StopVAW and National VAW Monitors' Annual Meeting Takes Place in Budapest
The Women’s Human Rights Program of The Advocates, the Network Women’s Program of Open Society Institute and 19 National Violence Against Women Monitors convened the third annual StopVAW meeting in Budapest, Hungary the week of June 26-30, 2006 .  A newly formed Steering Committee, composed of seven Monitors from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Hungary, Montenegro and Poland, met for the first time to discuss their new role and responsibilities.  In addition, new multilingual software that enables Monitors to post information in both English and their local language was demonstrated at the meeting.  For more information and photos, click here.
Croatian Human Trafficking Victims Receive Help from Women’s NGO
Trafficking in women for the purpose of sexual exploitation is becoming increasingly widespread in countries undergoing transition, RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service reported from Zagreb recently. Many young women seeking better jobs and better lives find themselves against their will in secret brothels in Western countries. Such is the warning of nongovernmental women's unions in Croatia, where 45 victims of trafficking have been identified in the last four years. Unofficial numbers are many times greater.

"It happened abroad," says Martina, a 29-year-old trafficking victim from Zagreb. "I was sold for 3,500 euros [$4,400]. I was beaten, raped, forced against my will. They would put out cigarette butts on me and cut me with razors.

It was like a horror movie, she says. Martina was 19 years old at that time, trained as a cook. She lived in the suburbs of Zagreb and desired a better job and a better life. She met a young man who told her about his brother who had a restaurant in Italy, but who had a hard time finding good employees.

"He told me that if I really wanted to work I could come with him, but that if I did not intend to pursue work there I could be back in Croatia in three days," Martina said. "It sounded rather convincing. Given that my life had been miserable since I was born -- my father was an alcoholic and my mother ill -- I went there without a second thought.

"As soon as I arrived and as soon as he brought me to his apartment, everything started. He told me there was no work and that I had crossed the border in order to work as a prostitute, that he had paid a ton of money for me and that he will come for me in three days, and that I had to be ready by then," she continued. "I told him to get his mother ready instead, and then he hit me on the head with his fist. Since we were in the kitchen I turned around and struck him with a pot. Naturally, I was no match for him physically. He beat and raped me constantly for three days, to the point where I was lying in blood and urine while tied to a bed. He then brought two of his friends who raped me, put out cigarette butts on me, and cut me with razors."

Martina was locked in a Rome apartment for two months. Instead of working in a restaurant, she was beaten and raped daily until she was "broken" and had become a sexual slave. Then, she says, the man who bought her took her out to the street.

"That man was from Bosnia," she said. "We found in his apartment four passports and another girl from Croatia who was also a mother of three. That was a complete horror. They beat me endlessly. A girl of 16 from Albania almost bled to death in my arms because they had pushed a car antenna into her vagina. A girl from Bosnia was found dead. That is when I completely broke down."

She said she had been completely dulled, as if separated from her own body. Even when there was a chance of escape she remained a prostitute.

"There was no way for me to be freed from what had happened to me," Martina said. "I endured this for six years. I went to the street with prostitutes, not in order to work, but to see the people who come to them and who force them to do this. Then I would throw a bottle of gasoline on their car or puncture their tires. I didn't care what would happen. I did one or three customers -- I didn't care. I didn't look at those people."

Martina was a typical, vulnerable young woman without steady employment or family support. Nobody wondered about her disappearance. After all, even her own father beat her from a very young age. Sadly, that experience prepared her for what she endured in Rome.

"I rehearsed this since I was six," Martina said. "I recited 'The Pit,' a poem by Ivan Goran Kovacic, persistently to myself as my father beat me with roots from the vineyard or his military belt, as he would throw me against a wall or door, or kick me with his military boots. That was my defense. That is how I distanced myself. Although I would bleed, having been burnt all over with cigarette butts, I would distance myself from all that."

Today, Martina is 29 years old. She lives in Zagreb and has a 7-year-old son. She is still undergoing therapy.

"I started to work on a regular job in Zagreb," she said. "However, since I'm not psychologically strong I break down very easily. The owner once pinched me on my behind. I hit him with a frying pan and called his wife. I left. But one cup of coffee saved my life. I was already looking out the window and thinking about jumping."

Martina was offered that cup of coffee by activists from the Center for Sexual Rights/Women's Room and the Center for Women Victims of War (ROSA). For the first time in her life, she says, somebody approached her without scorn.

"If it weren't for them, I don't know how our life would have continued, the life of all of us who were tortured, mistreated, sold in different ways," she said. "We can reach a particular point on our own, and when we cannot go any further we all need a ferry, a crossing, a helping hand, somebody's smile."

Martina entered a program of psychological help and therapy provided by the nongovernmental women's union. She works from time to time cleaning apartments for the elderly.

"Now I'm cleaning grannies' apartments," she said. "I drink coffee with them and call them my well of wisdom. With their help, you can go back and remember some of the good roots of life. My life currently consists of women from the center and my son."

Still, Martina cannot forget what she endured.

"Even today, when I see gestures by some people, certain motions that remind me of that life, I immediately break down and want to jump at them," she said. "With the help of women from the center, I learned to control myself pretty well."

She claims the general public isn't even aware of the extent of trafficking in women in Croatia and the extent to which that business is blossoming, under the guise of legitimate activities.

"This business has been developed in Croatia precisely and efficiently," Martina said. "A woman with a university degree can end up in a miniskirt on the street just like a woman from the country. It doesn't matter whether it is a bar, a shop, an office, whatever. They keep their tentacled octopuses on every corner."

(Ankica Barbir Mladinovic, translated by Naida Skrbic)

Copyright (c) 2006. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org

Published in: Croatian Human Trafficking Victim Talks to RFE/RL, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, www.rferl.org, 26 July 2006.

New Publication: ''Women's Rights: A Human Rights Quarterly Reader''
Source: The Johns Hopkins University Press
Edited by Bert B. Lockwood
Published: 2006

This special collection of ''Human Rights Quarterly'' articles brings together in a single volume nineteen of the most compelling articles written on women's human rights issues.

This reader focuses specifically on the challenges that women face and the efforts by individuals and organizations alike to ensure the protection of women under international law. The articles are organized into five sections that discuss the history and evolution of women's human rights, religion, violence, economic rights, and reproductive rights. The essays address such topics as the rights of Middle Eastern women, rape camps in the former Yugoslavia, and abortion law in Ireland.

For more information and to order please go to: http://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title_pages/9066.html

Published in: AWID Resource Net Announcements, Association for Women's Rights in Development, 26 July 2006.

Therapist Spared Arrest in Air Force Rape Case

On June 30, the marshals service notified the Air Force that they would not carry out the arrest warrant for Jessica Brakey’s therapist in a military sexual assault case.  Jessica Brakey was one of several women to recently come forward about sexual assault in the military.  The decision was a positive stroke for victim advocates.  Brakey alleges she was sexual assaulted by a superior officer while at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO.  Her case not only raised issues about sexual assault in the military, but also about the extent of counselor-client privilege.  Air Force judge David Brash ordered Brakey’s counselor to turn over documents regarding Brakey’s therapy without the defense adequately demonstrating a need for the information, according to Brakey’s attorney. 

 

Sexual assault in the military has become an increasing concern for victim providers as well as the Pentagon.  Twenty-eight percent of female veterans have reported suffering from Military Sexual Trauma (MST) during their career.  Due to the hierarchical nature of the military, sexual assault is more prevalent.  Women, as in Brakey’s case, are hesitant to say no to a superior officer because they are so accustomed to following orders in the military.  Further, the military has not been adequately responding to sexual assault claims, at times ignoring or even punishing victims.  Sexual assaults are handled entirely within the military, presenting an inherent conflict for responding officers between the desire to do justice and the responsibility to maintain morale and protect their troops. 

 

Brakey’s case also brought up the issue of counselor-client privilege.  In the military, like in federal law, client privilege is protected unless the defendant can illustrate the need for privileged documents in order to ensure a fair trial.  In Brakey’s case, the judge ordered her counselor to turn over documents without such a showing.  Brakey’s counselor refused and an arrest warrant was issued.  In sexual assault cases, counselor-client privilege is tantamount.  According to Joan Zorza, a Washington, D.C. attorney who is editor of the newsletter “Sexual Assault Report,” “it is common for counseling records to reflect victims’ self-doubt and even self-blame when they've been raped.” (Therapist… citing Zorza).  Zorza further explains in acquaintance rape cases, victims engage in justifying the rapist’s behavior because they do not want to admit they have been raped.  Thus, protecting these documents prevents the defense from putting the victim on trial and offering a defense to the accused.  The decision in Brakey’s case sent the message to the military that they, too, must respect counselor-client privilege and take sexual assault seriously.

 

Compiled from: Marie Tessier, Therapist Spared Arrest in Air Force Rape Case, Women’s eNews, 24 July 2006; Marie Tessier, Privacy Skirmish Clouds Military Rape Case, Women’s eNews, 6 June 2005; Marie Tessier, Sexual Assault Pervasive in Military, Experts Say, Women’s eNews, 3 March 2003.

Serbian Court Sentences Perpetrator of Trafficking in Humans
The District Court of Pancevo, Serbia found Paunovic Zika, a.k.a. Rvak, guilty for trafficking in human beings under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Serbia.  The court increased Zika's original sentence of nine months to a sentence of one year.  Zika was also required to pay court expenses.  The plaintiff in the case was represented by an attorney from ASTRA, an anti-trafficking action organization. 

Compiled from: ASTRA,  http://www.astra.org.yu/global/index_bottom.php?page=vest42  (accessed 25 July 2006).

New Online Human Rights Resource: Human Rights Tools
Human Rights Tools is a new online resource for human rights professionals created by a group of independent volunteers. The website offers four main services to make online human rights resources more easily accessible. Human Rights Tools provides an online library with everything from human rights resources to website support to career vacancies. The website also offers research avenues with which to perform a country analysis, creating a comprehensive picture of country conditions. In addition, Human Rights Tools provides daily human rights updates. Finally, human rights advocates can sign up to receive the Human Rights Tools newsletter. To offer comments or suggestions, please email Daniel D’Esposito at editors@humanrightstools.org.

Compiled from: Human Rights Tools, http://www.humanrightstools.org/ (accessed 24 July 2006).

Trafficking of Women and Babies from Bulgaria to Greece
Bulgarian police are focusing their attention on the organized crime of baby trafficking that involves the trafficking of pregnant Bulgarian women to Greece. The women are lured with the promise of a lucrative job in Greece, but instead are held in Greece until they give birth. Their babies are then sold at high prices, sometimes as much as 30,000 euros, to Greek couples. Most of the women are members of the Roma community, which accounts for approximately five percent of the Bulgarian population.

Greece has one of the lowest fertility rates in the European Union. The demand for these babies is created in part by couples who wait too long to have children. The adoption process in the country is long and complicated. Illegal trafficking of infants is an established process that involves not only traffickers, but also other professionals, such as lawyers and doctors.

Bulgaria criminalized baby trafficking in 2004 with a maximum punishment of two years in prison. Since then, police have launched up to eight major investigations nationwide. They are achieving some success, but are also dependent on victims for their knowledge and tips. The Greek police have also had successes in raids carried out in the country freeing pregnant women from their containment.

A video of the BBC program can be viewed at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/help/3681938.stm

Compiled from: Bulgarian Babies for Sale, Richard Galpin, BBC News, 18 July 2006. 18 July 2006, accessed 24 July 2006.

New Wiki Dedicated to Gender Training
The United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) has launched a new interactive website, the purpose of which is to increase communication on gender training. The Gender Training Wiki contains an interactive map that displays participating institutions and their upcoming gender trainings, a calendar of trainings, training materials, information on online gender training courses, a list of institutions that provide trainings, as well as additional guides and information related to gender training.

The website is one of many wikis that have been created recently. The uniqueness of this site is that it allows anyone to edit and update it. INSTRAW sees this as an essential way to keep people up-to-date on gender trainings throughout the world. Websites are often difficult to keep updated, but this wiki will allow anyone involved to update information relevant to them. With the growing amount of information regarding gender training, this wiki seeks to alleviate the difficulty organizations face in keeping a website current with the latest information and publications. Find out more about wikis here.

TURKMENISTAN: Rights Group Reiterates Call for Release of Activists
ANKARA, 20 Jul 2006 (IRIN) - An exiled human rights group has reiterated its call for the immediate release of three prisoners, including members of its own staff, held for more than a month in Turkmenistan.

Amankurban Amanklychev was detained on 16 June and Ogulsapar Muradova and Sapardurdy Khajiev on 18 June, according to Human Rights Watch. They were arrested on charges of trying to destabilise the energy-rich nation.

Tajigul Begmedova, head of the Bulgarian-based Turkmenistan Helsinki Foundation (THF), said the international community had to put more pressure on the Turkmen government to release them.
"The main motive behind their detention is a clampdown on any dissent in the country. What better way to demonstrate that than by arresting human rights activists and a journalist?" he said.
"All charges against them were proven groundless and unjustifiable the day they were arrested."

The trio were associated with THF, which reports on human rights conditions in the country, while Muradova was also a journalist for the Prague-based Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
Begmedova’s comments came two days after a coalition of human rights groups sent an open letter to Saparmurat Niyazov, the Turkmen president, calling on his government to release the activists.

The letter, signed by nine groups including Amnesty International, HRW, the International Helsinki Federation (IHF) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), said it believed the trio were at risk of torture.

"The accusations against them are groundless and politically motivated to stifle and discredit peaceful dissent. We urge you to ensure their unconditional and immediate release," the letter read.

The letter alleged that the detainees had been mistreated in custody, with drugs administered to Amanklychev and Muradova to get them to confess to "subversive activities".

"As a party to the United Nations Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Turkmenistan is obligated to ensure that no one is subjected to torture or other ill-treatment. The detainees' continued incommunicado detention heightens our fear for their safety," the letter said.

Niyazov, the former Communist leader, has single-handedly ruled the hermit state following the collapse of the former Soviet Union in 1991. He has demonstrated little tolerance for dissent, with most journalists and opposition activists jailed or forced into exile.

This article does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies.

Published in: TURKMENISTAN: Rights Group Reiterates Call for Release of Activists,” UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 20 July 2006. www.IRINnews.org. 24 July 2006.

UZBEKISTAN: No End to Crackdown on Western NGOs
TASHKENT, 21 Jul 2006 (IRIN) - Authorities in Uzbekistan have launched a fresh attempt to shut down another US-funded NGO, Winrock International (WI). This came after the closure earlier in July of the US-funded Urban Institute NGO, amid an ongoing crackdown on Western organisations operating in the Central Asian country.

On Friday, Uzbekistan’s justice ministry instructed a Tashkent court to liquidate WI - an agency supporting Uzbek farmers - for gross violation of local laws, press-uz.info, a pro-government Internet website said.

Prosecutors accuse the group of breaching its own charter by involving itself in sectors not related to agriculture, the report said, citing a justice ministry official.

Among other things, the NGO is charged with the development of women’s NGOs, publishing without a licence and funding the printing of a book with “unapproved religious content”.

But WI’s office in Tashkent said it wasn’t aware of the charges.

“Our organisation currently implements water support programmes and a small farmer-to-farmer project jointly with the Uzbek agriculture ministry,” John Baxter, WI’s country representative, told IRIN in Tashkent. “We have not published anything related to religion and all our publications were agreed with the agriculture ministry.”

The project on increasing women’s awareness of legal rights was implemented more than two years ago, Baxter said.

Observers say Tashkent is wary that Western NGOs might be preparing the ground for a popular uprising similar to the "colour revolutions" that have swept the former Soviet republics of Georgia, Ukraine and neighbouring Kyrgyzstan.

Over the past six months, Uzbek authorities have expelled the Eurasia Foundation, Freedom House, the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), the American Bar Association, Counterpart International and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).

Other foreign organisations are also under scrutiny. Recently authorities have accused the US-based group Human Rights Watch (HRW) of “distributing tendentious and biased information”, according to local media. HRW is also accused of failing to make its activities transparent to the government and using an unregistered logo.

This article does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies.

Published in:  “UZBEKISTAN: No end to crackdown on Western NGOs,” UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 21 July 2006. www.IRINnews.org. 24 July 2006. 

Radio Programmes: Women Talk Peace, Radio Productions on UN Security Council Resolution 1325
Source: International Women's Tribune Center (IWTC)

IWTC has produced two sets of prototype radio programs about UNSCR 1325 in partnership with community broadcasters in the Philippines and Uganda. The first set was dubbed and broadcast in English and Filipino for an audience in the Philippines and other parts of Asia. The second set was made available in English, Luganda and Swahili for listeners in Uganda and other conflict-affected countries in Africa.

These radio productions are the first in a series of IWTC productions that aim to raise awareness about the varied aspects of SCR 1325 including the National Action Plans on SCR 1325 as well as other international conventions and legal mechanisms relevant to women in conflict situations. Further, they represent IWTC's efforts to develop a core group of broadcasters, print journalists and other media practitioners who will ensure a sustained flow of information about SCR 1325, other legal mechanisms and how they can be used to protect and promote women's rights.

All radio productions are now being aired a number of community radio stations in Asia and Africa. Below are the scripts that have been used in the radio productions in Asia and Africa.

In 2006, IWTC plans to produce new local language radio programs related to women, peace and security and translate the existing ones for dissemination to a larger audience. Preparations are now underway for the radio productions in Liberia in June 2006.

For more information please go to: http://www.iwtc.org/2983/index.html.

Published in: AWID Resource Net Announcements, Association for Women's Rights in Development, 19 July 2006.

A New Research Paper: UNU-WIDER: ''The Gender Dimensions of Post-Conflict Reconstruction: The Challenges in Development Aid''
Source: Development Gateway
by Marcia E. Greenberg and Elaine Zuckerman
Contributor: Adam Swallow
Published: June 2006

Based on analysis of the World Bank and other donors for post-conflict reconstruction (PCR) loans and grants from rights-based, macroeconomic and microeconomic perspectives, we conclude that few PCR projects identify or address gender discrimination issues. Bank PCR investments hardly reflect Bank research recognizing that gender inequality increases the likelihood of conflict and gender equality is central to development and peace. Our conceptual framework examining women's programmes, gender mainstreaming, and gender roles in transforming violent into peaceful societies, leads to recommending that PCR projects systematically address gender issues and promote gender equality to make peace work.

To download the paper please go to: http://www.wider.unu.edu/publications/rps/rps2006/rp2006-62.pdf.

Published in: AWID Resource Net Announcements, Association for Women's Rights in Development, 19 July 2006.

EU Encourages Turkey to Further its Efforts to Combat Violence Against Women
Violence against women in Turkey has become a concern for the European Union. The European Commission has told Turkey that it must do more to combat the violence in order to strengthen its EU bid. According to a study by the Diyarbakir Women’s Education and Counseling Center, 58% of women in the southeast region of Turkey have experienced family violence.

Turkey strengthened its penal code last year by removing “honor” as a mitigating factor in honor killing cases, which has led to an increased punishment for perpetrators up to a life sentence. This is just one instance in which the European Union has shown its commitment to combating violence against women. An EU Commission envoy has also called for non-government organizations to join an EU program committed to ending violence against women.

Compiled from: Turkey Must Get Tough on Violence Against Women-EU, Reuters 10 July 2006, accessed 18 July 2006.

Stricter Honor Killing Laws Are Correlated with an Increase in Honor Suicides in Turkey
Last year, in an effort to strengthen its application to the European Union, Turkey tightened its laws for punishment in honor killing cases. This has had an unforeseen effect on the country: an increase in honor suicides. In order to avoid long prison sentences and harsh punishments for men who commit honor killings, families are pressuring girls to take their own lives. The pressure can be created through verbal statements alone, or through locking the girl in a room with a gun, rope, or poison for days.

The article focuses on cases in the city of Batman, a town in the Southeast region of Turkey where every few weeks a young girl attempts suicide. Of the 165 suicides and suicide attempts in the city over the past six years, 102 of them have been by women. The United Nations sent a special envoy to the area to investigate the situation. The investigation concluded that not all of the suicides were authentic; some were honor killings in disguise.

Ka-Mer, a local women’s group, has become a resource for women whose lives are in danger. The organization has a hot line open to women, helps them find new housing, and aids in the process of applying for restraining orders to protect them from their threatening relatives.

Compiled from: “How to Avoid Honor Killing in Turkey? Honor Suicide.” New York Times 16 July 2006, accessed 18 July 2006.

Bride Theft Rampant in Southern Georgia
Despite the emergence of tougher laws to protect women, the tradition of bride-kidnapping remains prevalent in Southern Georgia according to the Gender Information Network. It is common for men in Georgia to abduct a woman they wish to marry without her consent. Once she has been successfully kidnapped, social stigma surrounding the possibility of lost virginity prevents the woman or girl from returning home if she is opposed to the marriage. As a result, many women and girls feel bound to marry their kidnappers.

Georgian law is strict on bride-kidnapping. The criminal code covering “crimes against human rights and freedoms” stipulates a sentence of between four and twelve years imprisonment for the offense. However, the vast majority of bride-kidnapping cases are not reported and fewer still are prosecuted. The practice is so engrained within society that many abducted brides do not even view their kidnapping as a crime. Women’s rights organizations are working to change traditional attitudes and gender stereotypes in the country in the hopes that the future generations of Georgians will view the practice as violation and a remnant of the past.  

Compiled from: Gulo Kokhodze and Tamuna Uchidze, "Bride Theft Rampant in Southern Georgia," Gender Information Network, 15 June 2006. Accessed 18 July 2006.

Shadow Report on the U.S. Compliance with ICCPR Submitted
A coalition of women's and human rights organizations, including The Advocates for Human Rights, has submitted a Shadow Report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee on the status of women's rights in the United States. Specifically, it criticizes U.S. compliance with gender equality mandates established in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), an international human rights treaty ratified by the United States in 1992. The report touches on the status and treatment of women in several contexts, from the criminal justice system to their reproductive rights to the enforcement of anti-violence and anti-discrimination laws. According to the report, United States policy is lacking in these areas and others, making it one of the least supportive developed nations in regard to women’s rights and gender equality.

The report notes the challenges faced by working women, including poorly enforced anti-discrimination employment laws; the lack of unemployment insurance and health care coverage; an inadequate minimum wage that forces many families below the poverty line; and the lack of government-provided family supports that are common to other developed nations.

Women’s vulnerability under current asylum laws is also given significant consideration in the report. It calls on the U.S. government to recognize gender-based persecution as grounds for asylum and to consider sexual violence (or fear of sexual violence) as a viable defense. An unwillingness to do so disregards the particular vulnerabilities women face as a result of their sex and stringent U.S. asylum policies disproportionately penalize women.

The report also calls attention to the treatment of women in prisons, particularly the practice of shackling pregnant women on the way to the hospital and throughout the birthing process. Furthermore, women’s reproductive rights are often ignored while incarcerated and access to abortion is denied.

The report takes issue with the handling of sex education as well, criticizing the recent U.S. focus on abstinence-only education. It claims that abstinence-only curriculums censor accurate and practical information about contraception and sexuality, stigmatize sexual conduct outside of heterosexual marriage, perpetuate damaging sexual stereotypes, and generally impede the ability of young women to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

The report provides recommendations in all of these areas for how the United States should tailor policies and practices to better comply with the gender equality and women’s rights provisions of the ICCPR.  

Compiled from: "Report on Women's Human Rights in the United States Under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: In Response to the Second and Third Periodic Report of the United States of America," Human Rights Advocates International (New York), International Gender Organization, International Women’s Human Rights Law Clinic, International Women’s Rights Action Watch, Legal Momentum, MASSCEDAW, The Advocates for Human Rights, and National Organization for Women Foundation, July 2006. (PDF, 60 pages).

Armenians and Ukrainians Meet to Exchange Knowledge on Combatting Human Trafficking
YEREVAN, 14 July 2006 - Representatives of Armenian non-governmental organizations Hope and Help and Democracy Today, the Ministry of Labour and Social Issues and the police participated in a study tour to Odessa, organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan and the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine.

The purpose of the trip was to exchange experience with NGOs providing assistance to trafficked victims and state units dealing with combating trafficking in Ukraine.

"In recent years, Ukrainian anti-trafficking actors have acquired a lot of experience which can be useful for the Armenian side," said Blanka Hancilova, Democratization Programme Manager at the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

"This study tour was a unique opportunity for the representatives of the two Armenian NGOs and government representatives to learn about the work of their Ukrainian colleagues. We hope that this knowledge will help further improve the conceptual and practical approaches of Armenian anti-trafficking units."

Published in: "OSCE Offices Co-organize Study Tour for Armenian Group on Fighting Human Trafficking," Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, 14 July 2006.

Stocktaking Survey on the Measures Taken in Council of Europe Member States
An Assessment of Council of Europe member states’ compliance with a 2002 Council of Europe Resolution to address violence against women has been released by the Directorate General of Human Rights. The report touches on the prevalence of violence against women in member states as well as its costs, economically as well as socially. It moves on to discuss progress that has been made across Council of Europe member states in the legal, civil service, and educational realms with regard to combating violence against women. It reviews domestic measures to protect victims, noting a deficit of services for victims of rape throughout member states. Inefficient geographic distribution of services and a lack of outreach initiatives debilitate many programs in the region. The report also calls attention to the fact that the importance of perpetrator rehabilitation is often ignored.

With regard to legislation, the report notes that several countries are relying on general provisions of criminal law to combat domestic violence and calls on them to adopt targeted policies. It compares legal definitions of rape and sexual assault, applauding those countries that have broadened legal rhetoric and encompassed more minor or less conventional forms of sexual abuse within criminal codes. 

The report assesses states’ educational measures, calling on them to take a more active role in raising awareness among the general population and in providing training for public health officials, police, and other sectors of society that deal with violence against women. The report concludes with comparative results from the member state survey.

Compiled from: Carol Hagemann-White, "Combating Violence Against Women: Stocktaking Survey on the Measures and Actions Taken in Council of Europe Member States," Directorate General of Human Rights, 2006. Accessed 13 July 2006.

Blueprint for Council of Europe Campaign to Combat Violence against Women
The Council of Europe campaign to combat violence against women, including domestic violence, has been laid out in a new Blueprint for action. The document sets out the goals of the campaign, which are to raise awareness among Europeans that violence against women is a human rights violation and domestic violence is not a private issue; to encourage states to allot adequate resources to prevent and combat violence as well as to implement a system of data collection for monitoring the issue; and to promote legislation and action plans on a domestic level that address violence against women effectively. The blueprint recognizes the damaging effects of patriarchal attitudes and calls on all states to be proactive in fighting gender stereotypes and discriminatory traditions.  It also sets a timeline for the campaign and identifies critical opportunities for raising awareness, such as International Women’s Day.

Compiled from: "Blueprint of the Council of Europe Campaign to Combat Violence Against Women, Including Domestic Violence," Task Force to combat violence against women, 21 June 2006. Accessed 13 July 2006.

Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women Issues Addendum to 2006 Report
The Special Rapporteur on violence against women, Yakin Ertürk, has issued an Addendum to her 2006 Report. The document reviews her communications with certain governments regarding allegations of women’s human rights violations. Ms. Ertürk’s communications detail the allegations of abuse against women in a particular country, which range from cases of violence against women such as rape and murder to exploitation of indigenous women. Government responses, which are submitted in response to only a fraction of the Rapporteur’s communications, explain the course of action taken by the government to respond to the allegations. The Addendum gives an overview of this correspondence followed by the Rapporteur’s observations for how the government could respond more effectively.

The countries assessed in this report include Afghanistan, Bahrain, Colombia, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, China, Philippines, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Montenegro, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Turkmenistan, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.

Compiled from: "Integration of the Human Rights of Women and a Gender Perspective, Addendum: Communications to and from Governments," report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Yakin Ertürk, Commission on Human Rights, Sixty-second session, March 2006.

U.S. Court Finds Matchmaking Agency Has Duty to Inform Client of Battered Spouse Waiver

On April 13, 2006, a United States Court of Appeals held that a matchmaking agency is required to inform its clients of the battered spouse waiver.  In Fox v. Fox, the appellate court held that Encounters International had a duty to tell Nataliya Fox, a Ukrainian national, about the battered spouse waiver.  This ruling is very important to protecting women channeled through matchmaking agencies. 

 

Matchmaking agencies offer women the opportunity to immigrate to the U.S. by marrying a U.S. citizen.  Women who come to the U.S. through matchmaking agencies are often uninformed of their rights under U.S. law; this is often compounded by language and cultural barriers.  Women who immigrate through these agencies are at a heightened risk of being exploited due to their vulnerability.  Encounters International, and other agencies, often hold themselves as trustworthy counselors, so the women rely on these agencies to advise them in difficult situations. In Fox, the court found Encounters International clearly engaged in “intentional efforts to gain [Ms. Fox’s] trust, confidence and loyalty...”  (Fox v. Fox, page 17).   

 

The propensity for domestic abuse is one of the most difficult problems for women like Ms. Fox, who gain citizenship solely through their abuser.  In response, the U.S. government established the battered spouse waiver in the Immigration Act of 1990.  The battered spouse waiver allows an “alien who validly resides in the United States based solely upon the sponsorship of her United States citizen spouse to leave an abusive relationship with such spouse without fear of being immediately deported.”  (Fox v. Fox, page 9-10). 

 

Though having the legal right is critical, it is equally important to be informed of  rights.  The court found that Ms. Fox, as a result of Encounters International’s repeated efforts to gain her trust, relied on the agency to help her leave her physically and emotionally abusive husband without risk of being deported. Encounters International fraudulently induced Ms. Fox to believe they would always represent her interests.  Ms. Fox trusted them as a result of their assurances, and they failed to inform her of the only viable alternative to her abusive marriage.  The court found this violation was intended to cause Ms. Fox to remain with her abusive spouse in order to preserve the touted 95% matchmaking success rate of Encounters International, a core marketing tool.  This ruling is an important step in ensuring the safety of women in these situations is a primary concern of matchmaking agencies.      

Please note, this case is unpublished and is thus not binding precedent on the court.

Compiled from: Fox v. Fox, No. 05-1139 (4th Cir. decided April 13, 2006).

Moldova Law on Gender Equality Passed 9 February 2006
The Moldovan Parliament adopted the Law on Ensuring Equal Opportunities for Women and Men on 9 February 2006.  The law addresses equality between men and women in the public domain (Chapter II), socio-economic sphere (Chapter III) and education and healthcare (Chapter IV). In each chapter, the law provides the specific requirements that must be met within the corresponding area of concern.  The law also outlines the institutional framework in which the law shall be enforced.  (Chapter V). Bodies charged with enforcing the law include: Parliament, Government, Governmental Committee for equality between women and men, Ministry of Health and Social Protection (specialized body), ministries and other central administrative authorities (gender units), local public administration authorities (gender units).  (Article 15). Finally, the law gives persons the right to reparations for violations of this law and holds those who violate the law liable.  (Article 24). 

Compiled from: Law on Ensuring Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, No. 5-XVI (February 9, 2006) (Moldova).

Shadow Report Submitted on the Implementation of CEDAW in the Czech Republic
The European Roma Rights Centre, Gender Studies, and the League of Human Rights have submitted a Shadow Report on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in the Czech Republic. The report details the shortcomings of the Czech government in complying with its responsibilities under CEDAW and generally protecting the rights of women.

Notably, the issues of coercive sterilization and domestic violence have been inadequately addressed by the Czech government. Few measures have been taken to respond to the Ombudsman’s 2005 Report indicating that forced or coerced sterilization took place not only during the Communist era but since 1989. The fact that the victims of this practice are overwhelmingly Romani women, following a pattern of discrimination against them in the Czech Republic, has gone overlooked. Sufficient reparations have not been made to victims and the government has yet to explicitly ban the practice through legislation. The problem of domestic violence, while prohibited by law, is aggravated by poorly trained police and medical officials as well as a lack of services for victims.

The report also calls attention to the inability of government policy to adequately respond to discrimination, prioritize gender equality, and address damaging stereotypes. These issues are handled almost exclusively by NGOs. Further, though female participation in public life is extremely low, little action has been taken on the part of the government to address this discrepancy.

Compiled from: Shadow Report to the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women for the Czech Republic, European Roma Rights Centre, Gender Studies, and the League of Human Rights, June 2006.

International Human Trafficking Conference to be held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan
A three-day conference will be held this September in Dushanbe to discuss methods of combating trafficking in persons. The goal of the conference is to strengthen both civil society and government bodies in their fight against trafficking in persons as well as their support of trafficking victims. Conference participants will discuss and plan strategic approaches for combating trafficking, strengthen the ties between their groups, and discuss available resources in Tajikistan to prevent human trafficking.

More information can be found at: http://www.cagateway.org

Compiled from: Combating Human Trafficking in Tajikistan,” The Network of East-West Women-Polska/NEWW, 07 July 2006, Accessed 10 July 2006.

Women's Commission Evaluates Training Program to Handle Sexual Exploitation by Humanitarian Workers
The Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children has submitted a written Evaluation of a training program, Building Safer Organizations (BSO), designed to help prevent and combat sexual exploitation and abuse of aid beneficiaries by humanitarian workers. Following allegations of such abuse in West Africa and Nepal, the United Nations Secretary General issued a Bulletin in 2003 calling on UN agencies and their partner NGOs to prevent beneficiary abuse and to investigate allegations if they arise. Building Safer Organizations is the result of a collaborative effort by NGOs to respond to the issue and the Women’s Commission was asked to evaluate the effectiveness of its pilot training program.

Participants in the training program were primarily NGO staff, and particular effort was expended to seek out individuals who would be likely to conduct investigations within their organization should the need arise. Overall, the evaluation found the program to be highly effective in raising awareness among humanitarian organizations and in providing tools to prevent and investigate sexual exploitation and abuse. Participants were overwhelmingly positive in their response to the program and many indicated they had already used the tools they gained through the training.

In order to improve the efficacy of the training program, the evaluation suggested greater collaboration with similar initiatives and a concerted effort to involve more of the humanitarian community. It also pointed out that although prevention and investigation techniques were thoroughly covered, a mechanism for handling complaints was lacking.

Compiled from: "Breaking the Code: Building Capacity to Investigate Sexual Abuse and Exploitation by Humanitarian Workers," Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children, June 2006.

Fair Fund Empowers Girls and Women in Eastern Europe
FAIR Fund is an international organization created three years ago to support and encourage civic activism in the lives of young women to enhance their lives and their communities. The organization is based in Eastern Europe and Central Asia which are areas of the world where women are attaining their rights and taking on their role as equal citizens in the community. As women take a more active role in the development of their civil society, FAIR Fund provides support and financial assistance.

The organization works with local advisors and organizations to determine the needs of women in the communities. The programs thus far have focused on gender violence, human trafficking, and girls’ empowerment. Its comprehensive programs are made up of community outreach, media campaigns, workshops, and various forms of education, each tailored to the needs of the specific program. One of these programs is FemVote, which develops young women’s skills of organizing campaigns and workshops in order to take a more active role in civil society. Aside from the projects that FAIR Fund coordinates, the organization also provides support and seed funding to local established organizations to ensure the sustainability of more specialized programs.

FAIR Fund has an International Women’s Advisory Council made up of young women leaders which focuses on the needs of women and youth in isolated areas in order to incorporate them into the projects. Thus far, over 10,000 young people have been reached by FAIR Funds programs. In addition, forty social service organizations in eleven different countries have been provided with technical assistance and program support.

Compiled from: "About Fair Fund," Fair Fund, http://www.fairfund.org, Accessed 6 June 2006.
37th Session for CEDAW to Be Held January 15-February 2, 2007
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women will be hosting its 37th Session in at United Nations headquarters in New York from January 15-February 2, 2007.  The Committee will consider state reports from the following countries among others: TajikistanAzerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Poland

For more information, please visit the U.N. Division for the Advancement of Women's CEDAW website.

Compiled from: CEDAW: 37th Session, U.N. Division for the Advancement of Women (viewed July 5, 2006).

Council of Europe: "Parliaments United in Combating Domestic Violence Against Women"
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will launch a pan-European campaign to combat domestic violence against women entitled: "Parliamentary United in Combating Domestic Violence Against Women."  This will be part of the larger goal to end violence against women.  The campaign hopes to condemn domestic violence as a human rights violation, create a debate to help fight domestic violence, and encourage national parliaments to become actively involved in preventing and remedying domestic violence.  More information is detailed in the rapporteur's official report regarding the campaign. 

Compiled from: Parliaments United in Combating Domestic Violence Against Women, Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (viewed July 5, 2006).

Trafficked Women's Symptoms Akin to Torture Victims'
A new study that examined the health problems suffered by trafficked women found that their symptoms were similar to that of torture victims. Researchers studied over two hundred women from several countries and found patterns of severe physical and psychological trauma. Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety, all of which are problems documented among torture survivors, were found in many of the women. The report also noted that a vast majority of the women were single mothers and that many were lured into the business with false promises of employment. The report was published by the London School Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.      

Compiled from: "Trafficked Women's Symptoms Akin to Torture Victims'," London (Reuters), CNN, www.cnn.com, 28 June 2006.

Moldovan NGOs Submit Shadow Report on Implementation of CEDAW
Moldovan NGOs have collaborated to produce a shadow report on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) to supplement the government’s official report. The shadow report seeks to illuminate the gaps between the stated responsibilities of the Moldovan government in upholding CEDAW and the reality for women in the country. It finds that although formal equality exists not only in the Constitution but in a recently enacted statute (Law regarding assurance of Equal Opportunities for Women and Men), discrimination against women remains rampant.

The report focuses much of its attention on the difficulties women face in the labor sphere. Specifically, it points to unequal wages between men and women, a serious lack of female representation in professional positions, poor working conditions, and widespread sexual harassment in the workplace. Furthermore, provisions of the Moldovan Labor Code bar women from jobs entailing heavy manual labor and discriminate against pregnant women and mothers. These factors serve to aggravate the existing vulnerability of women to financial dependence and poverty. The report also cites ignorance about the prevalence of violence against women and the existence of damaging stereotypes about the role of women as hindrances to gender equality.    

In discussing the legal framework of gender equality in Moldova, the report indicates that although important steps have been taken to formalize the concepts delineated in CEDAW, much work remains to be done to transform those concepts into a daily reality. It calls for increased funding to implement anti-discrimination laws, advocates for the eradication of the discriminatory provisions of the Labor Code, and encourages the Moldovan government to prioritize gender equality and take proactive measures to comply with CEDAW.   

Compiled from: "The Alternative Report of Evaluation Regarding the Implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women," coordinated by Elena Burca, president of the Forum of Women Organizations from the Republic of Moldova and Valentina Budrug-Lungu, president of the Gender-Center, 2006.

Ukraine: TV Series on Gender Issues, Roles, Stereotypes and Equality
KYIV, 24 May 2006 - A series of TV programmes on equal opportunities, produced with the help of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine, will air on the country's UT-1 channel beginning 27 May.

The programmes, entitled "Sensitive Topic," were created by the non-governmental organization Women's Consortium and also supported by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

"OSCE support for such an initiative has the strategic goal of drawing public attention to gender-related issues, as well as to problems connected with the strong influence of stereotypes regarding the "traditional" role of women and men in Ukrainian society, family, and private relations," said Marten Ehnberg, Head of the Democratization Section of the Project Co-ordinator's office.

"Breaking down stereotypes could lead to a more balanced release of the vast potential of both women and men in the public and private sector. It could also have a positive impact on the democratic and economic development of Ukraine.

"The programmes are targeted at a diverse audience: from young people who are in the process of shaping their life outlook, to mature and middle-aged people who may find in the programmes advice in dealing with real life issues," he added

The series was produced in the framework of the Co-ordinator's project that focuses on strengthening democratic governance practices in Ukraine. This is the product of a new format that strives to combine informative and entertaining components in an easy to understand manner. It consists of several shows focusing on different gender-related issues, including professional discrimination, domestic labour costs, children and divorces, sexual harassment, the parents' responsibilities.

The programme is part of a public awareness campaign designed by the Project Co-ordinator and ODIHR and aims to facilitate the implementation of the national gender equality policy by responsible state agencies.

Published in: OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine Helps Produce TV Series in Ukraine, The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) (May 24, 2006).

Proposal for a New UN Entity for Women
When a special high-level UN panel meets next week to discuss ways in which to improve the coherency of the UN’s development, humanitarian assistance, and environment entities, a new plan will be presented to them about the creation of a new UN entity that will focus entirely on women’s issues. The plan was created by Stephen Lewis who currently works for the UN special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. He has already lobbied for support from political leaders worldwide and has found strong supporters among human rights activists.

The new agency would consolidate existing programs from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and World Health Organization (WHO). It would have a staff of thousands and cost approximately $1 billion a year.

Lewis’s experience in Africa with HIV/AIDS has shown him first hand the disturbing violence that women and girls experience. He visited a Kenyan town last month in which the number of rapes increased every month, and the majority of the girls raped were under the age of 12. The number of rapes among older women in the town is also unexpectedly high, resulting from the belief men hold that they cannot contract HIV/AIDS when having unprotected sex with them. If the panel approves Lewis’s plan, the new agency will be placed on the September agenda of the UN General Assembly.

Compiled from:World’s Women Have an Advocate,” the Toronto Star, http://www.thestar.com, 1 June 2006, Accessed 5 June 2006.