UNITED NATIONS
Press Release
Commission on Human Rights
56th session
10 April 2000 Afternoon
The Commission on Human Rights this afternoon continued its debate on the integration of the human rights of women and the gender perspective, including violence against women. A variety of issues were raised by the speakers. The need for access to information, education and quality reproductive health care for women, especially in developing countries, was stressed. The importance of concerted action on the part of Governments and the international community to end the various forms of violence against women was underlined. The setting up of mechanisms to deal with sexual harassment of women was underscored.
The following non-governmental organizations also addressed the meeting: the Asian Legal Resource Centre, the Worldview International Foundation, Asemblea Permanente Por Los Derechos Humanos, the Lila Pilipina, the International Human Rights Law Group, the Catholic Institute for International Relations, the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, the Arab Lawyers Union, the Australian Council for Overseas Aid, and the Third World Movement Against the Exploitation of Women.
LIN CHEW, of the Asian Legal Resource Centre, highlighted the discrimination against Dalit women in India who suffered a three-fold discrimination because they were women, Dalits and were discriminated against by their own menfolk. Incidents against Dalit women were often reported, showing the systematic manner in which they suffered discrimination, rape and torture. On the question of trafficking in women, the organization agreed with the Special Rapporteur and called on
Governments to remove the paternalistic approaches which often resulted in the further curtailment of the rights of women concerning the restriction of their freedom of movement and freedom to earn a living, stigmatization and the resulting discrimination and exclusion. The Special Rapporteur’s recommendations were fully supported and the organization was convinced that the immediate implementation thereof was the basis of the greater long-term task of evolving rights-based strategies to address all forms of violence against women.
LIN CHEW, of the Asian Legal Resource Centre, highlighted the discrimination against Dalit women in India who suffered a three-fold discrimination because they were women, Dalits and were discriminated against by their own menfolk. Incidents against Dalit women were often reported, showing the systematic manner in which they suffered discrimination, rape and torture.
On the question of trafficking in women, the organization agreed with the Special Rapporteur and called on Governments to remove the paternalistic approaches which often resulted in the further curtailment of the rights of women concerning the restriction of their freedom of movement and freedom to earn a living, stigmatization and the resulting discrimination and exclusion. The Special Rapporteur’s recommendations were fully supported and the organization was convinced that the immediate implementation thereof was the basis of the greater long-term task of evolving rights-based strategies to address all forms of violence against women.
