July 2012 VAW Monitor
 
 
 
July 2012
 
In This Issue:

The  Stop Violence Against Women website (STOPVAW) is a forum for information, advocacy and change. This site addresses violence against women as one of the most pervasive human rights abuses worldwide. STOPVAW provides women's rights advocates with information and advocacy tools focused on ending the most endemic forms of violence against women, including domestic violence, sexual assault, sexual harassment and trafficking in persons.

 
 
StopVAW Website News
What's New on StopVAW:
 
The Women's NGOs Section of the Azerbaijan country page has been updated. Learn More 
 
 
 
National News
 
Afghanistan
Colombia
Democratic Republic of the Congo 
  • DRC: Improving Legal Services for Survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence  (More information)  
Egypt 
  • Egypt: Proposed Laws Would Reduce Legal Age at Which Girls Can Marry to 14  (More information)  
India
Kenya
  Lebanon   
  • Lebanon: Campaign Created to Engage Men in Ending Violence Against Women  (More information)
  Moldova   
  • Moldova: UN Working Group Calls for Moldovan Government to Improve the Implementation of National Legislation Protecting Women's Rights (More information)
Morocco
Nepal
Pakistan
Philippines
Syria
  • Syria: Al-Assad Loyalists Use Sexual Violence as Mode of Torture, Oppression (More information) 
Turkey
Ukraine
  United States
  • United States: Lack of Justice for Native American Victims of Sexual Assault  (More information)  
  • United States: Programs Educate Middle School Students About Relationship Violence (More information) 
  • United States: Hotel Group Adopts Rules to Stop Child Sex Trafficking  (More information)  
  • United States: Minnesota Man Charged with Buying Sex from Under-aged Girls from Backpage.com (More information) 
 
International and Regional News
European Union Struggles to Convict Human Trafficking
Eurojust, the European Union's joint judicial authority is struggling to get the EU's member states to stop human trafficking and increase the number of convictions related to trafficking.
(More information)  


European Parliament Adopts Resolution to Combat Female Genital Mutiliation
 The European Parliament recently voted unanimously in favor of adopting a joint resolution urging member states to help bring an end to female genital mutilation.  (More information) 
 
Central America: Report Finds Women Lack Access to Justice for Sexual Violence 
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights published a new study, "Access to Justice for Women Victims of Sexual Violence in Mesoamerica 2011."  (More information) 
 
European Parliament Studies Effects of Sexualization of Young Girls in the Media
The European Parliament is due to adopt a report on the portrayal of young girls in the media. (More information) 
 
 
New Research and Reports
  • New Report: U.S. State Department Releases 2012 Trafficking in Persons Report (More information)  
      
  • New Study Analyzes Outcomes of Reconstructive Surgery After Female Genital Mutilation (More information)   

  • New Survey Ranks India Last Among G20 Nations for Treatment of Women (More information)   

  • New Report: Improving Access to Justice for Undocumented Women (More information)   

  • New Resource Analyzes Gender-Related Asylum Claims in Europe (More information)   

  • New Report Finds Violence has Reached Crisis Level in Central America (More information)   

  • New Study: Human Sex Trafficking Has Serious Health Implications (More information)   

  • New Manual on Using the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa for Legal Action (More information)   

  • New Report on Violence Against Marginalized Groups in Bangladesh, India and Nepal (More information)   

  • New Resource: CLADEM Report Captures the Debate on the Criminalization of Femicide (More information) 
 Is your country in the process of drafting or amending a domestic violence law?
The Advocates for Human Rights provides commentary to laws and amendments on domestic violence upon request. See examples of our Commentary on National Laws here.
 
Additionally, The Advocates for human rights works on domestic violence legal reform, including trainings for legal professionals and extensive research and reports that monitor domestic violence laws and implementation in partner countries. Learn more about this work.
 
To request commentary or to inquire further, please contact Cheryl Thomas at cthomas@advrights.org.
 
Current staff members of The Advocates for Human Rights involved with the development of STOPVAW include: Mary Ellingen, Beatriz Menanteau, Mary O'Brien, Rosalyn Park, Robin Phillips, Helen Rubenstein, and Cheryl Thomas. Current interns and volunteers include Betsy Hoody, Laura Stecker, Eleanor Lewis, Eleanor Frisch and Victoria Rau.