In its fifty-third session, held at the United Nations in New York, NY, from 2-13 March 2009, the Commission on the Status of Women addressed violence against women in numerous meetings and events.
According to the Commission’s conclusions on the session's priority theme, “the equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including care giving in the context of HIV/AIDS,” there is a need to address violence against women and its link with other issues, including those involving men and boys.
The Commission agreed to make the “elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls” a priority theme in 2013. In 2011, it will evaluate the implementation of the agreed conclusions from 2007 on “the elimination of all forms of violence and discrimination against the girl child."
In a joint dialogue held on 5 March 2009 by the Commission on the Status of Women and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Asha-Rose Migiro, stressed "harnessing the power of the law to stop the deadly scourge of violence against women."
Compiled from: “Words to Action: Newsletter on violence against women”, April 2009, Issue no. 3