Abstract Violence against women and girls, in all its forms, is truly a scourge.

Available data indicate that this is a worldwide, institutionalised phenomenon. The forms and manifestations of such violence are many, interrelated and different according to the social, economic, cultural and political context of a society. Violence against women and girls includes, but is not restricted to, forms of physical, sexual and psychological violence (a) occurring within the family (including prenatal selection based on the sex of the foetus (except where medically necessary) and systematic neglect of infant girls; forced marriage; early marriage; violence perpetrated by partners and ex-spouses; acid attacks; dowry violence and "honour" killings, violence and forced suicides; battering; sexual abuse inflicted on female children in the home, including incest; rape by habitual or cohabiting partners; female genital mutilation and other traditional practices harmful to women; (b) occurring within the general community (including rape; sexual abuse; sexual harassment and all forms of gender-related harassment; intimidation at work, in educational institutes and elsewhere; trafficking in women and forced prostitution; modern forms of slavery; femicide; violence against women and girls in conflict and post-conflict situations; trafficking in women for the purposes of sexual exploitation and of all other forms of exploitation); (c) violence against women and girls covers all the acts listed above whether or not perpetrated or condoned by the State. It should be pointed out here that, while, as the UN Secretary-General acknowledges in his in-depth study, much violence against women is committed by private actors and includes a broad range of individuals and entities, this factor in no way exonerates States from acting with due diligence, as set out in Recommendation No 19 of the Committee on the Elimination of All

Forms of Discrimination against Women. Certain factors render victims more vulnerable as a result of the multiple discrimination they endure, related both to their gender and the fact that they belong to distinct minority or ethnic groups, to their religion or language, their status of native women, migrant women, displaced or refugee women, women living in underdeveloped environments or in remote rural communities, institutionalised or incarcerated women, women with disabilities, HIV-positive women, lesbian, bisexual or transgender women, young girls, old or widowed women, and female victims of all other forms of discrimination. Lastly, in situations of crisis or armed conflict, the use of rape, slavery, sexual abuse and exploitation are the most systematic and widespread manifestations of violence against women. Apart from the serious consequences for the physical health (particularly substantially increased risk of HIV infection) and mental health of victims, violence against women also has significant social consequences and major economic costs, to which should be added the cost of political and social instability resulting from the intergenerational transmission of violence. Violence against women thus contributes to their impoverishment and that of their families, communities, societies and countries. Violence against women is therefore an obstacle to development. Violence against women and girls has certain structural causes, including the historically unequal balance of power between men and women as well as girls and boys, found in many societies. Furthermore, customs, traditions and religious values are used to justify violence against women. Economic inequalities suffered by women and their lack of independence are decisive factors for violence in that they reduce women's capacity to act and take decisions, and increase their vulnerability to violence.

Political instability and armed conflicts are additional sources of violence against women and girls. Even post conflict, the climate of violence persists for a long time and in many countries which have experienced armed conflict, the increased acceptance of violence and the massive proliferation of weapons leads to increased violence outside the conflict. In order to combat this scourge effectively it is essential that all these aspects be taken into account.

What Is Violence Against Women? The term violence against women refers to many types of harmful behavior directed at women and girls because of their sex. In 1993 the United Nations offered the first official definition of such violence when the General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women. According to Article 1 of the declaration, violence against women includes: Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivations of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life. There is increasing consensus, as reflected in this declaration, that abuse of women and girls, regardless of where and how it occurs, is best understood within a gender framework because it stems in part from women's and girls' subordinate status in society. Article 2 of the UN Declaration clarifies that the definition of violence against women should encompass, but not be limited to, acts of physical, sexual, and psychological violence in the family and the community. These acts include spousal battering, sexual abuse of female children, dowry-related violence, rape including marital rape, and traditional practices harmful to women, such as female genital mutilation (FGM). They also include nonspousal violence, sexual harassment and intimidation at work and in school, trafficking in women, forced prostitution, and violence perpetrated or condoned by the state, such as rape in war.

Violence against women

Women once venerated as the mother and the perpetuating angel of mankind has come to be looked upon as 'the unblessed creature of God' in India, thanks to the club-and-drag cave-man attitude of the traditionally male-dominated society. If we turn on the dailies in the morning, we shudder to read hair-raising instances of male chauvinism travelling in 'sexism, racism, violence and poverty' to women representing the 'masculine mystique belief in the inevitability of violence against women.

The votaries of the cult of violence draw their inspiration from a grossly twisted and misfounded interpretation of saint Tulsidas's lines, 'Dhol, Ganwar Shudra Pashu Nari, Sakal taran ke adhikari' (Drum, lout, untouchable, beast and woman, they all deserve to be beaten). With the advance of material prosperity and easy money, sex and violence have become the order of the day. Drunk with eroticism, the Indian 'man' is unable to distinguish between woman and woman. Rapes and brutal murders have become common news. Assaults, harassments and chain-snatchings no longer alarm us. It is indeed a slur on the modern Indian society that the cult of violence has grown to such proportions in free India. Dowry deaths are the culminating point of violence. All the social, political, economic and cultural progress made by us is nullified by the simultaneous increase in violence against women. One of the most hideous aspects of our society is the dowry system. It is a complex phenomenon and there are several dimensions to it. It reduces a young girl into a saleable commodity and lowers her dignity. In case she brings an inadequate dowry, it exposes her to the risk of mal-treatment after marriage. Thousands of girls immolate themselves at the altar of this evil every year, some of them before marriage because they cannot afford dowry and some after marriage because the dowry is insufficient to quench the rapacity of the in-laws. Readers have a vivid memory of gruesome suicide of three hapless sisters in Kanpur. As to our legislation, for all the anti-dowry measures in its armory, the government has not been able to contain the menace. No less an evil is the physical outrage on women. We persist in our wretched belief that women are weak, helpless creatures who need constant watching by their fathers, brothers, husbands and sons at different stages of their life. How often does one hear of ladies living in busy localities murdered, even in broad daylight, all because they had some yellow metal with them? The race of eve-teasers, chain-snatchers is increasing. In temples, at fairs and festivals, in crowded public places and in the buses, these lynx-eyed brutes abound and carry on their depredation even where police officers arc on duty. Greed is not the only motive force behind the crimes against women. Sex-hunger is another. Young girls are decoyed on promises of a decent job or marriage. And once a girl has fallen, she is blackmailed into a life of vice and forced to spend her life as a call-girl or a whore in a brothel. If we want to get a feel of the rottenness of our social milieu, we have only to know the experience of working girls. From standing at the bus stop to the place of their work, they are exposed to the vulture eyes of males of all ages and all classes. If the way lies through a deserted place, there is always the danger of facing a potential molester. The journey from home to office is nothing short of travail. Violence against women in India is becoming more frequent and is alarmingly on the increase. A heavy responsibility falls on the shoulders of our social workers. But the biggest responsibility will be

that of the women themselves. They must organise themselves. They have borne the tyranny of man far too long. The time has come for a crusade.

Causes and consequences

A Framework for Understanding Partner Violence What causes violence against women? Increasingly, researchers are using an ecological framework to understand the interplay of personal, situational, and sociocultural factors that combine to cause abuse. In this model, violence against women results from the interaction of factors at different levels of the social environment. The model can best be visualized as four concentric circles. The innermost circle represents the biological and personal history that each individual brings to his or her behavior in relationships. The second circle represents the immediate context in which abuse takes place,frequently the family or other intimate or acquaintance relationship. The third circle represents the institutions and social structures, both formal and informal, in which relationships are embedded,neighborhood, workplace, social networks, and peer groups. The fourth, outermost circle is the economic and social environment, including cultural norms. A wide range of studies agrees on several factors at each of these levels that increase the likelihood that a man will abuse his partner: At the individual level these include being abused as a child or witnessing marital violence in the home, having an absent or rejecting father , and frequent use of alcohol. At the level of the family and relationship, crosscultural studies have cited male control of wealth and decision-making within the family and marital conflict as strong predictors of abuse. At the community level women's isolation and lack of social support, together with male peer groups that condone and legitimize men's violence, predict higher rates of violence. At the societal level studies around the world have found that violence against women is most common where gender roles are rigidly defined and enforced and where the concept of masculinity is linked to toughness, male honor, or dominance. Other cultural norms associated with abuse include tolerance of physical punishment of women and children, acceptance of violence as a means to settle interpersonal disputes, and the perception that men have ownership of women.By combining individual-level risk factors with findings ofcross-cultural studies, the ecological model contributes to understanding why some societies and some individuals are more violent than others and why women,especially wives,are so consistently the victims of abuse. Factors Contributing to Increased Violence against Women In recent years the incidents of women violence have increased significantly . In India, the problem of violence against women is a result of a long standing power imbalance between men and women. Men have control over access to property and resources. There is also a sexual division of labor in India that results in female exploitation physically, mentally, and commercially

Male Dominated Society: As a male dominated society men in all sphere of their life dominate the women of Indian subcontinent. In her life cycle a women depends on father, brother, husband and lastly their sons. Besides, they are dominated and oppressed in every sector by the male members. Owing to such dependency, the male members think that they always direct women and all services should be centered to the interest of the male. Besides, the societys basic reluctance to drastically change patriarchal policies and practices, which perpetuate male dominance over women (Islam, 2004; 127). As a result, from time immemorial the male members consider women as an object of enjoyment. Socio-Economic Factors: The disruption in the traditional rural economic pattern brought about by changing socio-economic processes has adverse effects on women. Both economically and socially vulnerable in the society. Traditional socio-cultural practices, low rate of education, lack of employment opportunity, and low nutritional and health status etc. are some of the factors responsible for holding low social and economic status, unemployment have increased the stress and tension in male-female relation in poor households and given rise to desertion, divorce and violence. Economic factors Womens economic dependence on men Limited access to cash and credit Discriminatory laws regarding inheritance, property rights, use of communal lands, and maintenance after divorce or widowhood Limited access to employment in formal and informal sectors Limited access to education and training for women

Cultural Ideological Factors: Irrespective of national affluence or level of development, women are vulnerable to exploitation, oppression and all other types of explicit violence from men in all societies where cultural norms, tradition and legal system sanction womens subordination to men. In Bangladesh, an important mechanism of male dominance is the propagation of gender ideology through sanctions of religious texts and their gender-selective interpretation by the community leaders. Moreover, increasing exposure to violence through popular reading, theaters, film and TV shows, satellite culture etc. directly or indirectly encourage men to commit offences like rape. Cultural Factors Gender-specific socialization Cultural definitions of appropriate sex roles Expectations of roles within relationships Belief in the inherent superiority of males Values that give men proprietary rights over women and girls Notion of the family as the private sphere and under male control Customs of marriage (bride price/dowry) Acceptability of violence as a means to resolve conflict Ineffective Legal System: Theoretically Bangladeshi state regards man and women as equal. However, the states concern to preserve the existing patriarchal social order is clear from the ways laws operate in respect to violence against women. The Bangladeshi legal

system has done little to diminish women's vulnerability to violence. Another problem lies in the existing legal system is that the victim has to seek permission from the magistrate for medical test. During accomplishing these formalities, the rape evidences are many a time destroyed. As a result, the offenders do not get punishment. In such circumstances, the rapist is more active to evict the victim and her family and eagerly wait to commit another violence. Even religious sanctions and traditional values safeguard the interest of the patriarchy through family norms, community practices; state policies and laws. Legal factors Lesser legal status of women either by written law and/or by practice Laws regarding divorce, child custody, maintenance and inheritance Legal definitions of rape and domestic abuse Low levels of legal literacy among women Insensitive treatment of women and girls by police and judiciary Criminalization of Public Arena: Today the politics and administration in Bangladesh has been criminalized severely. Such Criminalization and corresponding deterioration of the law and order situation has not spared women. In the last two decades, the muscleman and student cadres of various political parties have committed various acts of violence against women and escaped punishment. So, such a tendency towards acceptance of violence in the society is mainly responsible for increased violence against women. Social Attitude of Women: Women in general in South Asia think that husband has the

right to impose punishment or torture on wife. Such misconceptions indirectly recognize the right of the male offenders. As a result, the rape incidents are not reducing rather it is on increase day by day. Devaluation of Moral Character: Socio-economical conditions like poverty, unemployment etc. and political unrest tend to force young people to be involved in terrorism, drug addiction, hijacking, illegitimate sex and other antisocial activities. Thus dislocated form moral courage they like to cheer up more by occurring rape violence as thrill and adventure (Islam, 2004). Poverty Pervasiveness: Most people of the country are often victimized of due to object poverty. People in large number are live in rural areas. Near about 40% of them are live bellows the poverty line. They live from hand to mouth. Owing to their poverty condition the rural people something tend to incest female members to workout side the home even in urban areas. In that case, miscreants allure them of job and take the opportunity of their helplessness and commit rape. Political factors Under-representation of women in power, politics, the media and in the legal and medical professions violence not taken seriously Notions of family being private and beyond control of the state Risk of challenge to status quo/religious laws Limited organization of women as a political force Limited participation of women in organized political system

Other Influential Factors: Besides these, other influential components are responsible for the rape occurrence in the country, lack of education and awareness in case of women, gender disparity, practice of power, land dispute, illicit love affair, denial of love and marriage, opposing second marriage, expansion of political supremacy in the specific area and others, are directly or indirectly associated with criminal activities including women violence. Norms granting men control over female behavior Acceptance of violence as a way to resolve conflict Notion of masculinity linked to dominance, honor, or aggression Rigid gender roles Poverty, low socio-economic status, unemployment Associating with delinquent peers Isolation of women and family Marital conflict Male control of wealth and decision-making in the family Being male Witnessing marital violence as a child Absent or rejecting father Being abused as a child Alcohol use Oppression in India

Women in India are subject to all forms of violence. Female infanticide is quite common in Haryana and Punjab because there is a preference for sons because male children carry on the family lineage. The education of sons is also considered much more important. In these two states, the sex ratio is lower than the national average. Discrimination within the household Within the household, there exists gender discrimination which determines intrahousehold distribution of food. Because women and girls are given less food than men, malnutrition among adolescent girls and women is quite prevalent in India. Lack of opportunity to work Due to lower educational levels, a woman has a much lower capacity to earn. Women from upper castes are seldom allowed to work outside the home. However, work participation rate among low caste women is better compared to that of upper caste women. Honor killings Honor killings are quite common in Haryana and Tamil Nadu when young girls marry somebody outside their caste and clan against her familys wishes. Women as property Dowry is demanded from the husbands side (in-laws) when younger women get married. Newly married women become subject to verbal and physical abuse. In many cases, young brides are burnt to death by her in-laws if the parents fail to meet the requisite dowry demanded. Women are also viewed in terms of their virginity, as chastity is considered as a great virtue. In terms of family planning, women have been used as the subjects of experiments. Governments promote contraceptives to lower fertility among women, at the behest of multinational corporations and the corporate sector, without thinking about their consequences. Population control and family planning is considered a way to control womens sexuality.

@Biological structure of women @dowry system @ancient system existing in india early child marriage, widow system etc @religious system @division of domestic and public work

@Sex and Power Motives

@social behavior @peer groups bad company

The Division Between Domestic and Public Work

The division between domestic and public spheres of activity is particularly constraining to women and advantageous to men. 1. 2. 3. The domestic and public spheres of activity are associated with different amounts of property, power, and prestige. Women's reproductive roles and their responsibilities for domestic labor limit their association with the resources that are highly valued. Men are freed from domestic responsibilities. Their economic obligations in the public sphere assure them of control of highly valued resources and give rise to male privilege

Data on violence against women In a country like India, it is difficult to rely on statistics pertaining to rape cases. The data may show that such crimes being committed may be going up or down. But in reality, women are afraid of even lodging FIRs (First Information Report) in police stations despite being raped or sexually harassed. The judiciary and the legal system are biased in favor of men. Cases of violence against women are under-reported. According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau 2007, a total of 1,85,312 incidents of crime against women (both under Indian Penal Code-IPC and Special and Local Laws-SLL) were reported in the country during 2007 as compared to 1,64,765 during 2006, thus recording an increase of 12.5% during 2007. These crimes have continuously increased during 2003-2007 with 1,40,601 cases in 2003, 1,54,333 cases in 2004, 1,55,553 in 2005, 1,64,765 cases in 2006 and 1,85,312 cases in 2007. The total number of sexual harassment cases were 10,950 in 2007. The total number of cases pertaining to cruelty by husband and relatives was 75,930. There were 61 cases of importation of girls. Altogether there were 38,734 cases of molestation in 2007. The number of rape cases has increased by nearly ten fold from 2487 in 1953 to 20737 in 2007. Young girls also become victims of child abuse at the hands of their closest male relatives, which they are unable to protest. CONSEQUENCES Impact and Consequences of Women Violence

There are multifarious impacts of women violence both on society and the victims. Different studies have explained consequences of rape in various ways. Akanda and Shamim (1985) have classified the consequences of rape into three categories: Murder, severe injuries and mental illness. Rape impacts on victim's health such as pelvic inflammatory disease, chronic pelvic pain, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, partial or permanent disability, delayed physical effects like arthritis, hypertension and heart disease, unwanted pregnancy, pregnancy complications, or premature labor, miscarriage, maternal mortality from excessive bleeding of infection, HIV infections and death etc. are vital These physical conditions tend to transform them as a dependent person both in the family and society. In this way women violence have many other impact like as: Psychological: In the back drop of psychological and emotional maladjustment the victim can be habituated in smoking, unprotected sex with multiple patterns, prostitution and alcohol or drug abuse, humiliation, guilt, shame, embarrassment, selfblame, anger and helplessness and so on. Sometime these situation push the victim to commit suicide. Social: Women violence has a great social impact. The victim is considered as a neglected person of the society as a social stigma. They loss the dignity of society and encourage to another violence and social deviant activities. As a result break down their family and lead an insecure life. If the victim is unmarried, everybody treated her as a stigma and burden of society. Nobody will be welcomed her to marriage. As a result many of them choose to prostitution or suicide. Economical: Women violence also hinders programs for alleviating poverty in addition to increasing the legal and health costs. Further more, it losses the labor time, hinders income generating activities of women in the society. A study report of World Bank State that lrape and domestic violence 15-44 aged women are affected by tuberculosis, pregnancy infection, cancer, heart disease and so on which increases the health services costs. Political: The political environment of a country is influenced by the women violence. The incidence of rape reduces the women empowerment, hamper5s the social security and creates obstacles to establish democracy and good governance .A Universal Abuse: It is easy to think that human rights abuses happen to other people, in places of conflict or repression. The truth is that violence against women is an abuse that is not confined to any political or economic system. It is prevalent in every society in the World. It cuts across boundaries of wealth, race and culture. It affects the young and the old. Wherever you live, women are suffering violence. Side Spread Harm: The repercussions of violence against women reverberate throughout the family and community. Children in particular are damaged when exposed to it. Actual or threatened violence creates an atmosphere of fear that limits

the lives of women everywhere. When force and fear restrict womens lives, society is impoverished economically, politically and culturally. Discrimination: The underlying causes of violence against women lies in gender discrimination-the denial of women's equality with men in all areas of life. Women are also targeted because of their race, class, culture, sexual identity or HIV status, or because they are from poor or marginalized communities

Denial of fundamental rights Perhaps the most crucial consequence of violence against women and girls is the denial of fundamental human rights to women and girls. International human rights instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), adopted in 1948, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), adopted in 1979, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), adopted in 1989, affirm the principles of fundamental rights and freedoms of every human being. Both CEDAW and the CRC are guided by a broad concept of human rights that stretches beyond civil and political rights to the core issues of economic survival, health, and education that affect the quality of daily life for most women and children. The two Conventions call for the right to protection from gender-based abuse and neglect. The strength of these treaties rests on an international consensus, and the assumption that all practices that harm women and girls, no matter how deeply they are embedded in culture, must be eradicated. Legally binding under international law for governments that have ratified them, these treaties oblige governments not only to protect women from crimes of violence, but also to investigate violations when they occur and to bring the perpetrators to justice. Human development goals undermined There is a growing recognition that countries cannot reach their full potential as long as womens potential to participate fully in their society is denied. Data on the social, economic and health costs of violence leave no doubt that violence against women undermines progress towards human and economic development. Womens participation has become key in all social development programmes, be they environmental, for poverty alleviation, or for good governance. By hampering the full involvement and participation of women, countries are eroding the human capital of half their populations. True indicators of a countrys commitment to gender equality lie in its actions to eliminate violence against women in all its forms and in all areas of life. Health consequences violence against women leads to far-reaching physical and psychological consequences, some with fatal outcomes . While physical injury represents only a part of the negative

health impacts on women, it is among the more visible forms of violence. The United States Department of Justice has reported that 37 per cent of all women who sought medical care in hospital emergency rooms for violence-related injuries were injured by a current or former spouse or partner. Assaults result in injuries ranging from bruises and fractures to chronic disabilities such as partial or total loss of hearing or vision, and burns may lead to disfigurement. The medical complications resulting from FGM can range from haemorrhage and sterility to severe psychological trauma. Studies in many countries have shown high levels of violence during pregnancy resulting in risk to the health of both the mother and the unborn foetus. In the worst cases, all of these examples of violence can result in the death of the woman murdered by her current or ex-partner. Sexual assaults and rape can lead to unwanted pregnancies, and the dangerous complications that follow from resorting to illegal abortions. Girls who have been sexually abused in their childhood are more likely to engage in risky behavior such as early sexual intercourse, and are at greater risk of unwanted and early pregnancies Women in violent situations are less able to use contraception or negotiate safer sex, and therefore run a high risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS. The impact of violence on womens mental health leads to severe and fatal consequences. Battered women have a high incidence of stress and stress-related illnesses such as post-traumatic stress syndrome, panic attacks, depression, sleeping and eating disturbances, elevated blood pressure, alcoholism, drug abuse, and low selfesteem. For some women, fatally depressed and demeaned by their abuser, there seems to be no escape from a violent relationship except suicide - Health Consequences Violence Against Women NON-FATAL OUTCOMES Physical health outcomes: Injury (from lacerations to fractures and internal organs injury) Unwanted pregnancy Gynaecological problems STDs including HIV/AIDS Miscarriage Pelvic inflammatory disease

Chronic pelvic pain Headaches Permanent disabilities Asthma Irritable bowel syndrome Self-injurious behaviours (smoking, unprotected sex) Mental health outcomes: Depression Fear Anxiety Low self-esteem Sexual dysfunction Eating problems Obsessive-compulsive disorder Post traumatic stress disorder FATAL OUTCOMES Suicide Homicide Maternal mortality HIV/AIDS

Impact on children Children who have witnessed violence or have themselves been abused, exhibit health and behaviour problems, including problems with their weight, their eating and their

sleep. They may have difficulty at school and find it hard to develop close and positive friendships. They may try to run away or even display suicidal tendencies

What can be done When women protest against their exploitation, many try to silence them. The experience of Bhanwari Devi, the sathin from Rajasthan, is a case in point. She was gang-raped for working against child marriage practiced by the upper castes in her village. According to the NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) 2008, respect for women seem to be the worst in Andhra Pradesh, which accounted for 83.5 per cent of cases under Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act of total cases across the country. Out of a total 1,200 such cases, Andhra had registered 1,005 incidents in this regard. The NCRB data clearly points to the profile of the average rapist over 75% were known to the victims. In fact, nearly 10% were relatives. Another disturbing aspect was that about a quarter of the rape victims were minors. 1 Promote gender equality and combat discrimination against women 2 Collection of data on violence against women and development of Indicators 3 Devising effective, coordinated strategies 4 Combating the impunity of perpetrators of violence against women and access to justice for victims 5 promoting and supporting policies and campaigns to raise awareness of gender equality and to combat violence against women 6 promoting and supporting campaigns focusing on the systematic neglect of girls, in particular as regards official birth registration and schooling.

7 Drafting of human rights reports In their reports, the Heads of Mission must systematically include in their reports a section on compliance with human rights analysing respect for women's fundamental rights, with particular reference to their right to physical integrity and nondiscrimination and compliance with the international commitments of States as regards violence against women. The reports will refer to: institutional and other mechanisms responsible for collecting qualitative and quantitative data throughout the territory and in all types of environments (households, workplaces, educational establishments, places of detention and other public institutions, etc.); statistics, broken down by gender, age and other relevant factors as well as information on the dissemination of those statistics to the key players concerned and the general public; the legislative framework as identified in the preliminary approaches, and in particular the existence of discriminatory laws and practices. 8 Promotion of women's rights in international for a 9 Bilateral and multilateral cooperation: Action to combat violence against women and girls will be accorded priority within the framework of bilateral and multilateral cooperation in defending human rights, in collaboration with civil society, including in the legal and educational fields. 10 Redress, rehabilitation and access to care (a) support for programmes promoting and ensuring access to justice for the victims of violence, including victims of violence appearing in court; (b) support for access to appropriate care services provided free of charge in the fields of psychological support, legal assistance, accommodation and the reintegration of victims of violence and their children, inter alia via public information campaigns for such services; 11 Prevention of violence (a) promotion of and support for action to combat impunity with regard to violence against women and girls;

(b) support for education in the fundamental rights and empowerment of women and girls; (c) support for campaigns, inter alia in the field of awareness-raising and communication, focusing on gender equality and measures to combat violence against women and girls through the elimination of the gender stereotyping which contributes to violence against women and girls; (d) support for programmes aimed at improving the economic independence of women; (e) support for the training of police officers and judicial staff in matters relating to violence against women and girls and the 12 Strengthening capacities (a) the provision of assistance for national action plans implementing the CEDAW (Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women). Committee's recommendations, including the internal dissemination thereof; (b) the provision of assistance for the introduction of effective coordinated mechanisms for collecting data on violence against women and girls; (c) support for women's organisations and female human rights defenders, and more generally for civil society organisations combating violence against women; (d) the provision of appropriate training to all professionals responsible for dealing with violence against women and the causes and consequences of such violence (police, judicial staff, healthcare and educational professionals, the media); (e) support for programmes to reinforce police powers to intervene in cases of violence, and in particular domestic violence, via the introduction of standardised intervention protocols, pursuant to the United Nations Resolution on crime prevention and criminal justice responses to violence against women; (f) support for the establishment of central and decentralised administration services to improve women's status; 13 One Stop Crisis Center: In many cases the oppressed women become helpless and homeless. None is found to come forward to rescue them. They are to move from place to place with a hope to ease their sufferings but with of no avail. Keeping this particular point in mind the Ministry of Women Affairs and Children has introduced One Stop Crisis Center in Dhaka and Rajshahi Medical Colleges with a view to serving the oppressed women by providing health, legal and police aid. This center is composed of officers belonging to

health, social work and police department. The government has a plan to extend the center in other divisions in near future. 14 Role of media Media that includes television, radio and newspapers can play a positive role in creating awareness about the pitfalls of violence against women. Mass medias power should not be undermined by our policy makers.

15 International legal standards Three doctrines, developed by human rights scholars and activists, have to be taken into account when dealing with the issue of violence against women by private actors. The first is that states have a responsibility to exercise due diligence to prevent, investigate and punish international law violations and pay just compensation. 16 Due diligence In 1992, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) adopted General Recommendation 19, in which it confirmed that violence against women constitutes a violation of human rights and emphasizes that States may also be responsible for private acts if they fail to act with due diligence to prevent violations of rights or to investigate and punish acts of violence, and for providing compensation. The Committee made recommendations on measures states should take to provide effective protection of women against violence, including: (1) effective legal measures, including penal sanctions, civil remedies and compensatory provisions to protect women against all kinds of violence, including violence and abuse in the family, sexual assault and sexual harassment in the workplace; (2) preventive measures, including public information and education programmes to change attitudes concerning the roles and status of men and women; (3) protective measures, including refuges, counselling, rehabilitation action and support services for women who are experiencing violence or who are at risk of violence. The United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women also calls on States to pursue by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of eliminating violence against women and, further to exercise due diligence to prevent, investigate and, in accordance with national legislation, punish acts of violence against women, whether those acts are perpetrated by the State or by private persons. The concept of due diligence has been taken forward by the judgement of the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights in the case of Velsquez Rodrguez. The Court required the

government to take reasonable steps to prevent human rights violations and to use the means at its disposal to carry out a serious investigation of violations committed within this jurisdiction, to identify those responsible, to impose the appropriate punishment and to ensure the victim adequate compensation. Thus, the existence of a legal system criminalizing and providing sanctions for domestic assault would not in itself be sufficient; the government would have to perform its functions to effectively ensure that incidents of family violence are actually investigated and punished. 17 Equal protection of the law 18 Responses to combat violence - Criminalization

- Legislation -Police action

19 Training and community support services Most police, prosecutors, magistrates, judges and doctors adhere to traditional values that support the family as an institution and the dominance of the male party within it. It is therefore necessary to train law enforcers and medical and legal professionals who come in contact with those experiencing violence to understand gender violence, to appreciate the trauma of those suffering and to take proper evidence for criminal proceedings. Professionals in law and medicine are often resistant to this type of training and to learning from anyone outside their speciality. It would therefore be more effective to involve other professionals in the training programme 20 Effective education system 21 ANTI-VIOLENCE MECHANISMS Example of a Monitoring Procedure: The Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women 22 Cooperation at all levels Overwhelmingly, governments lack the necessary expertise to develop and implement policy relating to violence against women. Therefore, a more cooperative relationship between governments and civil society should be built to combat violence against women. An integrated, multidisciplinary approach with lawyers, psychologists, social workers, doctors and others working together to gain a holistic understanding of each particular case and the needs of the individual is the best option. Giving attention to the

real-life context of the battered woman, her hopelessness, dependency, restricted options, and her consequent need for empowerment, should underpin every approach. The goal is to work with her to develop her capacity to decide her own future.
23 General approaches: To raise the issue of combating violence against women and girls and the types of discrimination from which such violence originates in its relations with third countries and regional organisations. Such approaches will relate in particular to the degree to which the national legal framework complies with the international standards and commitments of the States in that area, and to the effective implementation of and follow-up to those commitments and to (a) identify forms of violence against women and girls and analyse the relevant data and indicators concerning them; (b) identify the existence of laws and practices which are explicitly and de facto discriminatory, and from which such violence originates; (c) identify the absence and/or shortcomings of public policies defined in response to violence against women; (d) identify the international and regional instruments for the protection of women's rights which have been ratified by the countries concerned, including the existence of reservations, and the incorporation of such instruments into national law; (e) identify the recommendations made to those countries by international and regional mechanisms as regards women's rights and violence against women. (f) it will encourage ratification of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and its Optional Protocol, the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa and the InterAmerican Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence Against Women; (g) to encourage the withdrawal of the reservations which have been entered in respect of the Convention, and in particular those which contradict the Convention's aims and objectives, inter alia on the basis of the interpretation given to those reservations by the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW); (h) to encourage, by means of technical support if necessary, submission of reports to the CEDAW Committee within the deadlines specified and the follow-up to the Committee's reports and recommendations;

(i) to maintain a dialogue and regular consultations with women's rights defenders and women's organisations; (j) to encourage women's rights defenders and women's organisations to become involved in developing, implementing and evaluating public policies in this area; (k) to encourage Member States to make specific commitments to combat violence and discrimination against women within the framework of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR); (l) to encourage the development of appropriate, new regional and international instruments.