2013.1.R8

Violence Against Women

Status:

ONGOING

Title of Resolution:

2013.1.R8: Violence Against Women

WG-USA Resolves:

…to assume leadership within their own communities to recognize and address the pervasive and devastating problems of violence against women as a major obstacle to women’s equality and take steps to:

1. Promote legislative and appropriate administrative, social and educational measures required to protect women from violence in all its forms.

2. Support the Agreed Conclusions document related to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (2013) related to “Violence Against Women in all its Forms”.

3. Work to support the end to violence against women wherever it occurs.

Plan of Action:

Beginning this summer, the VAW Group set out to identify areas of interest for new members, and existing members, raise awareness and advocate for migrant and refugee women and children, especially their exposure and vulnerability to human traffickers, and the plight of migrants and refugees seeking asylum at the US/Mexico border. 

1. Identify areas of interest – the following areas of interest were identified:

   1. Domestic Violence

      • Sexual Harassment and/or Assault

      • Human Trafficking

   2. Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation:

      • Organized Crime without borders

      • Recruitment process on both coasts

      • The victims: Women and minors

      • Communities at risk immigrants, refugees, American Indian…others

      • US Efforts to address human trafficking: some local best practices

      • Education and awareness building as powerful tools towards the elimination of human trafficking

Participated in the 33rd Triennial Meeting of Graduate Women International (GWI) Centenary Celebration and Conference at the University of Geneva, Switzerland joining a delegation of 33 WG-USA members and 400 women delegates from 50 countries held on July

Supporting Statement:

An estimated one in every three women worldwide experiences violence, with rates reaching as high as 70 percent in some countries. Gender-based violence ranges from rape to domestic abuse and acid burnings to dowry deaths and so-called “honor killings.”

Violence against women and girls — in peacetime and in conflict — knows no national or cultural boundaries. This year’s Committee on the Status of Women (CSW) meetings, cited the 2012 UN report by Rashida Manjoo, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women the world over, which shows that the rate of killings of men has been stable over the last decade but there has been an increase in the rate of killings of women.

Financial Implication for WG-USA:

At this time no cost is anticipated.

Suggested Resources: 

At this time there are no suggested resources.