International Women's Day

Discriminatory laws against women are still to be found on the statute books of virtually every country in the world. This is despite Governments’ commitment made in the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing or other similar commitments made by the 185 ratifying states to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and other fundamental human rights treaties.

“Many states appear to have simply ignored the commitments they have made,”  UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said on the occasion of International Women’s Day (8 March).

Perhaps the most pernicious and dangerous discrimination involves sexual abuse that is not recognized as such under a country’s laws, or is in effect tolerated by legislation that is either vague or not enforced. “Rape is recognized as a crime in most legal systems,” said Arbour. “But, even when it is, inadequate legislation or local traditions often mean laws are not properly enforced.”

On the other hand, a “paradox of violence against women” exists: as States do more - change laws, increase protection, provide resources for NGO support services - it appears that levels of violence increase. According to the latest report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women , Yakin Ertürk, this is because the initial baseline for reporting was so low. Increased reporting to institutions and in surveys should not only be expected, but understood as an indicator of success in challenging tolerance and increasing women’s sense that they have a right to protection and redress.

On 25 February, UN Secretary-General launched a global campaign on violence against women which will run until 2015, the same target year as the internationally agreed aims known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).