10 August 2005
COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Sub-Commission on the Promotion and
Protection of Human Rights
Fifty seventh session
Item 6 of the provisional agenda
Statement of Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights
Thank you Mr. Chairman.
We have a statement that focuses on violence against women, but which also touches upon the constructive solutions and technical cooperation ideas in the working paper of Mr. Alfredsson and Mr. Salama, and it also illustrates ways to promote human rights through effective use of technology.
The worldwide problem of violence against women persists and has long been a concern of Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights. The roots of the problem are complex, relating to women's traditionally subordinate role, which is often maintained by violence. No country is immune from this plague, with violations ranging from workplace discrimination and harassment to domestic violence, sexual trafficking and rape. Minnesota Advocates has, for 12 years, reported on violence against women not only in its own country, the United States, but also in Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans and the former Soviet Union countries, where these problems have been exacerbated by the economic, social and political upheaval related to the transition to democracy and a free market economy.
Minnesota Advocates has developed an innovative on-line communication and learning tool aimed at confronting violence against women in Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans and the former Soviet Union countries. The Stop Violence Against Women website -- www.stopvaw.org -- is a ground-breaking distance-learning, networking and mentoring tool for women's advocates working in Central and Eastern Europe, the newly Independent States, Mongolia and the U.N. Protectorate of Kosovo. Minnesota Advocates is hopeful that this new tool will bring a new dimension to the overall effort to end violence against women and will provide a model for other regions in the world.
The Stop Violence Against Women website (StopVAW) provides narrative discussion about research and law and policy developments in the areas of domestic violence, sexual assault, sexual harassment and trafficking in women. The website also includes a resource library of best practices, training materials, an online mentoring program, message boards for advocates discussions, and country pages which summarize developments related to efforts to combat violence against women in each of the 30 countries of the region.
The objectives of the website include:
The StopVAW website was originally developed in collaboration with UNIFEM, Minnesota Advocates, and the Open Society Institute's Network Women's Program (NWP).
The National Violence Against Women (NVAW) Monitor Program of StopVAW uses the Country Pages sections of the website to encourage communication and collaboration between advocates in the Central & Eastern Europe and Newly Independent States region. This program was launched in 2004 and designates one expert from each country to facilitate communication about developments in her country on violence against women. The Country Pages present general information about each country, which treaties they have ratified, their country reports on human rights, their laws on violence against women, new research and reports and new reform and advocacy efforts to combat violence against women.
In conclusion Mr. Chairman, Internet technology has changed the world in countless ways. With the StopVAW website, Minnesota Advocates' goal is to harness the capacity and power of the Internet and put it to use in the global effort to end violence against women. We offer this project as one example of implementing human rights projects in the field, and we encourage anyone interested in developing human rights advocacy tools for combatting violence against women to consult and contribute to the website.
Thank you Mr. Chairman.