Violence and Discrimination

Overall, the law has failed women. Although governments and the international community have invested heavily in legal systems, in many settings, women still suffer appalling violence and discrimination. In some countries, rape is endemic; in others, girls are bought and sold in settlement of family debt; forced and underage marriage, domestic violence and femicide remain all too common. Women's oppression and suffering is compounded by civil conflict. Under the guide of religion or ideology, the desire to control women's bodies or garb persists. For these reasons, IDLO has made gender cross-cutting theme in all its work, as well as the focus of distinct research and programming.

(Photo: ILO/Sarah-Jane Saltmarsh)

Combating Gender-Based Violence in Mongolia

Despite having reached satisfactory standards of democracy and improved the respect for human rights, Mongolia faces some serious issues in addressing high levels of domestic violence against women. Mechanisms and services for protection of and support to victims of domestic violence are still very limited. A lack of training, procedural guidelines and inter-agency coordination between justice sector actors often creates obstacles for victims and hinders an efficient response to domestic abuse.

IDLO Promotes Debate on Reintegration of Former Convicts

Allowing ex-convicts to reintegrate into society as productive citizens can significantly contribute to curbing violence by preventing the reoccurrence of crime.

Comments to the draft update of General Recommendation No. 19 (1992): Accelerating elimination of gender-based violence against women

COMMENTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LAW ORGANIZATION

to the Draft UPDATE of General Recommendation No. 19 (1992):

Accelerating Elimination of Gender-Based Violence against Women

September 30, 2016

Geneva, Switzerland

33rd Session of the Human Rights Council: The causes and consequences of violence against indigenous women and girls, including those with disabilities

STATEMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LAW ORGANIZATION

33rd Session of the Human Rights Council: The Causes and Consequences of Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls, Including Those with Disabilities

September 20, 2016

Geneva

Honduras: The Fight against Violence Begins at Home

Don Ramón’s* niece took him to the hospital one day with the pretext of a check-up and never came back for him. In his seventies and recovering from a road accident, he had become a burden on the family.

For 12 years, Alicia slept by the side of a man who beat and abused her, and once left her for dead after attacking her with a pipe. She felt she had no alternative.

Mongolia: Hand in hand against domestic violence

According to some estimates, one in three Mongolian women is a victim of domestic violence and approximately one-half of all administrative detainees and one-quarter of criminal detainees have been held for domestic violence-related offenses.

Call for sub-project concept notes

Promoting increased accountability for sexual and gender-based violence in Liberia.

Enhancing Women's Protection Against Gender-Based Violence

While Tunisia has long served as a regional model of women’s rights, actual implementation of the Constitution’s provisions on women’s rights and the eradication of all forms of gender-based violence (GBV) remains a challenge.

Increasing accountability for sexual and gender based violence

Rates of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) remain high in Uganda due to cultural practices, continued internal displacement, and low capacity of the justice system. IDLO is working to advance accountability for SGBV crimes committed in times of or after armed conflict in Uganda.

Key Initiatives

Strengthening the Capacities of Women Justice Professionals for Gender-Responsive Justice Delivery and Policy Making

Following the Tunisian revolution of 2011, the new Constitution adopted in 2014 aimed to embed the principle of equality between women and men as well as ensuring the State’s obligation to protect women’s rights. However, despite the reforms to the legal framework in Tunisia to increase protection for women against gender-based violence, justice sector professionals, particularly judges and bailiffs, have limited knowledge, skills and capacity to act as effective gender justice agents, as stipulated by the new Law.
Empowering women to access justice and claim their rights at the local level in Tunisia

Since the revolution in 2011, Tunisia has experienced a period of significant political transition and change culminating in the adoption of a new constitution in 2014, which called for justice reform and protection of women’s rights. However, the practical application of the framework for legal assistance in Tunisia demonstrates the insufficiency of existing relevant mechanisms. Therefore, there is the strong need to empower women to access justice and claim their rights.
Prevention and accountability for sexual and gender-based violence in Myanmar

Strengthening prevention and accountability for sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) through the rule of law and access to justice has been a priority for the Government of Myanmar since 2011, when it embarked on an unprecedented transition towards democracy. SGBV cases are rarely reported and, when they are, the justice sector fails to provide adequate remedies. Therefore, there is a widely recognized need to increase prevention of and accountability for SGBV.
Strengthening Institutions to Improve Access to Justice for SGBV Survivors in Liberia

In the post-conflict transition, significant steps have been taken to combat sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Liberia. The Government of Liberia established a policy and legal framework that includes the Rape Law (2006), a National Gender Policy (2017), and a National Plan of Action for the Prevention and Management of Gender-Based Violence in Liberia. However, in 2017, over 1100 SGBV cases have been reported in Montserrado County alone, representing only a small proportion of the violations that occur. Furthermore, the number of cases that have progressed to court remains low.
Domestic Violence in Honduras

IDLO is working with the European Union’s EUROsociAL II program in Honduras to aid and empower women who are victims of domestic violence. With the country’s judiciary, we have created the Centro de Atención y Protección de los Derechos de la Mujer (CAPRODEM), a women’s center providing orientation and legal assistance for female victims in Tegucigalpa. IDLO has played a key role in drafting the internal and functional guidelines for the Center and helped build the capacity of those involved. CAPRODEM is expected to be replicated in other regions of Honduras.