Acting United States Air Force Secretary Peter Teets reported in a letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that no action should be taken against Air Force Academy officers in command during the Academy's sexual assault scandal. In the letter Teets praised the officers “uniformly excellent and long service” and indicated that he gave “significant weight to the fact that they were not intentionally or willfully derelict in their duties. Moreover, any mistakes or misjudgments some of them may have been mitigated by the complexity of the issues faced, the necessity of policy tradeoffs and compromises, and the difficulty of measuring program effectiveness. …The record of missed warning signs is disturbing but these officers acted in good faith.”

The decision follows the Department of Defense inspector general investigation into allegations made in 2003 by female cadets of the United States Air Force Academy. The female cadets alleged that sexual assaults were frequent occurrences at the Air Force Academy and that when assaults were reported to academy officials they were routinely dismissed or not vigorously prosecuted. The victims of the sexual assaults were more likely to be penalized for breaking a rule related to the assault than was the perpetrator of the assault. The investigation’s resulting report stated in part: "We found many leaders in positions of authority could have been better role models, could have been more vigilant in inspecting those placed under their command, failed to guard and suppress sexual misconduct among cadets ... and failed to hold cadets accountable for such misconduct."

Air Force Capt. David Small, speaking on behalf of the Air Force said that Peter Teets' letter concludes the investigation of the Air Force. "Mr. Teets did accept the findings of the (inspector general's) report, and chose no administrative action was necessary," Small said. "This puts a little closure on it, at least for the Air Force."

Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, of New York, sharply criticized the Air Force’s decision: "It is reprehensible that the rights of sexual assault victims are so easily sidelined by the Pentagon as `too complex' to address. This is the kind of `head in the sand' approach we would have expected from the military in the 1950's; in 2005 it is an abomination. Where is the accountability? … What the Pentagon clearly doesn't want to discuss, and what all Americans should know, is that women are being sexually assaulted on an ongoing basis in the military and at our nation's military academies by their colleagues. Action must be taken. Until the Pentagon insists on accountability, there can be no real change and as a result, our women in uniform will continue to suffer. Is this the best we can do for young Americans who put their lives on the line to protect our freedom?"

Compiled from: Air Force brass likely won't be punished after academy sex scandal Huspeni, Dennis, The Gazette, 29 March 2005; Sexual assaults in military bring shame, not action USA TODAY, 27 March 2005; Pentagon Announces "No Action" On Sexual Assault Problem at Air Force Academy Rep Louise Slaughter, 25 March 2005

The United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (UN INSTRAW) has released overview reports on each of the twelve critical areas set forth in the Beijing Platform for Action. The goals of the reports are twofold: "i) to highlight successful experiences, or "best practices" for addressing gender equality issues at the local, national and international levels, and ii) to identify priority areas for future action." (cited from UN INSTRAW). To view one of the following reports, please click on a link below:

• Women and Poverty
• Education and Training of Women
• Women and Health
• Violence against Women
• Women and Armed Conflict
• Women and the Economy
• Women in Power and Decision-making
•  Institutional Mechanisms for the Advancement of Women
• Human Rights of Women
• Women and the Media
• Women and the Environment
• The Girl Child

The United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) has issued a new report, entitled Gender Equality: Striving for Justice in an Unequal World.  The report focuses on the political and economic reforms during the 1990s. The report examines the state of progress ten years after Beijing, as well as women in relation to macroeconomic issues, employment and social policies, politics and public representation, and armed conflict.

To view the report, please visit UNRISD's website here.

According to a U.S. Department of Defense report on sexual misconduct at three U.S. military academies, one female student in seven has been subjected to sexual assault. The report is based in part on a survey conducted by the Department last Spring 2004. Of the 1,906 women and a smaller sampling of the men interviewed, 262 students reported 302 cases of sexual assault, 94 cases of rape and 176 cases of inappropriate touching or fondling. Only a small portion of such incidents were reported to school authorities.

The Department’s response to the above findings involves the implementation of a new confidential reporting system that will allow sexual assault victims to report their attacks and seek help in privacy. The new system will also require academy coordinators to be informed of any assault within 24 hours of the student’s report. The goal of such a system, according to David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense, is to encourage more victims to come forward and seek help, as well as give officials a better understanding of the reoccurring misconduct.

Compiled from: One in Seven Attending Military Academies Report Being Sexually Assaulted, Feminist Daily News Wire, www.feminist.org, 21 March 2005.

News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty International

AI Index: IOR 30/006/2005 22 March 2005

Council of Europe: Last chance to advance the rights of trafficked people

Amnesty International, Anti-Slavery International, La Strada International and International Federation Terre des Hommes call for strengthening of draft treaty

The four non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are concerned that many of the key provisions on the draft European Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings fail to significantly enhance the assistance and protection of trafficked persons.

The Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers will review the draft European Convention against Trafficking, with a view to its adoption, on 23 March 2005. The NGOs are calling on the Committee of Ministers to take this opportunity to strengthen some provisions of the draft.

The organizations note that the current draft Convention builds upon existing international standards of protection for trafficked persons. In particular, it expands the definition of trafficking set out in the Palermo Protocol to expressly include internal (in-state) trafficking and trafficking not necessarily involving organized criminal groups. The full title of this treaty is the Protocol to Prevent Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children, Supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

But a number of provisions must be amended if the treaty is to meet the stated aim of establishing a comprehensive framework for the protection of the rights of trafficked persons. These include:

· trafficked persons are not detained, charged, or prosecuted for illegal entry or residence and activities which are a direct consequence of their situation as trafficked persons.

· all trafficked persons to be given access to necessary medical assistance;

· a sufficient recovery and reflection period, of at least three months, for all trafficked persons, and that the person's presence in the country is regularized and recognized during this time;

· minimum six months-renewable and permanent residence permits are issued to trafficked persons on the basis of the needs and risks of their personal situation or to ensure their presence during proceedings (against the traffickers and/or for compensation);

· provisions for family reunification when a trafficked person is issued residence permits.

The organizations further call on the Committee of Ministers to ensure that the treaty establishes a single independent expert body (Group of experts on action against trafficking in human beings, known as GRETA) to monitor implementation of the Convention by EU and non-EU member states alike. This body should also be mandated to consider collective complaints from non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

These recommendations are consistent with those proposed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in January 2005 and the recommendations of NGOs that work on behalf of trafficked persons. These recommendations have not been included in the current draft of the Convention due to the opposition by the EU member states, and by the European Commission on their behalf.

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25 March 2005

The United Nations released a report on sex abuse by peacekeepers today, entitled A Comprehensive Strategy to Eliminate Future Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in United Nations Peacekeeing Operations,  Report of Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zedi Al-Hussein, adviser on sexual exploitation and abuse by U.N. peackeeping personnel to the Secretary-General, 2005. (PDF, 41 pages - available in all official languages of the United Nations).

The report cites the phenomena of sexual exploitation and abuse by military, civilian police, and civilian peacekeeping personnel in post-conflict situations and makes suggestions to Member States, as well as to the United Nations, as to how best confront and eliminate instances of sexual exploitation in the United Nations' peacekeeping operations.

Specifically, the report identifies issues of concern and concrete recommendations, including the standardization of rules against sexual exploitation and abuse for all categories of peacekeeping personnel; the provision of a professional investigative capacity for all missions, and the strengthening of individual accountability, including financial aid and criminal accountability.

The report can be downloaded at www.un.org/peacekeeping/bestpractices.

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday regarding the right of domestic violence victims to sue local police departments that fail to enforce court-ordered protection orders against abusers. The asserted right stems from  1999 incident in Castle Rock, Colorado, when the local police department failed to take action in response to Jessica Gonzales’ numerous calls, notifying the department that her estranged husband had violated her protection order and abducted her three children. The police department’s failure to act resulted in the husband’s murder of the children.

Gonzales now seeks to sue the town of Castle Rock for $30 million in compensatory and punitive damages under 42 U.S.C. 1893, which provides a civil remedy, including damages, when a person is deprived of a constitutionally protected property interest without due process of the law.

Although the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals found Castle Rock liable under the federal statute when it heard the case last year, it is unclear whether the Supreme Court will come to the same conclusion.

Women’s rights advocates present at the oral arguments expressed skepticism at a favorable outcome. The Supreme Court Justices seemed hesitant to accept the notion that a state-based “promise” to enforce protective orders could be construed as a property interest secured by the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. According to Women’s eNews, the conservative Justice Antonin Scalia commented that a state’s promise to enforce protective orders “doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a property interest.”

The Court also seemed sympathetic to the argument that ensuring a property interest in a state-based protection order would place an undue burden on state and local governments and police forces. Such agencies would be forced to prioritize complaints of violations of protection orders over other emergencies and would be confronted with a host of lawsuits brought by domestic violence victims, alleging agency failure to properly respond to protection order violations.

What will happen if the Supreme Court rejects the claim that a woman has the right to see that her protective order is enforced and sue when it is not? Women’s rights advocates fear that the long-fought-for protection orders will become meaningless, as no one will be ultimately accountable for their enforcement.

The Supreme Court is expected reach a decision on the issue this summer.

Compiled from:

High Court to Rule of Power of Protective Orders, Allison Stevens, Women’s eNews, www.womensenews.org, 22 March 2005.

Supreme Court to Weigh in on Due Process and Domestic Violence: Justices to Decide if Police are Liable, Marcia Coyle, the National Law Journal, www.law.com, 9 March 2005.

The government of the Russian Federation has adopted a national plan of action, a Gender Strategy plan and views violence against women as a “violation of human rights requiring the intervention of the state.” However, tolerance of domestic violence in the country continues to abound.

According to Women’s Enews, one in every four families in Russia is confronted with domestic violence, resulting in the death of about 14,000 women at the hands of their husbands or partners. In addition, women that live through domestic violence suffer through years of the abuse before they report it to the police if they report it all.

Despite its adoption of the preventative instruments above, the government of the Russian Federation has failed to act in response to such reports of abuse. According to Women’s Enews, for example, the Parliament failed to pass a bill on domestic violence last year. Further, in 2004, the Kremlin ended the Inter-governmental commission, which had been established to promote gender equality and women’s rights. According to a report issued by Amnesty International, the government rarely brings perpetrators of violence to justice because police refuse to intervene when violence occurs.

The lack of support in the country causes women to blame themselves for the violence or take matters into their own hands, allowing the cycle of violence to continue.

Compiled from: Russian Women Struggle to Survive Domestic Violence, Mariya Rasner, Women’s Enews, 10 March 2005.

The Family Violence Prevention Fund has launched an online journal dedicated to domestic and family violence in a health care context, entitled Family Violence Prevention and Health Practice.  The journal will cover issues such as primary and secondary prevention of intimate partner violence in the health care setting, the role of community clinics in violence prevention, health care-based family violence programs, and technology and violence.

Esta Soler, Family Violence Prevention Fund President, hopes that “this groundbreaking publication will improve the health, safety and quality of care for survivors of family violence by making it easier for health care providers to intervene and help victims.” 

To view the new journal, visit: http://endabuse.org/health/ejournal/

Cited and Compiled from: Family Violence Prevention Fund, 18 March 2005.

By the close of the 10-year review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, governments agreed to a resolution aimed at reducing the demand for human trafficking. Early in the conference, the United States introduced a resolution that took a hard-line approach to combating human trafficking. The initial resolution sought to punish everyone involved in the global problem, including “exploiters and sex buyers who create the demand for prostitution that leads to sex trafficking” and the victims themselves.

In response to the U.S.-led resolution, numerous governments offered amendments that described trafficking as a phenomenon which encapsulates more than prostitution-related activities but also the illegal exchange of slave-type laborers, domestic servants, babies and human organs. Amendments to the U.S. resolution also sought to explain why global trafficking occurs: Poor economic conditions, official corruption, insufficient labor laws, as well as discrimination against women all work to promote environments in which trafficking thrives.

Despite their initial disagreements, governments finally reached consensus on a resolution, which includes strong enough human rights language to condemn all forms of exploitation that flows from trafficking.

According to a U.N. Press Release, the final resolution calls on governments to adopt or strengthen laws to deter both the supply and demand-side of trafficking. The resolution also asks governments to criminalize traffickers as well as take steps to protect the victims of this crime. In addition, the resolution demands that governments cooperate on regional and international levels to reduce trafficking, raise public awareness of the problem through state-wide educational campaigns and encourage the private sector, and in particular the tourism industry and Internet providers, to conduct its business with the aim to prevent trafficking. Finally, the resolution demands that governments provide training on commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking to armed forces, peacekeepers, military and civilians stationed in other countries.

To view an unofficial copy of the final resolution click here.

Compiled from:

Women's Rights Conference Reaches Fragile Consensus on Trafficking, Joanne Omang, Ms. Magazine Online, 14 March 2005

Commission on the Status of Women Adopts 10 Wide-Ranging Resolutions, U.N. Press Release, WOM/1504, 11 March 2005.

Human trafficking has become the third most lucrative crime in the world, according to the United Nations.  In a recent article by Nikola Brabenec in Radio Prague, the Solicitor General for the UK - Harriet Harman - speaks out about the situation of the roughly 300,000 people trafficked anuually in the European Union:

"They are told, come for a good job in Milan, or Amsterdam or Madrid.  Then it turns out it is not a job at a bar or a hairdresser, instead they are forced to have sex with many, many different men and the traffickers are paid."

In addition to calling human trafficking a "form of modern slavery," Harman also points out that the international nature of trafficking as well as corruption on all levels makes the problem particularly insidious and difficult to investigate.  Thus, Harman believes that states can no longer ignore the problem and should actively cooperate and share information in investigations.

Please read the entire article here,
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/64471

Compiled from "Human Trafficking - a problem Europe can't ignore", Nikola Brabenec, Radio Prague, www.radio.cz, 17 March 2005

Changemakers.net, an initiative of Ashoka, announces an awards competition to discover the most effective, innovative strategies for ending human trafficking.

Changemakers Innovation Awards include $5,000 cash prizes for each of three winners who are selected by visitors voting at Changemakers.net.

Changemakers and its partners, Polaris Project and Vital Voices Global Partnership, invite contest entries from around the world to build an online community that "open sources" solutions for tipping the balance toward ending human trafficking.

Organizations from any country may submit anti-trafficking initiatives. Entries must be in English to enter the competition. The previous Changemakers contest attracted 99 entries from 39 countries.

Background articles, contest rules, judging criteria, contest entry form, and supporting materials are available online at Changemakers.net: http://www.changemakers.net

You may submit contest entries until May 22, 2005. Voting begins on June 1. The three Changemakers Innovation Award winners will be announced on June 15. For more information: endtrafficking@changemakers.net.

Join the Changemakers.net community for this event! Follow the competition and collaborate in the online discussion moderated by Wenchi Yu Perkins of Vital Voices Global Partnership. Please include others who may be interested by forwarding this announcement to them.

******

Upcoming: The next Changemakers Innovation Awards competition - How to Create Pathways for the Working Poor - will launch May 17th. Watch for it.

TO THE SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN GOVERNMENT DELEGATIONS TO THE 49TH CSW SESSION, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL, SECURITY COUNCIL, UNDP, WORLD BANK, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT BANKS, COUNTRY MISSIONS, UNIFEM, DAW

ONE AGENDA FOR THE MILLENNIUM SUMMIT

NGOs CALL FOR RESPECT FOR WOMEN’S HUMAN RIGHTS, DEVELOPMENT, COLLECTIVE SECURITY AND ANTI-RACISM AS ONE AGENDA OF THE MILLENNIUM SUMMIT

STATEMENT AT THE 49TH SESSION OF CSW
March 11, 2005

We, members of national, regional and global civil society organizations, networks and campaigns applaud the unequivocal and unanimous support by all the governments to the full reaffirmation of the Beijing Platform for action at the 49th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

We call upon governments while reaffirming the Beijing Platform and preparing for the Millennium Summit in September 2005, to prevent the fragmentation of and to reaffirm the holistic nature of the Human Development Agenda. Specifically, we note that the realization of the Millennium Declaration and of the Millennium Development Goals depends upon the empowerment of all women, the attainment of gender equality and the acknowledgement of women’s human rights. This requires full implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, the CEDAW, UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and all other recognized international human rights instruments.

Sustainable development, peace, collective security, respect for human rights, and a world free from poverty, violence, racial and all other forms of discrimination – are integral parts of ONE AGENDA. None of these can be fulfilled in isolation. None of these can be fulfilled unless sufficient resources are made available, not just pledged. None of these can be fulfilled without the full respect for women’s human rights and also a genuine participation of civil society.

We call upon your political will to ensure that the consensus reached at the 49th CSW session will be carried on to the Millennium Summit and that the outcome of the Summit will reaffirm and respect the indivisibility of human rights, the welcomed and enabled participation of the civil society and that the ONE AGENDA approach will prevail as you define the future of the United Nations and of the World.

Make the Millennium Summit REAL.

The ONE AGENDA Statement was endorsed by the NGO Linkage Caucus, by global, regional and national networks and organizations and by the regional caucuses:

Central and Eastern European and Commonwealth of Independent States Caucus
Asia-Pacific Women’s Watch Caucus
South Asia Women’s Watch Caucus
Latin American Women’s Caucus

On 16 March 2005, the Law on Domestic Violence passed in the Bulgarian Parliament. The law is one of the first of its kind in the region to include Order for Protection provisions and is modeled after a similar law passed in Minnesota in 1979. The law allows victims of domestic violence to seek civil orders from the court that direct abusers to leave the home and stay away from victims. Moreover, the law provides immediate protection to victims of domestic violence without requiring that they pursue criminal remedies against or divorce from their abusers.

The Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation (BGRF) has been working for years on this law, and this event marks a landmark victory for them and for all the advocates in Bulgaria who have worked on this law. It is hoped that this new legal remedy will make a difference in the lives of domestic violence victims.

It's an alarmingly familiar story, particularly in places where cultural traditions are strict toward women. A young woman starts dating a boy and her parents disapprove. Or she refuses an arranged marriage. Or perhaps she asks for a divorce. Relatives accuse her of bringing shame on the family. Honor must be restored, and the woman is murdered. They're called "honor killings," and they happen all over the world -- from Brazil and Bangladesh to Egypt, Pakistan, and Uganda. Europe, too, is increasingly grappling with the problem.

Prague, 8 March 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Hatun Surucu grew up in Germany, but when she was 15, she was sent back to her native Turkey to marry a cousin.

Two years later, she returned to Germany, divorced her husband, and began dating other men.

Last month, Surucu was waiting for a bus in Berlin when she was shot in the head. The three main suspects are her brothers. "The public was shocked," Rahel Volz of Terre des Femmes, a German women's rights group. "But it was not the first time there was a case like this. But the most shocking was the reaction of some schoolboys who told their teachers that they agreed with the brothers who [allegedly] killed Surucu."

Surucu was the fifth Turkish woman to be murdered in Berlin in recent months with the alleged involvement of family members.

The killings have stirred debate about the integration of immigrants into German society. And they've prompted anger, too.

Hundreds of people marched through the city on 5 March to condemn the killings.

Critics say authorities have largely ignored the problem for fear of being perceived as culturally insensitive to Germany's immigrants.

They want more protection for women at risk. And they say tolerance of cultural difference should have its limits.

"The people began to understand that this is not just a problem of one person," Volz said. "It's a more general problem of the migrant community."

Sweden is facing a similar problem.

The catalyst there was the killing three years ago of Fadime Sahindal. The Kurdish teenager was shot by her father, apparently because she was having a relationship with a Swedish man.

Arezo Mohamadi works for a Stockholm group set up in memory of Sahindal. "Before Fadime's case, people knew there was a problem but no one knew it was so serious and it can take lives," Mohamadi said. "After Fadime's case, people knew that this problem is here. This girl could be my classmate, my workmate. It had a big effect, it raised awareness and the bigger effect is that it woke up the authorities too, so they had to do something and react and take the question seriously."

That response included more money for secure housing for girls at risk.

In December, the government hosted what was billed as the biggest-ever international conference on honor-related violence.

Britain, too, is taking action, also after a string of high-profile honor killings.

Police in London set up a special taskforce to combat the violence.

And they are now re-examining some 100 deaths and disappearances they suspect could be honor killings.

Most of the cases are of women from Britain's Asian communities.

Worldwide, the UN estimates there are some 5,000 such killings every year -- usually among cultures whose traditions are very strict toward women, such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, or parts of the Middle East. But women's groups are quick to stress that the problem also exists in places like Ecuador, India, and Uganda.

All the recent outcry is designed to combat such killings in Europe. But it carries a risk too -- of reinforcing prejudices against immigrants, and against Islam.

Thuraya Sobohrang is deputy minister for Women's Affairs in Afghanistan. She was one of the speakers at the December conference in Sweden. "This problem is not -- it's a misunderstanding [about] Islam," Sobohrang said. "[Nowhere] in the Koran, [or in the sayings of the prophet] Mohammed [does it] say you can kill your daughter when she doesn't want a marriage with a 70- or 50-year-old man. It all belongs to our society."

In other words -- it's not religion that's the problem. Honor violence might be rooted in tribal traditions or rigid cultural norms -- whether in Afghanistan, or Berlin's Turkish community.

Published in: Kathleen Moore, World: Europe Grapples with Honor Killings of Women, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 8 March 2005.

Copyright (c) 2005. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org.

The European Commission is seeking views from a wide range of stakeholders on the most important issues that should inform the revision of the current European Community development policy. A new policy proposal will be made in the first half of 2005, aimed at providing a vision for long term reflection and positioning of the Union in the international development debate, as well as a framework to guide the implementation of EU development assistance. The Commission is therefore launching an internet consultation in order to reach the widest possible range of development partners. The consultation will run until 2 March 2005 with results to be published by April 2005.

The question of development is more pressing today than ever before. It is an issue which affects us all and therefore demands that we pull together, citizens and governments alike” said Louis Michel, Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid.

The EU response to the challenges of poverty and development has to be strong and proportionate to its weight as a global partner and a global player. The enlarged EU of 25 Member States represents 13 percent of UN membership, accounts for almost 30 percent of the world economy and is the biggest trading entity in the world. The EU is also the world largest provider of Official Development Assistance, with 55 percent of total ODA provided by OECD members.

Addressing the challenges – not being overwhelmed by them – is the reason why a process of assessment and revision of the development declaration has started within the Commission, with a view to adopting the policy framework for development cooperation in the course of the next months. Obviously it is not a matter of reinventing the wheel: a lot of the current policy has been recognised in very positive terms. But new challenges have emerged both in developing countries and on the international scene, therefore a fresh look and an open debate are needed. The Commission will engage in a broad consultation on a number of issues, with the European Parliament, the European Council, other European institutions, the partner countries and the different segments of the civil society.

How to participate in the public consultation?

The questionnaire is available via the following link:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/body/theme/consultation/index_en.htm

An issues paper on EU development policy provides a reference to guide the debate and the consultation. It is available via the following link:

English version:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/body/theme/consultation/doc/Issues_Paper_EN.pdf

French version

http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/body/theme/consultation/doc/Issues_Paper_FR.pdf

Published in: Commission consults stakeholders on the future of EU development policy, European Commission, Press Release IP/05/91, 25 January 2005.

The Online Women's Forum in Central and Eastern Europe will be facilitating a series of month-long discussions on various issues related to women's rights, including women and EU enlargement, women and war, employment and other topics. The goal of this project is to provide an online forum for people to share ideas and experiences in gender issues in the region. The primary language of the discussions is English, but Russian may be accomodated upon request.

"The CEE Online Women’s Forum is looking for women’s activists, organisations, and researches from the region which would like to take a lead in moderating one or more of these online discussions within their area of competency and interest.  All prospective moderators are welcome to suggest their own discussion topics and promote their initiatives, campaigns and projects." (cited from: Announcements: Calls for co-operation on the CEE Online Women's Forum, Online Women's Forum, 9 March 2005)

For more information on leading a discussion, please contact i.aleksandraviciene@warwick.ac.uk .

Compiled from: Announcements: Calls for co-operation on the CEE Online Women's Forum, CEE Online Women's Forum, 9 March 2005.

Women’s Information Technology Transfer (WITT) launched today a portal site to link women’s organizations and feminist advocates for the internet in Eastern and Central Europe. www.witt-project.net is a website, providing strategic ICT information to all, and supporting, in a collective way, Central and Eastern European women in developing the web as an instrument in their social activism. WITT is committed to bringing women’s actions, activities and struggles into the spotlight, promoting the use of free software as a way to highlight women’s voices.

WITT is one of the first organizations of its kind to train women’s non-governmental organizations in Central and Eastern Europe to use Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in their communication strategies. The WITT website has been developed for women to share their experiences with ICTs, to learn about training events provided by WITT, and to develop expertise in advocacy on gender and ICT issues. Women can publish on the website in their own language (eight languages are available to be used as the site develops).

During the annual WITT Trainers Exchange Event (TEE 2005), held in Ohrid, Macedonia from 12-15 February 2005, WITT trainers learned how to operate this collective website, how to write efficiently for the web and how to publish live using the GPL (General Public License) Publication software Spip (the site has been totally created by WITT members). Participants in WITT trainings will need only a few hours to be able to appropriate the technology for using the website effectively. This is a great strength both of the Spip system and the WITT philosophy: technology is a tool to be used, not feared.

The Trainers Exchange Event, hosted by Akcija Zdruzhenska, a Macedonian organization of feminist trainers, was attended by 16 women from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Moldova, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Poland and Serbia and Montenegro. All these trainers are active within the women’s movement or social movements in the region, many in the area of ICTs. The purpose of these events is to build powerful partnerships between the trainers and for WITT to maintain a pool of women who will not only promote ICT use but also promote a feminist analysis of ICT use.

WITT was initiated in 2002 by ENAWA – European North American Women Action as part of its training program. It will become an independent entity early in 2005, with its seat in Croatia and Focal Points throughout the region. Focal Points are women working within organizations who represent WITT and organize local WITT trainings.

Published in: Lynn McDevitt-Pugh, Witt-project.net: crossing feminism and technology, Press Release, Women's Information Technology Transfer, 8 March 2005.

"The Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women monitors information about women and children murdered in our state to educate the public about the lethality of violence against women and child abuse." (cited in: 2004 Femicide Report: Women and Children Murdered in Minnesota)

The 2004 Femicide Report is compiled from  news accounts and is now available for download in PDF format on the MCBW website.

For further information or to report updated information, contact:

Danielle Kluz
Communications Coordinator
Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women
Voice: (651) 646-6177
Fax: (651) 646-1527
dkluz@mcbw.org
www.mcbw.org

As the 10-year review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action got underway last week, women’s organizations noticed a change in the atmosphere surrounding the event. This may have been due to the multitudes of emails and flyers received by delegates from conservative groups urging the support of a U.S.-based amendment to the Declaration, which stated that the Declaration included no new rights and did not include the right to abortion.

But the U.S. delegation to the conference backed down after 130 country delegations to the review session and more than 170 women’s organizations and human rights groups voiced fierce opposition to the amendment.

According to Ms. Magazine, even though the proposed amendment was dropped, Ellen Sauerbrey, U.S. Ambassador to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) stated, “The United States is pleased that countries agree with us that the Platform for Action does not create any new rights.” Ms. Charlotte Bunch, executive director of the Center for Women’s Global Leadership attributed this statement to U.S. denial: “They are declaring victory and going home, as in Vietnam…the reality is that they hear loud and clear the voices of 6,000 women here saying ‘No,’ echoing millions of other women worldwide.”

Compiled from:

U.S. Withdraws Destructive Amendment to UN Declaration Reaffirming UN Platform for Action for Women, Joanne Omang, Ms. Magazine Online, www.msmagazine.com, 4 March 2005.

US Amendment to Global Women’s Rights Agreement, Feminist Daily News Wire, Feminist Majority Foundation, www.feminist.org, 4 March 2005.

U.S. Engages in Tug-of-War at Beijing Plus 10, Allison Stevens, Womensenews, www.womensenews.org, 7 March 2005.

Ten years ago 189 governments adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BFPA), a comprehensive plan that highlighted 12 critical areas that directly impact women’s empowerment: poverty, education, health, violence against women, armed conflict, the economy, political participation, human rights, media, the environment, the girl-child, and institution-building. The BFPA demanded specifically that governments take steps to see that women have equal access quality health care and sexual and reproductive health services, provide the means for all girls to receive primary education, afford women equal property rights to men in society, and ensure women’s equal participation in civil and political life. The plan also required international institutions to incorporate women’s rights into their internal structural agendas.

For the past week and a half, women’s rights advocates and government representatives from around the world have come together at the United Nations headquarters in New York City to assess the progress made on the BFPA since its initial inception. In the context of the 49th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the high-level has focused on the implementation of the BFPA and the outcome documents of the special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the 21st century." Focus will also lie on the current challenges and forward looking strategies for the advancement and empowerment of women and girls.

To facilitate discussion and promote the flow of ideas at the review session, the United Nations Secretariat will generate a Secretary-General’s report, documenting the progress made on the BFPA. The report stems from a variety of sources including: Feedback from Member States of the United Nation; national action plans; reports submitted by States parties under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW); Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers; and Millennium Development Goal Reports.

Women’s organizations have approached the review session with a mixed sense of optimism and reservation with regard to the achievements made under the BFPA. For example, a number of governments have passed laws regarding women’s property rights and domestic violence and have taken measures to promote gender equality in the work place. Nonetheless, discriminatory laws remain in place in many countries.

According to Hilary Anderson, spokesperson for U.N. International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) most of the changes have occurred because of grassroots action and not action by the government at all: “There has been less massive change at the national level in terms of traditional gender roles, the promotion and protection of women’s human rights, or the visibility of women and gender issues in national decision-making processes.”

In addition governments’ habit of dragging their feet on women’s rights legislation, violence against women continues to grow nationally and internationally. Armed conflict, religious fundamentalism and globalization have served to exacerbate women’s exposure to HIV/AIDS, trafficking and poverty.

To adequately address these growing concerns women’s organizations have stressed the need to link the BPFA and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs comprise of eight goals, set by governments in 2002, which seek to eliminate global poverty by 2015. In approaching the review session, women’s organizations have also reinforced the importance of coordination and cooperation between women’s NGOs. For example, INSTRAW and UNIFEM have made open statements about their intention of working together to promote both the Beijing action plan and the MDGs.

During the review session women’s organizations are holding a number of side events. Descriptions of some of these events as well as articles on developments at the review session are attached below. Women’s organizations hope that such collaboration in the context of the Beijing 10+ review session will prompt governments to develop fresh strategies and policies toward continued implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

Events Affiliated with Beijing 10+:

Schedule of NGO Side Events

Developments at Beijing 10+:

UN: Women’s Conference Sees Progress on Rights Overshadowed by Violence, Robert McMahon, Radio Free Europe, www.rferl.org, 1 March 2005.

The First Week of the Commission on the Status of Women 49TH Session / Beijing+10: Defending Beijing, Confronting Conservative Agendas at the UN, Resource Net discussion list, The Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID), 8 March 2005.

Women Reaffirm U.N. Equality Blueprint, Associated Press, New York Times, 5 March 2005.

Compiled from:

U.N. Takes Measure of Women’s Equality, Bojana Stoparic, www.womensenews.org, 27 February 2005.

Forty-Ninth Session on the Status of Women- 28 February to 11 March 2005, Womenwatch, www.un.org/womenwatch, March 2005.

WIDE Statement to the 49th Session of CSW, New York, 28 February to 11 March 2005, WIDE-News No.2/2005, www.WIDE-Network.org, February 2005.

On the occasion of International Women's Day, 8 March, OMCT would like to expresses its concern over the worldwide prevalence of violence against women. In spite of some encouraging signs of progress to address violence against women through legislative measures and policies, in every society in the world, women and girls continue to suffer from gender-based forms of violence perpetrated with impunity at the hand of the State, the family and the community.

As the world's largest network of NGOs fighting against torture, summary executions, forced disappearances and all other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, OMCT notes that gender has a significant impact on the form that torture takes, its circumstances, consequences, and the access to justice and redress. The prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment of women is a peremptory norm of international law (jus cogens) and cannot be suspended under any circumstance, including armed conflict -

whether international or internal - or in situations of public emergency, or for other reasons relating to national security.

However, inasmuch as international definitions of torture have been narrowly interpreted, women have been denied equal protection against torture under both international and national law resulting in widespread impunity for its perpetrators.

Torture and ill-treatment of women often has a sexual nature. In 2004, OMCT issued several urgent appeals denouncing rape or other forms of sexual violence against women and girls in Bangladesh, Colombia, Greece, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Sudan. In not one of these cases have the perpetrators been punished. In most of the cases, the perpetrator has not even been arrested and in several of the cases no investigation was opened at all. OMCT also notes that many victims of sexual torture are reluctant to report out of fear and shame. In certain societies victims of sexual violence are threatened with expulsion from their home or community, are at risk of being killed or subjected to further violence at the hands of members of their family or community, or are forced into marriage. In other countries, women victims of rape may run the risk of being charged and punished with adultery or fornication.

This happened, for example, in Sudan to 22-year old Razaz Abekar who was sentenced to 100 lashes of the whip on charges of adultery on 13 March 2004. However, the man who was charged with having had sex with Ms. Razaz was acquitted by the same court on the basis of insufficient evidence against him. This case was brought based on claims that Ms. Razaz gave birth to a child three years ago outside of marriage. A policeman brought the case to the attention of the Attorney General on 13 March 2004. On the same day, the Attorney General interrogated Ms. Razaz and she reported that she was raped by the man in question and that he had promised to marry her. On the same day, Ms. Razaz was convicted by the court and sentenced to 100 lashes of the whip, which was carried out immediately, with no possibility of legal assistance or appeal.

OMCT observes that punishments such as flogging and stoning, particularly by religious and ad hoc courts, which are indisputably in violation of international standards that prohibit torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishments, are disproportionately applied to women, largely as a result of laws that criminalise adultery and sexual relations outside of marriage. In addition, evidentiary requirements which provide that pregnancy constitutes irrefutable "evidence" of adultery, or that give less weight to the testimony of women, reinforce the gender discrimination in the administration of justice.

While women are victims of gender-specific forms of violence at the hands of state officials, much violence against women takes place in the private and community sphere such as domestic violence, marital rape, trafficking, rape, violence against women in the name of honour, and female genital mutilation.

In 2004, OMCT issued 7 urgent

appeals concerning crimes against women committed in the name of honour, particularly in Pakistan. But also in other parts of the world, perpetrators of crimes against women committed in the name of honour, often go unpunished, receive reduced sentences or are exempted from prosecution on the justification of "honour". Deeply rooted social and cultural prejudices underlie the "honour" defence, which is accepted as an exonerating or mitigating circumstance.

OMCT would like to conclude by stating that all forms of violence against women are human rights violations and therefore have to be addressed with a human rights-based approach, which imposes on States an obligation under international law to exercise due diligence in the prevention and investigation of the violence and in the prosecution and punishment of the perpetrators as well as in the access to remedies and redress for the victim.

For more information about OMCT's Violence Against Women Programme, please contact Carin Benninger-Budel at cbb@omct.org or Alexandra Kossin at ak@omct.org.

Organisation Mondiale Contre la Torture (OMCT) World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) Organización Mundial Contra la Tortura (OMCT)
8 rue du Vieux-Billard
Case postale 21
CH-1211 Geneve 8
Suisse/Switzerland
Tel. : 0041 22 809 49 39
Fax : 0041 22 809 49 29
E-mail : omct@omct.org
http://www.omct.org

Alyaksandr Lukashenka on 9 March signed a decree against human trafficking, Belapan and RFE/RL's Belarus Service reported, quoting official sources. The decree specifies punishment -- including prison sentences, property confiscation, and bans on holding some official positions -- for crimes related to human trafficking. Under the decree, matchmaking and foreign-employment agencies are required to obtain licenses from the Interior Ministry and model agencies from the Education Ministry by 1 July. Casting for roles in advertising projects with the aim of finding a job abroad may be arranged only by local state employment services or licensed model and employment agencies. The decree also bans the involvement of foreign companies or foreigners in the production of advertisements for domestic goods and services. JM 

Published in: Belarusian President Decrees Measures Against Human Trafficking, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 9 March 2005.

The first week of the 49th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) / Beijing + 10 came to an end last Friday. After a week of strong mobilization by progressive women and feminist organizations from all regions, and after continuous attempts by the US government, the Vatican and their conservative supporters (mostly groups from the US), the CSW session adopted a Political Declaration that reaffirms the Beijing consensus.

The US government used various tactics to put pressure on developing countries to gather support for an amendment they introduced to the draft text of the Political Declaration that was prepared by the CSW Bureau. The US amendment literally said ''while reaffirming that they do not create any new international human rights, and that they do not include the right to abortion''.

The US government stated that they were ready to withdraw their amendment from the very beginning of the session, but did not do so till the very end of the week, creating a lot of uneasiness and confusion and trying meanwhile to raise support for their position. At the end of the session, the CSW adopted the Political Declaration by consensus, and a very few countries (the US, Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua) introduced ''explanations of position'' as addendums to the report of this meeting. In these, they state their interpretation of the reaffirmation of Beijing as not producing new international human rights and as not recognizing the right to abortion.

The mobilization in support of the Beijing consensus done by progressive feminist and women's organizations and other like-minded organizations was effective in ensuring that the attempt by the US government, the Vatican and other conservative forces to question and re-open the Beijing consensus did not succeeded. It is very clear that in this session of the CSW, as in other international arenas, the US government continues with its policies to undermine the international human rights and multilateral systems, and to break international consensus on key issues.

Besides the Political Declaration, this session of the CSW is going to adopt several resolutions that have been tabled by different countries. The US attempt to undermine international human rights and defend their conservative agenda was reflected also in two draft resolutions they introduced: one on trafficking on women and another one on the economic advancement of women. Other draft resolutions tabled were: on Palestinian women (usually tabled every year at the CSW by the Group of 77), on Gender Mainstreaming (also tabled by the G-77), one on the Institute for Study, Training and Research on Women, INSTRAW (tabled by the Group of 77), HIV/AIDS (tabled by the South African Developing Countries, SADC), one on Afghan Women (tabled by the UK), one of a Special Rapporteur on Laws that Discriminate against Women (tabled by Rwanda) and one on Indigenous Peoples (tabled by Bolivia).

Although negotiations started on the texts of the resolutions on trafficking and on economic advancement of women, most of the negotiations for the resolutions will take place this second week of the CSW. Progressive feminist and women's organizations and like-minded groups have organized to prepare language and work to ensure that any document adopted at this CSW moves forward the women's rights agenda, and prevents any backlash by the conservative groups and like-minded governments in the UN.

The reaffirmation of the Beijing Consensus might seem a very minor achievement, but within the current political context in the UN, the reaffirmation is a key statement that the Beijing Consensus is alive and kicking, and that it is an important document that recognizes and advances women's human rights, including our right to freely exercise our sexuality. As progressive women's and feminist movements, we were able once again to hold the line.

Cited from: Resource Net discussion list, The Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID), 8 March 2005.

On 6 March 2005, individuals gathered peacefully in Istanbul to celebrate Women’s Day early. However, the police used a "disproportionate" amount of force, including truncheons and pepper spray, to disperse about 500 people, who had congregated in Istanbul. The police interfered on the basis that the demonstrations had not been authorized. Sixty-three individuals were detained and at least three people were hospitalized.

Amnesty International expressed great concerned, and one European Parliamentarian stated that "such suppression was not helpful to Turkey's application for EU membership." (cited in: EU frowns at Turkey for police riot against women, Lucia Kubosova, euobserver.com, 8 March 2005).

Compiled from: EU frowns at Turkey for police riot against women, Lucia Kubosova, euobserver.com, 8 March 2005; Turkey: Police brutality against peaceful demonstrations, News release, Amnesty International, 7 March 2005.

PRESS RELEASE

Calls on International Community to Promote Gender Equality and Invest in Women

Following are the remarks by Secretary-General Kofi Annan at today’s opening of the forty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women marking Beijing +10:

Thank you very much, Madame President,

I am delighted to be with you as you open this milestone session of the Commission on the Status of Women -- a session at which you mark the 10-year review of the Beijing Conference and Platform for Action.

Ten years ago, women gathered in Beijing and took a giant step forward.

As a result, the world recognized explicitly that gender equality is critical to the development and peace of every nation.

Ten years on, women are not only more aware of their rights: they are more able to exercise them.

Over this decade, we have seen tangible progress on many fronts. Life expectancy and fertility rates have improved. More girls are enrolled in primary education. More women are earning an income than ever before.

We have also seen new challenges emerge. Consider the trafficking of women and children -- an odious but increasingly common practice. Or the terrifying growth of HIV/AIDS among women -- especially young women.

Yet, as we look back on the past decade, one thing stands out above all else: we have learnt that the challenges facing women are not problems without solutions. We have learnt what works and what doesn’t work.

If we are to change the historical legacy that puts women at a disadvantage in most societies, we must implement what we have learnt on a larger scale. We must take specific, targeted action on a number of fronts. The report of the Millennium Project Task Force on Education and Gender Equality outlines seven strategic priorities for doing just that.

They represent seven specific investments and policies that can be applied readily over the coming decade, on a scale large enough to make a real difference.

First, strengthen girls’ access to secondary, as well as primary education. Education holds the key to unlocking most of the obstacles facing girls and women -- from being forced into early marriage, to vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and other diseases.

Second, guarantee sexual and reproductive health and rights. How can we achieve real equality when half a million women die of pregnancy-related causes every year -- causes that are entirely preventable?

Third, invest in infrastructure to reduce women’s and girls’ time burdens. What are the prospects for girls and women who are forced to spend half of every day gathering water, fuel and other necessities for their families?

Fourth, guarantee women’s and girls’ property and inheritance rights. How can women climb out of poverty without access to land and housing? And without that security, how can they protect themselves against the impact of HIV/AIDS?

The same goes for the fifth priority -- eliminating gender inequality in employment. And a good job is also a woman’s best protection against falling prey to trafficking.

Sixth, increase women’s share of seats in national parliaments and local government. Equality of opportunity in policy-making is not only a human right; it is a prerequisite for good governance.

And seventh, redouble efforts to combat violence against girls and women. That means leadership in showing, by example, that when it comes to violence against women and girls, there are no grounds for tolerance and no tolerable excuses.

Friends,

As you recommit yourselves to the full implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, I hope you will consider these seven priorities as guideposts that can help shape national programmes.

Above all, I would urge the entire international community to remember that promoting gender equality is not only women’s responsibility -- it is the responsibility of all of us.

Sixty years have passed since the founders of the United Nations inscribed, on the first page of our Charter, the equal rights of men and women.

Since then, study after study has taught us that there is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women.

No other policy is as likely to raise economic productivity, or to reduce infant and maternal mortality.

No other policy is as sure to improve nutrition and promote health -- including the prevention of HIV/AIDS.

No other policy is as powerful in increasing the chances of education for the next generation.

And I would also venture that no policy is more important in preventing conflict, or in achieving reconciliation after a conflict has ended.

But whatever the very real benefits of investing in women, the most important fact remains: women themselves have the right to live in dignity, in freedom from want and from fear.

When the world’s leaders gather here in September to review progress in implementing the Millennium Declaration, I hope they will be able to take urgent action accordingly.

And I hope that all of you will keep up the good fight, and steer them in the right direction.

I thank every one of you for your commitment, and I wish you a most productive session.

Thank you very much.

Published in: EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN THE MOST EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT TOOL, SECRETARY-GENERAL TELLS COMMISSION ON STATUS OF WOMEN, U.N. Press Release SG/SM/9738/WOM/1489, 28 February 2005.

The U.S. Department of State has released its 2004 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Each country report contains a section that describes the status of women, as well as trafficking in persons. 

To view the complete reports, please visit the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Righst and Labor website.

A district court in Minsk in February sentenced Uladzimir Isachenka to 15 years in prison, finding him guilty of running a sex-trade ring and receiving $79,000 for luring 168 Belarusian women into sex slavery in foreign countries, Belapan reported on 3 March, citing the Prosecutor-General's Office. Additionally, the court sentenced to eight years in prison each Isachenka's wife for helping her husband and a former official of the Culture Ministry for forging documents to obtain Italian visas for recruited women. The court also ordered the confiscation of property belonging to the three convicts. JM

Published in: Belarusian Court Punishes Sex Traders, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 4 March 2005.

Copyright (c) 2005. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org.

Helga Konrad, the OSCE Special Representative on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, is calling for the adoption of a more victim-centered approach to fighting trafficking. Ms. Konrad is also urging OSCE countries to allow victims an extended stay within the country into which they were trafficked. In support of her position, she notes that around 50% of victims who are immediately expelled are “re-cycled” by traffickers and become re-victimized. Among the fifty-five OSCE States, Italy is currently the only country offering victims an extended stay and work opportunities. Italy has reported a tenfold increase in the number of court cases brought against traffickers within the first year of implementation of the new victim-centered legislation. Ms. Konrad urges states to change from the traditional law-enforcement approach to a victim-centered approach in order to effectively fight human trafficking.

Compiled from: Special Representative calls on OSCE States to issue residence permits, OSCE Online, 28 February 2005.

News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty International

AI Index: POL 30/010/2005 7 March 2005

The multi-billion dollar trade that puts women in the firing line

New report from the Stop Violence Against Women campaign and the Control Arms campaign: Amnesty International, Oxfam and IANSA

Women are paying an increasingly heavy price for the dangerously unregulated multi-billion-dollar trade in small arms, according to a new report issued today on the eve of International Women's Day.

There are now estimated to be almost 650 million small arms in the world today, mostly in the hands of men, and nearly 60 percent of them in the hands of private individuals. Women and girls suffer directly and indirectly from armed violence:

* An attack with a gun is 12 times more likely to end in death than an attack with any other weapon;

* In South Africa, a woman is shot dead by a current or former partner every 18 hours;

* In the USA, a gun in the home increases the risk that someone in the household will be murdered by 41%; but increases the risk for women by 272%;

* In France and South Africa, one in three women killed by their husbands are shot; in the USA this rises to two in three;

* Family killings are one category of homicides where women outnumber men as victims with her partner or male relative the most likely murderer.

"Women are particularly at risk of certain crimes because of their gender -- crimes such as family violence and rape. Given that women are almost never the buyers, owners or users of small arms, they also suffer completely disproportionately from armed violence. It is often claimed that guns are needed to protect women and their families but the reality is totally opposite. Women want guns out of their lives", said Denise Searle, Amnesty International's Senior Director of Communications and Campaigning.

Delegates from the Control Arms and Stop Violence Against Women campaigns presented the main findings of their report at a news conference today in Johannesburg.

The Impact of Guns on Women's Lives report spells out the circumstances in the home, in communities and during and after conflict where women are most at risk from armed violence. The report also examines a wide range of gun control measures adopted by states around the world usually as a result of the campaigns women are spearheading against gun violence.

* Between 1995, when Canada tightened its gun laws, and 2003, the gun murder rate for women dropped by 40%;

* Five years after the gun laws in Australia were overhauled in 1996, the gun murder rate for female victims had dropped by half;

* Brazil has recently banned access to ownership of weapons before the age of 25 because young men and boys mostly perpetrate the massive level of gun violence.

"Rape has become a weapon of war. The reality for women and girls is that they are targeted in their homes, their fields, and their schools because of their gender. Without women's active involvement in any peace and reconstruction process there can be no security, no justice and no peace", said Anna MacDonald, Director of Campaigns and Communications at Oxfam Great Britain.

Based on examples of best-practice, the report makes a series of recommendations including:

* Compulsory national gun licences for anyone wanting to own a gun in accordance with strict criteria that exclude all those with a history of family violence;

* The prohibition of violence against women in national law as a criminal offence with the laws fully implemented and effective penalties for perpetrators and remedies for survivors;

* The specific training of law enforcement organisations to ensure that they respect women's human rights and that those who do not are brought to justice;

* The equal participation of women in all peace processes as well as in demobilisation, reintegration and disarmament programmes to ensure the effective collection and destruction of surplus and illegal weapons;

* The establishment of an Arms Trade Treaty that would prohibit arms exports to those likely to use them for violence against women and other human rights violations;

* The banning of private individuals from owning military specification assault weapons, other than in the most exceptional circumstances consistent with respect for human rights.

"There is a clear need to develop sustainable livelihoods which are not based on a culture of violence. This means alternative role models that do not equate masculinity with armed violence and femininity with passivity are needed",said Judy Bassingthwaite, Director of Gun Free South Africa, representing the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA).

Background

The Control Arms campaign was launched by Amnesty International, Oxfam and the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) in October 2003. It aims to reduce arms proliferation and misuse and to convince governments to introduce a binding arms trade treaty.

The Stop Violence Against Women campaign was launched by Amnesty International in March 2004. It aims to secure the adoption of laws, policies and practices that stop discrimination and violence against women.

Visit our interactive presentation at http://amnesty-news.c.topica.com/maadf6babeQd1bdTh3Ob/

For more information:

please see www.contolarms.org/actforwomen

or contact

Amnesty International: James Dyson on +44 (0)7795628367 (UK mobile) or + 27 (0)76 142 0060 (S.Africa mobile)

Oxfam: Kate Bishop on mobile +44 7773 785993 (UK mobile) or + 27 11 403 4590 (S.Africa Office Tel.)

IANSA: Joseph Dube + 27 114034590 (S.Africa Office) or +27 83 588 8765 (S.Africa mobile)

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 The Impact of Guns on Women's Lives   Click here to see the report

News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty International

AI Index: IOR 30/004/2005

3 March 2005

Council of Europe: Don't Compromise on the rights of trafficked persons JOINT STATEMENT -- Amnesty International and Anti-Slavery International

Amnesty International and Anti-Slavery International call on the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to strengthen the provisions of the draft Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings related to the assistance and protection of trafficked persons. The Committee of Ministers will review this draft Convention, with a view to its adoption, in March 2005.

The organizations note that the current draft European Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings builds upon existing international standards of protection for trafficked persons in some respects -- in particular by expanding the definition of trafficking set out in the Palermo Protocol to expressly include internal (in-state) trafficking and trafficking not necessarily involving organized criminal groups; and, by establishing an independent mechanism (GRETA) to monitor the implementation of this Convention.

Amnesty International and Anti-Slavery International consider, however, that a number of provisions must be amended if the treaty is to meet the stated aim of establishing a comprehensive framework for the protection of the rights of trafficked persons.

In particular, Amnesty International and Anti-Slavery International urge the Committee of Ministers to ensure that, in its final form, the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings requires that:

o all trafficked persons are given access to necessary medical assistance, including psychological care and treatment, (not just emergency medical assistance) (Article 12(1) (b));

o the protection and assistance measures are extended to the families of trafficked persons, when necessary (Article 12);

o when there are reasonable grounds to believe a person has been trafficked, they are afforded a recovery and reflection period - of at least three months and sufficient for the person concerned to begin to recover, escape the influence of their traffickers and make informed decisions about their future (Article 13 (1));

o renewable residence permits, of at least 6 months in length, are issued to trafficked persons when, following a risk assessment, the competent authorities consider that their stay is necessary owing to their personal situation or for the purpose of their participation in proceedings (including criminal proceedings against their traffickers, or proceedings for compensation) (Article 14 (1));

o provisions are made for family reunification when a trafficked person is issued residence permits (Article 14);

o trafficked persons are not detained, charged or prosecuted for illegal entry or residence and unlawful activities, unless it is shown that the unlawful activities were not a consequence of their situation as a victim (Article 26);

o persons have the right to have the decisions of the competent authorities taken under Articles 10-16 reviewed by an independent, impartial body established by law (Article 10);

o one single, independent expert body (GRETA) monitors the implementation of the Convention by EU and non-EU member states alike (Articles 36-38).

In addition, the organizations consider that the treaty should empower the GRETA to receive information from any source, including the European Union and members of civil society, and should permit each Party to declare that they recognize the competence of the GRETA to consider collective complaints about a Party's failure to implement provisions of the Convention.

These recommendations (which are also included in our publication, Council of Europe: Recommendations to Strengthen the December 2004 Draft of the European Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, AI Index: IOR 61/001/2005, available electronically at: http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engior610012005) are consistent with those proposed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in January 2005 and the recommendations of non-governmental organizations who work directly with and on behalf of trafficked persons. However, these recommendations were rejected last week by the EU member states, which now comprise the majority of the 46 Council of Europe states, and by the European Commission on their behalf. Thus they are not included in the current draft of the Convention.

Instead, many of the key provisions concerning the protection and assistance of trafficked persons contained in the draft Convention submitted to the Committee of Ministers, fail to significantly enhance the assistance and protection currently available under some national or European Union legislation. They result from the lowest-common denominator positions agreeable to the European Union member states.

Amnesty International and Anti Slavery deeply regret that in the context of the negotiations within the Council of Europe's Ad Hoc Committee on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, the protection of the rights of trafficked persons, who are some of the most vulnerable persons in Europe, appeared to be secondary to political and institutional positioning.

Amnesty International and Anti-Slavery International call on the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and the institutions of the European Union to cooperate to ensure the realization of the stated aim of the Council of Europe in drafting this Convention -- to adopt a treaty which addresses the urgent need to enhance the protection of the human rights of trafficked persons.

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