group withdrawn
D. Improving the evidence-base
gg) Cleaned up para: Carry out continued
multidisciplinary research and analysis on the structural and underlying causes
of, cost and risk factors for violence against women and girls and its types
and prevalence, [including on unhealthy
masculinities that lead to and perpetuate violence, with regard to women and
girls who could face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination such as
younger women, older women, women and girls of ethnic or religious minorities,
migrant women and girls, rural, indigenous and Afro-descendant women and girls,
women and girls who face the risk of sexual exploitation, women who are
discriminated against because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,
women with disabilities] in order to inform the development and revision of
laws and their implementation, policies and strategies, and make such
information public to support awareness-raising efforts;
hh) Facilitator’s
proposal:
Collect, analyze and disseminate reliable, and comparable data on a regular
basis, at the national and local levels, on different forms of violence against
women and girls, its causes and consequences, including its health and economic
costs of violence, disaggregated by sex and age, and also consider all other
relevant factors to inform the formulation, monitoring and evaluation of laws,
policies and programmes;
hh
bis) Withdrawn
ii) Cleaned
up para: Collect data on a regular
basis, as appropriate, taking into account the indicators on violence against
women, proposed by the Friends of the Chair and adopted by the Statistical
Commission in February 2009 (Statistical Commission decision 40/110) as an
interim set and the first step, and in accordance with global ethical and
safety standards/guidelines;
jj) (reformulated jj and jj alt: Develop
national monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assess policies and
programmes, including preventive and response strategies to address violence
against women and girls in both public and private spheres; [AGREED AD REF]
New jj bis) Facilitator’s
proposal (second half of jj) Promote the sharing of good practices
and successful policy and programme interventions, and increase the feasibility
of scaling up such interventions, including through the development of
indicators and evaluation tools which take into consideration what is practical
and feasible for small organizations and low-and middle-income countries;
hh ter) Deleted
14. Cleaned up para:
The Commission emphasizes that ending violence against women and girls is
imperative and must be a priority for the eradication of poverty, achievement
of sustainable development, peace and security, human rights, health, gender
equality and the empowerment of women, economic/inclusive growth and social
cohesion. The Commission strongly recommends that the elimination of violence against
women and girls be explicitly reflected as a priority in the elaboration of the
post-2015 development agenda and the definition of goals, with clear targets
and indicators/benchmarks for the realization of gender equality and
empowerment of women and all their human rights and fundamental freedoms.
New proposal by Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, Mexico, El
Salvador, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Rep. Dominicana, Bolivia and
Guatemala (flexible on placement):
Concerned further that indigenous women
often suffer from multiple forms of discrimination and poverty which increase
their vulnerability to all forms of violence. (CSW resolution 56/4 on
Indigenous women: key actors in poverty and hunger eradication)
7 sext supra) modified by Mexico, Argentina,
Peru, El Salvador, Ecuador, Uruguay, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile,
Dominic Republic: The Commission expresses concern about violent gender related
killings of women and girls, while recognizing efforts made to address this
form of violence in different regions, including in the countries where the
concept of femicide or feminicide has been incorporated in national
legislation.
