History of violence against women

Last updated April 23, 2024

Violence against women are acts of violence committed against women.

Timeline of protection regimes

The 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which recognises violence as a part of discrimination against women in recommendations 12 and 19.^[1]
The 1993 World Conference on Human Rights, which recognised violence against women as a human rights violation, and which contributed to the following UN declaration.^[1]
The 1993 UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women was the first international instrument explicitly defining and addressing violence against women. This document specifically refers to the historically forever-present nature of gender inequalities in understanding violence against women.^[1] (Include current 2nd paragraph here). This Declaration, as well as the World Conference of the same year, is often viewed as a "turning point" at which the consideration of violence against women by the international community began to be taken much more seriously, and after which more countries mobilized around this problem.^[2]^[3] The first major document that highlights the recognition of violence against women as a human rights violation: the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women in Vienna, 1993.^[4]^[5]^[6] It was a result of collective effort of global feminist movement to transform the Vienna conference from a general and mainstream human rights conference into the conference on women's rights. As before the other human rights organisations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch did not focus on the issue of VAW and did not consider rape and domestic violence as violations of human rights despite the fact that they also have agenda on women's rights.^[7]
The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, linking violence against women to reproductive health and rights, and also providing recommendations to governments on how to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls.^[1]
The 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing^[8] During the 4th Women Conference, VAW was emphasized and named as a critical concern. Also, the spillover effect was that this push highlighted the need for the development of "new international norms" that have often been used by activists and governments the proposition of legislation that provide other action to redress the acts of violence.^[4]^[6]^[9] Subsequently, the push from the global feminist movement also push for the fully incorporation of the VAW issues into the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)^[10] whereas the "original text of CEDAW in 1979 did not explicitly mention violence against women".^[7]^: 556
In 1996, the World Health Assembly (WHA) declared violence a major public health issue, and included in the subtypes recognised were intimate partner violence and sexual violence, two kinds of violence often perpetrated as violence against women. This was followed by a World Health Organization (WHO) report in 2002 (see below).^[11] The UN also created the Trust Fund to Support Actions to Eliminate Violence Against Women.^[12]
In 1999, the UN adopted the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and designated 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.^[2]
In 2002, as a follow-up of the WHA declaration in 1996 of violence as a major public health issue, the WHO published the first World Report on Violence and Health, which addressed many types of violence and their effect on public health, including forms of violence affecting women particularly strongly. The report specifically noted the sharp rise in civil society organisations and activities directed at responding to gender-based violence against women from the 1970s to the 1990s.^[11]
In 2004, the WHO published its "Multi-country study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence against Women", a study of women's health and domestic violence by surveying over 24,000 women in 10 countries from all regions of the world, which assessed the prevalence and extent of violence against women, particularly violence by intimate partners, and linked this with health outcomes to women as well as documenting strategies and services that women use to cope with intimate-partner violence.^[3]
The 2006 UN Secretary General's "In-depth study on all forms of violence against women", the first comprehensive international document on the issue.^[13]
The 2011 Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, which is the second regional legally-binding instrument on violence against women and girls.^[1]
In 2013, the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) adopted, by consensus, Agreed Conclusions on the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls (formerly, there were no agreed-upon conclusions).^[1]
Also in 2013, the UN General Assembly passed its first resolution calling for the protection of defenders of women's human rights.^[14] The resolution urges states to put in place gender-specific laws and policies for the protection of women's human rights defenders and to ensure that defenders themselves are involved in the design and implementation of these measures, and calls on states to protect women's human rights defenders from reprisals for cooperating with the UN and to ensure their unhindered access to and communication with international human rights bodies and mechanisms.^[15]

Timeline of protection regimes in the Americas

^[16]

1967: One of the country's first domestic violence shelters opened in Maine.
1972: The country's first rape help hotline opened in Washington, D.C.
1978: Two national coalitions, the National Coalition Against Sexual Assault and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, were formed, to raise awareness of these two forms of violence against women.
1984: The U.S. Attorney General created the Department of Justice Task Force on Family Violence, to address ways in which the criminal justice system and community response to domestic violence should be improved.
1994: Passage of the Violence Against Women Act or VAWA, legislation included in the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, sponsored by then-Senator Joseph Biden, which required a strengthened community response to crimes of domestic violence and sexual assault, strengthened federal penalties for repeat sex offenders and strengthened legislative protection of victims, among many other provisions.
2000: President Clinton signed into law the VAWA of 2000, further strengthening federal laws, and emphasizing assistance of immigrant victims, elderly victims, victims with disabilities, and victims of dating violence.
2006: President Bush signed into law the VAWA of 2006, with an emphasis on programs to address violence against youth victims, and establishing programs for Engaging Men and Youth, and Culturally and Linguistically Specific Services.
2007: The National Teen Dating Abuse Hotline opened.
2009: President Obama declared April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
2013: President Obama signed into law the VAWA of 2015, which granted Native American tribes the ability to prosecute non-Native offenders, and regulated reports of sexual assault on college campuses.^[17]^[18]

Related Research Articles

The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is an international treaty adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly. Described as an international bill of rights for women, it was instituted on 3 September 1981 and has been ratified by 189 states. Over fifty countries that have ratified the convention have done so subject to certain declarations, reservations, and objections, including 38 countries who rejected the enforcement article 29, which addresses means of settlement for disputes concerning the interpretation or application of the convention. Australia's declaration noted the limitations on central government power resulting from its federal constitutional system. The United States and Palau have signed, but not ratified the treaty. The Holy See, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, and Tonga are not signatories to CEDAW.

The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) is a United States federal law signed by President Bill Clinton on September 13, 1994. The Act provided $1.6 billion toward investigation and prosecution of violent crimes against women, imposed automatic and mandatory restitution on those convicted, and allowed civil redress when prosecutors chose to not prosecute cases. The Act also established the Office on Violence Against Women within the U.S. Department of Justice.

The Commission on the Status of Women is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), one of the principal organs of the United Nations. CSW has been described as the UN organ promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women. Every year, representatives of member states gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and advancement of women worldwide. In April 2017, ECOSOC elected 13 new members to CSW for a four-year term 2018–2022. One of the new members is Saudi Arabia, which has been criticised for its treatment of women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Violence against women</span> Violent acts committed primarily against women and girls

Violence against women (VAW), also known as gender-based violence and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), is violent acts primarily or exclusively committed by men or boys against women or girls. Such violence is often considered a form of hate crime, committed against women or girls specifically because they are female, and can take many forms.

Equality Now is a non-governmental organization founded in 1992 to advocate for the protection and promotion of the human rights of women and girls. Equality Now works through public policy channels to create a just world for women and girls. Through a combination of regional partnerships, community mobilization and legal advocacy the organization works to encourage governments to adopt, improve and enforce laws that protect and promote women and girls' rights around the world.

Domestic violence is a severe issue in Russia. According to Human Rights Watch, citing RIA Novosti, as many as 36,000 women and 26,000 children faced daily abuse at home in 2013. According to official MVD data, in 2015 around 1060 people died of domestic violence in Russia. Of them, 756 were men and 304 women. According to an independent study of 2,200 women in fifty cities and towns in Russia, 70% have experienced at least one form of gender-based violence in the home—physical, psychological, economic, or sexual.

Nauru is a small island country in the South Pacific. With a population of 13,649 it is the world's least populous independent republic. Nauru's government operates under its constitution, part two of which contains 'protection of fundamental rights and freedoms.' The Human Rights Council (UNHRC) carried out Nauru's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in January 2011. The review was generally favourable with only a few areas of concern.

The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (OP-CEDAW) is an international treaty which establishes complaint and inquiry mechanisms for the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Parties to the Protocol allow the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to hear complaints from individuals or inquire into "grave or systematic violations" of the convention. The Protocol has led to a number of decisions against member states on issues such as domestic violence, parental leave and forced sterilization, as well as an investigation into the systematic killing of women in the Mexican city of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua.

The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women was adopted without a vote by the United Nations General Assembly in the 48/104 resolution of 20 December 1993. Contained within it is the recognition of "the urgent need for the universal application to women of the rights and principles with regard to equality, security, liberty, integrity and dignity of all human beings". It recalls and embodies the same rights and principles as those enshrined in such instruments as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Articles 1 and 2 provide the most widely used definition of violence against women.

Tonga is a constitutional monarchy with a population of approximately 130,000. Politics and the economy are dominated by the king, the nobility, and a few prominent commoners. Economic, social and cultural rights are generally well respected. There are, however, a number of issues concerning protection of civil and political rights, particularly freedom of expression, and rights to political participation. Violence against women is a serious issue.

Gender inequality can be found in various areas of Salvadoran life such as employment, health, education, political participation, and family life. Although women in El Salvador enjoy equal protection under the law, they are often at a disadvantage relative to their male counterparts. In the area of politics, women have the same rights as men, but the percentage of women in office compared to men is low. Though much progress has been made since the Salvadoran Civil War ended in 1992, women in El Salvador still face gender inequality.

Violence against women in Fiji is recognised to be "pervasive, widespread and a serious national issue" in the Pacific Island region. Fiji's rates of violence against women are "among the very highest in the world". The Fiji Women's Crisis Centre reports that 64% of women who have been in intimate relationships have experienced physical or sexual violence from their partner, including 61% who were physically attacked and 34% who were sexually abused.

Violence against women in New Zealand is described as the kinds of violence disproportionately affecting women compared to men, due to factors of ongoing gender inequality in society. The New Zealand government and justice system view efforts to prevent and deal with violence against women as a priority of New Zealand legislation and the criminal justice system.

The Federated States of Micronesia is a United States Associated State consisting of 4 states across the Western Pacific Ocean. The estimated population in 2015 was 105,216. Formerly the FSM was a part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI) but in 1979 formed its own constitutional government. FSM has a written constitution which took effect in 1979 and has been amended only once in 1990. By virtue of membership in the United Nations, the FSM abides by the UN Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Key human rights concerns in FSM include judicial delays, government corruption, discrimination against women, domestic violence and child neglect.

Domestic violence in New Zealand, often called family violence or family harm is defined under New Zealand law as not only intimate partner violence but also violence against other family members, including children and extended family or whānau, as well as people living together in the same household, such as flatmates. It is estimated that one third of people in New Zealand have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) within their lifetime, making New Zealand have the highest rate of domestic violence in 14 OECD countries. In 2020, New Zealand police responded to a domestic violence call every 4 minutes.

Examples of Gender inequality Papua New Guinea includes poverty, violence, limited access to education and health care, and witch hunts. Cases of violence against women in PNG are under reported. There is also a lack of services for women who experience violence. There are reports of sexual abuse by police officers, on arrest and whilst in police custody. These incidents lack documentation or investigation, consequently, perpetrators are rarely prosecuted or punished. The government of Papua New Guinea (PNG) has introduced legislation to combat these issues, though with limited success.

Gender equality in Azerbaijan is guaranteed by the country's constitution and legislation, and an initiative is in place to prevent domestic violence. Azerbaijan ratified a United Nations convention in 1995, and a Gender Information Center opened in 2002. A committee on women's issues was established in 1998.

Domestic violence in South Korea is the mental, physical, verbal or sexual abuses or crimes of violence committed towards a victim in a domestic setting of marital relations and cohabitation. Domestic violence describes violence towards a domestic partner, towards children and between siblings. According to the Domestic Violence Survey of South Korea in 2010, elder abuse was estimated to be 10%, physical abuse accounted for 2.2%, emotional abuse 9%, economic abuse 1.2%, and neglect 2.5%. Marital violence has been the most prevalent form of family violence in South Korea. One out of six couples in South Korea had more than one episode of physical violence from their spouse.

Activism against violence against women aims at decreasing violence disproportionally committed against women.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 "Global norms and standards: Ending violence against women". UN Women . Retrieved 2 December 2013.
1 2 Venis, Sarah; Horton, Richard (6 April 2002). "Violence against women: a global burden". The Lancet . 359 (9313). Elsevier: 1172. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(02)08251-X. PMID 11955533. S2CID 41832376.
1 2 Garcia-Moreno, Claudia (2005). WHO multi-country study on women's health and domestic violence against women: initial results on prevalence, health outcomes and women's responses. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization. ISBN 9789241593588.
1 2 Brown Thompson, Karen (2002). "Women's rights are human rights". In Khagram, Sanjeev; Riker, James V.; Sikkink, Kathryn (eds.). Restructuring world politics: transnational social movements, networks, and norms . Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. pp. 96–122. ISBN 9780816639076.
↑ Elman, R. Amy (2008). Sexual equality in an integrated Europe: virtual equality. Europe in Transition: the NYU European Studies Series. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9780230610071.
1 2 Weldon, S. Laurel (March 2006). "Inclusion, solidarity, and social movements: the global movement against gender violence". Perspectives on Politics . 4 (1). Cambridge University Press: 55–74. doi:10.1017/S1537592706060063. JSTOR 3688626. S2CID 9793769.
1 2 Htun, Mala; Weldon, S. Laurel (August 2012). "The civic origins of progressive policy change: combating violence against women in global perspective, 1975–2005". American Political Science Review . 106 (3). Cambridge University Press: 548–569. doi:10.1017/S0003055412000226. JSTOR 23275433. S2CID 15986250. Pdf.
↑ UN (1995). Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (PDF). United Nations. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
↑ Fábián, Katalin, ed. (2010). Domestic violence in postcommunist states: local activism, national policies, and global forces. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253222183.
↑ CEDAW (31 December 2003). Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. United Nations . Retrieved 19 December 2013.
1 2
Krug, Etienne G.; Dahlberg, Linda L.; Mercy, James A.; Zwi, Anthony B.; Lozano, Rafael (2002). World report on violence and health. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization. ISBN 9789241545617.
Also available as:
Krug, Etienne G.; Dahlberg, Linda L.; Mercy, James A.; Zwi, Anthony B.; Lozano, Rafael (5 October 2002). "The world report on violence and health". The Lancet . 360 (9339). Elsevier: 1083–1088. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(02)11133-0. PMID 12384003. S2CID 20828803.
↑ Fried, Susana T. (2003). "Violence against women". Health and Human Rights . 6 (2). Harvard University Press: 88–111. doi:10.2307/4065431. JSTOR 4065431. Pdf.
↑ UN (2006). In-depth study on all forms of violence against women. Report of the Secretary-General. United Nations General Assembly. A/61/122/Add. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
↑ NRK (30 November 2013). "Protection of women human rights defenders". The Norway Post. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
↑ "UN adopts landmark resolution on Protecting Women Human Rights Defenders". Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID). 28 November 2013. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
↑ U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women (OVM). "The History of the Violence Against Women Act" (PDF). U.S. Department of Justice. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 October 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
↑
Kohlman, Cindy (9 June 2015). Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) New Reporting Requirements Effective July 1, 2015 – Are You Ready?. Inceptia Institute.
See also:
ACE (1 April 2014). New requirements imposed by the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (PDF). American Council on Education.
↑ Fee, Stephen; et al. (5 September 2015). Tribal Justice: Prosecuting Non-Natives for Sexual Assault on Reservations (transcript). PBS documentary.

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[UN_Women:_Global_Norms_&_Standards-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Global norms and standards: Ending violence against women". UN Women . Retrieved 2 December 2013.

[VAW:_A_Global_Burden-2] 1 2 Venis, Sarah; Horton, Richard (6 April 2002). "Violence against women: a global burden". The Lancet . 359 (9313). Elsevier: 1172. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(02)08251-X. PMID 11955533. S2CID 41832376.

[WHO_Multicountry_Study-3] 1 2 Garcia-Moreno, Claudia (2005). WHO multi-country study on women's health and domestic violence against women: initial results on prevalence, health outcomes and women's responses. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization. ISBN 9789241593588.

[Brown_Thompson_2002-4] 1 2 Brown Thompson, Karen (2002). "Women's rights are human rights". In Khagram, Sanjeev; Riker, James V.; Sikkink, Kathryn (eds.). Restructuring world politics: transnational social movements, networks, and norms . Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. pp. 96–122. ISBN 9780816639076.

[5] Elman, R. Amy (2008). Sexual equality in an integrated Europe: virtual equality. Europe in Transition: the NYU European Studies Series. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9780230610071.

[Weldon,_S.L_2006-6] 1 2 Weldon, S. Laurel (March 2006). "Inclusion, solidarity, and social movements: the global movement against gender violence". Perspectives on Politics . 4 (1). Cambridge University Press: 55–74. doi:10.1017/S1537592706060063. JSTOR 3688626. S2CID 9793769.

[Htun&Weldon-7] 1 2 Htun, Mala; Weldon, S. Laurel (August 2012). "The civic origins of progressive policy change: combating violence against women in global perspective, 1975–2005". American Political Science Review . 106 (3). Cambridge University Press: 548–569. doi:10.1017/S0003055412000226. JSTOR 23275433. S2CID 15986250. Pdf.

[8] UN (1995). Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (PDF). United Nations. Retrieved 16 December 2013.

[9] Fábián, Katalin, ed. (2010). Domestic violence in postcommunist states: local activism, national policies, and global forces. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253222183.

[10] CEDAW (31 December 2003). Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. United Nations . Retrieved 19 December 2013.

[WHO_World_Report_on_violence_and_health-11] 1 2 Krug, Etienne G.; Dahlberg, Linda L.; Mercy, James A.; Zwi, Anthony B.; Lozano, Rafael (2002). World report on violence and health. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization. ISBN 9789241545617.
Also available as:
Krug, Etienne G.; Dahlberg, Linda L.; Mercy, James A.; Zwi, Anthony B.; Lozano, Rafael (5 October 2002). "The world report on violence and health". The Lancet . 360 (9339). Elsevier: 1083–1088. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(02)11133-0. PMID 12384003. S2CID 20828803.

[mwASA] Krug, Etienne G.; Dahlberg, Linda L.; Mercy, James A.; Zwi, Anthony B.; Lozano, Rafael (5 October 2002). "The world report on violence and health". The Lancet . 360 (9339). Elsevier: 1083–1088. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(02)11133-0. PMID 12384003. S2CID 20828803.

[Fried-12] Fried, Susana T. (2003). "Violence against women". Health and Human Rights . 6 (2). Harvard University Press: 88–111. doi:10.2307/4065431. JSTOR 4065431. Pdf.

[UN_In-depth_Study_on_all_Forms_of_Violence_Against_Women-13] UN (2006). In-depth study on all forms of violence against women. Report of the Secretary-General. United Nations General Assembly. A/61/122/Add. Retrieved 2 December 2013.

[Norway_Post-14] NRK (30 November 2013). "Protection of women human rights defenders". The Norway Post. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2014.

[awid.org-15] "UN adopts landmark resolution on Protecting Women Human Rights Defenders". Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID). 28 November 2013. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.

[USDOJ-History_of_VAWA-16] U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women (OVM). "The History of the Violence Against Women Act" (PDF). U.S. Department of Justice. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 October 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2013.

[17] Kohlman, Cindy (9 June 2015). Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) New Reporting Requirements Effective July 1, 2015 – Are You Ready?. Inceptia Institute.
See also:
ACE (1 April 2014). New requirements imposed by the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (PDF). American Council on Education.

[mwAW8] ACE (1 April 2014). New requirements imposed by the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (PDF). American Council on Education.

[18] Fee, Stephen; et al. (5 September 2015). Tribal Justice: Prosecuting Non-Natives for Sexual Assault on Reservations (transcript). PBS documentary.

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History of violence against women

Contents

Timeline of protection regimes

Timeline of protection regimes in the Americas

Related Research Articles

References