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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)

Strengthening the rule of law, justice and security in Liberia

Over a decade has passed since the end of conflict in Liberia, but incidence of sexual and gender-based violence has not diminished. Numerous studies reveal an extremely high prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence. According to an IDLO study, in 2015 1396 cases were reported to the Montserrado five one-stop clinics alone. Among those cases, 267 were reported to the Women’s and Children’s Protection Section within the Liberia National Police, 119 received an indictment, while only 3 cases went through to trial.

Donor Roundtable Meeting on the Women's Access to Justice Flagship Initiative

STATEMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LAW ORGANIZATION

Donor Roundtable Meeting on the Women's Access to Justice Flagship Initiative: "Addressing Impunity Against Women and Girls Through Effective Women's Access to Justice in Diverse Country Contexts"

July 6th, 2017

New York

Delivered by Mr. Patrizio Civili, Permanent Observer to the UN, IDLO

35th Session of the Human Rights Council: Interactive Dialogue with the Working Group on the Issue of Discrimination Against Women in Law and in Practice

STATEMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LAW ORGANIZATION

35th Session of the Human Rights Council: Interactive Dialogue with the Working Group on the Issue of Discrimination Against Women in Law and in Practice

June 8, 2017

Geneva

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Key Initiatives

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
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