VAW International Agreements
International Agreements on Violence against women
Most, if not all of the CARICOM governments have signed on to a number of International agreements that outline the ways and means member states can and should be dealing with the issue of Domestic Violence and Gender based violence in general.
These agreements are relevant to the Violence against women (VAW) campaign that The NCDF has launched, because the recommendations coming out of The September 2010 regional conference, contained in the Cacadia document are consistent with the tenants of these international agreements
NGOs in the region working towards the prevention and eradication of violence against women should all be familiar with these agreements and the role that NGOs can play in ensuring that regional governments are living up to the tenants of the agreements they have signed.
Below is a list of few of those agreements.
List of International Agreements
1) Convention of Belem Do Para
Below is a summary of the document
This agreement is the result of the meeting of the organization of American states held in Belem Do Para, Brazil in June 1994.
The convention recognizes the American Declaration of the Rights and duties of Man and the universal declaration of Human Rights, and affirms that violence against women is a violation of the human rights of women.
The convention defines violence against women as: ‘Any act or conduct based on gender which causes death or physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women whether in the public or the private sphere’
Article ( 2b) of the convention includes sexual harassment in the workplace in the definition of violence against women.
Under article 4 the convention states that women have the right to simple and prompt recourse to a competent court for protection against acts that violate their rights.
Duties of the State.
Certainly for the purposes of the NGO sector in the region articles 7, 8, & 9 of the convention of Belem Do Para is most relevant. These sections outline the role of the state in the prevention and eradication of violence against women.
Under article 7 the state is held responsible for ensuring that the legal system will adopt or implement legislation that will prevent, punish and eradicate violence against women. This section basically seeks to use the court system to protect women experiencing violence in the public or private sphere by requiring the perpetrator to refrain from harassing, intimidating or threatening the woman.
Article 8 of the convention of Belem Do Para outlines the kind of infrastructure that should be present in OAS member states, attempting to eradicate Violence against women.
Member states should implement progressive measures such as programs to educate and make the public aware of the right of women to be free of violence
There should be education programs at all levels to impact on the social and cultural norms and practices that are based on the beliefs that women are inferior to men
The convention also promotes the practice of special Training for the police and other civil servants in the area of Justice Administration
The convention goes on to suggest that specialized services be provided by the public as well as private sector for women subjected to violence. These specialized services to take the form of shelters, Family counseling services, etc
Readers of the convention of Belem Do Para should pay particular attention to the section entitled ‘Inter American Mechanisms of Protection. This section requires member states to include in their reports to the Inter American commission of women information on measures adopted to prevent violence against women. This section also deals with the issue of non compliance by member states.
Click here to read the convention of Belem Do Para in its entirety
United Nations
General Assembly
Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women
December 1993
While this document precedes Belem Do Para it does mirror many of the tenants of the convention of Belem Do Para, in terms of outlining the role of the state in the prevention and eradication of violence against women.
However in some ways this document goes further in its efforts to identify and define the role of the state in the prevention and eradication of violence against women an example of this would be article 4 which states that member states should not only condemn violence against women, but also should not allow any custom, tradition or religious consideration to prevent them from fulfilling their obligation to eliminate violence against women.
Similar to Belem Do Para this declaration encourages governments to develop national plans of action to promote the protection of women against any form of violence. However the declaration makes mention of the role of non governmental organizations in such a national plan, by suggesting some level of cooperation between Governments and NGOs whose main focus is the prevention of violence against women. The declaration suggests that Governments should include in their budgets adequate resources for the fight to eliminate violence against women. Article (4P) of the declaration states that member states should: ‘facilitate and enhance the work of the women’s movement and non governmental organizations and cooperate with them at the local, national and regional levels
Click here to read the Declaration on the Elimination of violence against women in its entirety
Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against women (CEDAW)
This convention was adopted by the United Nations in December 1979 and entered into force as an international treaty on September 3rd 1981
The convention’s primary concern is the legal status of women and the pursuit of equal rights for women and men. The convention addresses issues such as the right of women to political participation, the nationality of married women, the reproductive rights of women. This is the only human rights treaty to mention family planning.
While this convention does not deal with violence against women, subsequent declarations dealing with the issue of violence against women all refer to this document in the recognition of the rights of women. The declarations and conventions on violence against women all state that violence against women prevents the full advancement and empowerment of women, and is the mechanism by which women are forced into subordinate positions compared to men.
Since CEDAW and its thrust to improve the status of women there have been other conventions which have been described as ‘Platforms for action’. These platforms are basically strategies for the advancement of women. There are two such platforms for action:
1) The Nairobi Forward looking strategies for the Advancement of women
2) The united Nations Fourth world convention on Women – The Beijing Platform